What caused the sudden 50% decrease in contractor profile views on Angi's mobile app last week?

Introduction

The sudden 50% decrease in contractor profile views on Angi's mobile app last week is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This significant drop in engagement could have far-reaching consequences for our platform's ecosystem, affecting both contractors and homeowners. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to prevent future occurrences.

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 often correlate with sudden metric shifts. Expected answer: Yes, there was an update. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd focus on the update's features and potential bugs.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this decrease is uniform across all user types. Are we seeing this 50% drop consistently across different user demographics or contractor categories?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is global or specific to certain segments. Expected answer: The decrease varies across segments. Impact on approach: If varied, we'd investigate the most affected segments first.

• Given the specificity of the metric, I'm curious about our tracking systems. Has there been any change in how we measure or define a "profile view" in the last month?

Why it matters: Ensures we're not dealing with a data anomaly rather than a real issue. Expected answer: No changes in measurement. Impact on approach: If changed, we'd need to reassess our data interpretation.

• Thinking about external factors, have there been any significant marketing campaigns or changes in ad spend that might have affected traffic to the app?

Why it matters: External factors can sometimes explain internal metric changes. Expected answer: No major changes in marketing efforts. Impact on approach: If yes, we'd need to consider the impact of these campaigns on user behavior.