For Mobile Premier League's esports tournaments, should we emphasize larger prize pools to attract top players or distribute smaller prizes more widely to engage a broader user base?

Introduction

The trade-off we're examining for Mobile Premier League's esports tournaments is whether to focus on larger prize pools to attract top players or distribute smaller prizes more widely to engage a broader user base. This decision impacts user acquisition, retention, and the overall competitive landscape of our platform. I'll analyze this trade-off through multiple lenses, considering short and long-term impacts, key metrics, and experimental approaches to inform our strategy.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming this is a strategic decision for our core esports offering. Could you confirm if this applies to all our tournament types or specific game categories?

Why it matters: Helps tailor the solution to specific game dynamics and user segments Expected answer: Applies to our top 3 esports titles Impact on approach: Would focus analysis on those specific game ecosystems

• Business Context: Based on our current growth stage, I'm thinking user acquisition might be a priority. How does this trade-off align with our current quarter's OKRs?

Why it matters: Ensures alignment with short-term business goals Expected answer: User growth is a key OKR, but retention is equally important Impact on approach: Would balance strategies for both new user attraction and existing user engagement

• User Impact: Considering our user segments, I'm curious about the split between casual and competitive players. What percentage of our user base considers themselves "professional" or highly competitive?

Why it matters: Helps understand the potential impact on different user segments Expected answer: About 20% are highly competitive, 80% more casual Impact on approach: Would influence the balance between large prizes and broader distribution

• Technical: Given the potential for increased tournament participation, I'm wondering about our platform's scalability. What's our current headroom for concurrent users in tournaments?

Why it matters: Ensures technical feasibility of proposed solutions Expected answer: Current capacity is 2x our peak, with plans to scale further Impact on approach: Would inform the pace and scale of any changes to prize structures

• Resource: Thinking about implementation, I'm curious about our current prize pool budget. Is there flexibility to increase the overall prize money, or are we working within fixed constraints?

Why it matters: Determines the financial parameters for potential solutions Expected answer: Budget is fixed for the quarter but could be revisited next quarter Impact on approach: Would focus on optimizing distribution within current budget initially