You are PM of Medium and you notice some fluctuations in % of active users. After 3 weeks of monitoring, you notice one morning that the % of active users drop by 35%. What would you do to figure out the drop and how will you restore it?

Introduction

As the PM of Medium, a sudden 35% drop in active users over three weeks is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This significant decline could have far-reaching implications for our platform's health, user engagement, and overall business performance. I'll approach this problem systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause, validating our hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to restore and improve our active user base.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking there might be a specific event or change that triggered this. Has there been any major product update or feature release in the past month?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with sudden metric shifts. Expected answer: Yes, we launched a new recommendation algorithm. Impact on approach: If true, we'd focus on the algorithm's performance and user reception.

• Considering the magnitude of the drop, I'm wondering if this affects all user segments equally. Can you provide a breakdown of the active user drop by user type (e.g., writers, readers, premium subscribers)?

Why it matters: Identifying affected segments helps narrow down potential causes. Expected answer: The drop is more pronounced among casual readers. Impact on approach: We'd investigate factors specifically impacting casual reader engagement.

• Given the suddenness of the drop, I'm curious about any technical issues. Have we experienced any significant outages or performance degradation recently?

Why it matters: Technical problems can cause immediate and drastic drops in usage. Expected answer: No major outages, but there have been reports of slower page load times. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating and resolving performance issues.

• Considering external factors, has there been any notable competitor activity or market shifts in the past month?

Why it matters: External events can significantly impact user behavior across platforms. Expected answer: A major competitor launched a new feature that's gaining traction. Impact on approach: We'd analyze the competitor's offering and our relative market position.