What caused the sudden 50% decrease in job seeker profile creations on Glassdoor's mobile app last week?

Introduction

The sudden 50% decrease in job seeker profile creations on Glassdoor's mobile app last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This significant drop in a key performance indicator could have far-reaching implications for Glassdoor's user acquisition funnel and overall platform growth. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying potential root causes, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to address the issue.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this could be related to a recent app update. Has there been any significant changes or updates to the mobile app in the past two weeks?

Why it matters: Recent changes could directly impact user behavior. Expected answer: Yes, there was an update. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on the changes made in that update.

• Considering user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of this decrease. Is the 50% drop consistent across all user demographics and regions, or are there specific segments more affected?

Why it matters: Helps identify if it's a global issue or specific to certain user groups. Expected answer: The decrease varies across segments. Impact on approach: If varied, we'd prioritize investigating the most affected segments.

• Given the severity of the drop, I'm wondering about any concurrent changes in marketing efforts. Have there been any significant changes in user acquisition campaigns or referral sources recently?

Why it matters: Changes in user acquisition could explain the drop in new profile creations. Expected answer: No major changes in marketing efforts. Impact on approach: If no changes, we'd focus more on product and technical issues.

• Considering potential technical issues, I'm curious about the app's performance metrics. Have there been any noticeable changes in app crash rates, load times, or other performance indicators?

Why it matters: Technical issues could be deterring users from completing profile creation. Expected answer: Some performance degradation noted. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd prioritize investigating technical root causes.