The Translate team needs to choose: should we add more offline languages that increase app size, or keep current download size?

Introduction

The Translate team faces a critical trade-off: should we expand our offline language offerings at the cost of increased app size, or maintain our current download footprint? This decision impacts user accessibility, app performance, and market reach. I'll analyze this trade-off through the lens of user needs, technical constraints, and business objectives.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming this is for our mobile app. Is that correct, or are we considering desktop as well?

Why it matters: Mobile and desktop have different storage constraints and user behaviors. Expected answer: Mobile app focus. Impact: Would prioritize app size optimization strategies for mobile.

• Business Context: How does offline language support align with our current revenue model?

Why it matters: Helps prioritize the feature against business objectives. Expected answer: Indirect impact through user retention and market expansion. Impact: Would influence the weight given to user growth vs. monetization in the decision.

• User Impact: What percentage of our users regularly use offline translation?

Why it matters: Determines the scale of impact for this decision. Expected answer: Around 20-30% of active users. Impact: Higher usage would justify increased app size for more languages.

• Technical: What's our current app size, and what's the projected increase per additional offline language?

Why it matters: Helps quantify the trade-off in concrete terms. Expected answer: Current size 100MB, each language adds 5-10MB. Impact: Would help set a threshold for acceptable size increase.

• Resource: Do we have the team capacity to optimize app size while adding languages?

Why it matters: Affects feasibility of pursuing both objectives simultaneously. Expected answer: Limited capacity, would require trade-offs in other areas. Impact: Might lead to phased approach or need for additional resources.