For Teachers Pay Teachers' marketplace, should we emphasize promoting top-selling resources to drive sales or give more visibility to new and diverse content creators?

Introduction

The trade-off we're examining today is whether Teachers Pay Teachers' marketplace should prioritize promoting top-selling resources to drive sales or give more visibility to new and diverse content creators. This decision impacts the platform's growth strategy, user experience, and long-term sustainability. I'll analyze this trade-off by considering stakeholder impacts, metrics, experimentation, and decision frameworks.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on the platform's current growth stage, I'm thinking this decision might be driven by a need to balance short-term revenue with long-term ecosystem health. Could you share more about the current business priorities and how this trade-off aligns with them?

Why it matters: Helps frame the decision within broader strategic goals Expected answer: Balancing growth with creator retention is a key priority Impact on approach: Would influence the weight given to short-term vs. long-term metrics

• Considering user behavior, I'm curious about the current engagement patterns. What percentage of users typically explore beyond the top-selling resources?

Why it matters: Indicates potential for diversifying content discovery Expected answer: A relatively low percentage, suggesting room for improvement Impact on approach: Would inform strategies for increasing visibility of diverse content

• From a technical perspective, I'm wondering about the current recommendation system's capabilities. How sophisticated is our ability to personalize content suggestions for users?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility of nuanced approaches to content promotion Expected answer: Moderate capabilities with room for improvement Impact on approach: Would influence the complexity of proposed solutions

• Regarding resources, I'm thinking about the potential impact on our support teams. How equipped are we to handle an influx of new creators if we shift focus to promoting diverse content?

Why it matters: Ensures operational feasibility of proposed changes Expected answer: Some capacity constraints, but scalable with planning Impact on approach: Would inform the pace and scale of implementation

• Considering timeline, I'm curious about any upcoming platform changes or marketing initiatives. Are there any major events in the next quarter that could impact this decision?

Why it matters: Helps align the trade-off decision with other strategic moves Expected answer: Back-to-school season approaching, critical for sales Impact on approach: Would influence timing and prioritization of changes