The Instagram Live team is debating: should we implement co-streaming features or focus on improving single broadcaster experience?

Introduction

The Instagram Live team is facing a critical decision: should we implement co-streaming features or focus on improving the single broadcaster experience? This trade-off involves balancing the potential for increased engagement through collaborative content creation against enhancing the core live streaming experience for individual creators. I'll analyze this decision through the lens of user value, technical feasibility, and business impact.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking about the current landscape of live streaming on Instagram. Could you provide some context on the performance of Instagram Live compared to competitors like TikTok Live or YouTube Live?

Why it matters: Helps understand our competitive position and urgency for innovation Expected answer: Instagram Live is growing but facing increased competition Impact on approach: Would influence whether we prioritize differentiation or core experience improvement

• Business Context: Based on our revenue model, I assume live streaming contributes to user engagement and potentially ad revenue. How significant is Instagram Live's contribution to our overall business metrics?

Why it matters: Aligns the decision with broader business goals Expected answer: Moderate contribution, with potential for growth Impact on approach: Would determine the level of resources we can justify for this project

• User Impact: I'm curious about our user segments. Are we seeing different behaviors or requests from casual users versus professional content creators when it comes to live streaming?

Why it matters: Ensures we're addressing the needs of key user groups Expected answer: Professional creators more likely to request advanced features Impact on approach: Might lead to a tiered feature rollout strategy

• Technical Feasibility: Considering our current infrastructure, how complex would implementing co-streaming features be compared to enhancing single broadcaster capabilities?

Why it matters: Assesses the technical effort required for each option Expected answer: Co-streaming more complex, requiring significant backend changes Impact on approach: Could influence timeline and resource allocation

• Timeline: Is there a specific event or market condition driving the urgency of this decision, or is this part of our regular product evolution?

Why it matters: Helps prioritize the decision within our product roadmap Expected answer: Part of strategic planning for next quarter Impact on approach: Would affect the depth of analysis and experimentation we can conduct