How can we make Skillshare's class recommendations more personalized and accurate?

Introduction

To improve Skillshare's class recommendations, making them more personalized and accurate, we need to dive deep into user behavior, content analysis, and recommendation algorithms. I'll outline a strategic approach to enhance the recommendation system, focusing on user satisfaction and engagement.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (5 mins)

• Looking at Skillshare's product context, I'm thinking about the diversity of content and user interests. Could you help me understand the current breadth of course categories and how users typically navigate through them?

Why it matters: Determines the complexity of the recommendation system needed Expected answer: Wide range of categories with varying depths, users often explore multiple areas Impact on approach: Would focus on cross-category recommendations and interest clustering

• Considering user behavior, I'm curious about the typical learning patterns. What's the average course completion rate, and how does it vary across different course types or lengths?

Why it matters: Helps identify engagement issues that recommendations could address Expected answer: Completion rates vary widely, with shorter courses having higher completion rates Impact on approach: Would prioritize recommending courses with higher likelihood of completion

• Regarding Skillshare's position in the market, how does our recommendation accuracy compare to key competitors, and what metrics are we using to measure this?

Why it matters: Establishes a benchmark for improvement and identifies key performance indicators Expected answer: We're slightly behind in recommendation accuracy, using metrics like click-through rate and course completion Impact on approach: Would focus on improving these specific metrics while introducing new ones

• Thinking about the product lifecycle, where is Skillshare in terms of user growth and retention? Are we more focused on acquiring new users or retaining existing ones?

Why it matters: Influences whether recommendations should prioritize onboarding or deepening engagement Expected answer: Moderate growth, increasing focus on retention Impact on approach: Would emphasize personalized recommendations for existing users to increase platform stickiness