Your director at Meta asks about Facebook Stories: should we add more interactive stickers with slower load times, or maintain current speed with limited stickers?

Introduction

The trade-off we're considering for Facebook Stories is whether to add more interactive stickers at the cost of slower load times, or maintain the current speed with limited sticker options. This scenario touches on the classic product dilemma of feature richness versus performance. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining user impact, technical considerations, and business implications to provide a strategic recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on recent user feedback, I'm thinking engagement with Stories might be plateauing. Could you share any trends in Stories usage over the past quarter?

Why it matters: Helps understand if we need to prioritize new features or focus on performance Expected answer: Slight decline in daily active users for Stories Impact on approach: Would lean towards adding new interactive elements to re-engage users

• Considering our revenue model, I assume Stories ads are a significant contributor. What percentage of our ad revenue comes from Stories compared to the main feed?

Why it matters: Determines the business impact of any changes to Stories Expected answer: Stories ads contribute about 15-20% of total ad revenue Impact on approach: If lower than expected, might prioritize performance to increase usage

• Looking at our user segments, I'm curious about the adoption rate of Stories across different age groups. Can you provide a breakdown of Stories usage by demographic?

Why it matters: Helps tailor the solution to our most engaged or potential growth segments Expected answer: Higher usage among 18-34 age group, lower adoption in 35+ segment Impact on approach: Might focus on features appealing to older users to expand reach

• Regarding technical feasibility, I'm wondering about our current load time benchmarks for Stories. What's our target load time, and how close are we to it now?

Why it matters: Establishes the performance baseline and potential room for added features Expected answer: Target is 2 seconds, currently at 2.5 seconds on average Impact on approach: Would influence how much we can add before significantly impacting speed

• Considering our product roadmap, are there any upcoming major changes to the Stories infrastructure that could impact this decision?

Why it matters: Ensures alignment with broader technical strategy and avoids redundant work Expected answer: Planning a shift to a new rendering engine in Q4 Impact on approach: Might delay major changes until the new infrastructure is in place