Should JustAnswer prioritize expanding its range of expert categories or focus on improving the depth of expertise in existing popular categories?

Introduction

The trade-off JustAnswer faces is whether to prioritize expanding its range of expert categories or focus on improving the depth of expertise in existing popular categories. This decision is crucial for JustAnswer's growth strategy and user satisfaction. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining the product's current state, potential impacts, key metrics, and experimental approaches to inform a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on JustAnswer's business model, I'm thinking revenue is primarily driven by user subscriptions or per-question fees. Could you confirm our main revenue streams and their relative importance?

Why it matters: Helps prioritize expansion vs. depth based on revenue impact Expected answer: Subscription model with some pay-per-question options Impact on approach: Would focus on strategies that increase subscription retention and upsells

• Considering user behavior, I'm assuming there's a mix of one-time users and repeat customers. Can you share insights on user retention and the percentage of users who ask questions across multiple categories?

Why it matters: Informs whether category expansion or depth might better serve user needs Expected answer: Moderate retention with some cross-category usage Impact on approach: Would influence whether to focus on cross-selling or deepening expertise

• Looking at our technical infrastructure, I'm curious about the scalability of our expert onboarding and quality control processes. How easily can we expand to new categories or increase expert capacity in existing ones?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility and resource requirements for each option Expected answer: Moderate scalability with some manual processes Impact on approach: Would affect timeline and resource allocation for either strategy

• Regarding our current team structure, I'm wondering about our capacity to manage new categories versus improving existing ones. How are our product and operations teams currently organized?

Why it matters: Influences the feasibility of each option based on current team structure Expected answer: Teams aligned with major categories, some flexibility Impact on approach: Would impact the speed of implementation and potential reorganization needs

• Considering market trends, I'm curious about the growth rates of our existing categories versus potential new ones. Do we have data on market demand for various expert categories?

Why it matters: Helps identify which strategy aligns better with market opportunities Expected answer: Some high-growth existing categories, emerging demand in new areas Impact on approach: Would guide prioritization of expansion vs. depth based on market potential