As a PM on LinkedIn's Trust Team, several senior influencers are upset about a high volume of spam connection requests. How would you address their concerns and improve their experience?

Introduction

LinkedIn's Trust Team faces a critical challenge: senior influencers are experiencing a high volume of spam connection requests, leading to frustration and potentially damaging the platform's reputation. This issue strikes at the heart of LinkedIn's value proposition as a professional networking platform. We'll systematically analyze the root cause, develop hypotheses, and propose solutions to enhance the experience for these key users while maintaining the platform's integrity.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Given the focus on senior influencers, I'm wondering about the scale. How many influencers are reporting this issue, and what percentage of our total influencer base does this represent?

Why it matters: Understanding the scope helps prioritize our response and resources. Expected answer: Approximately 15-20% of our senior influencers are affected. Impact on approach: A higher percentage would necessitate a more urgent, platform-wide solution.

• Considering recent platform changes, have we implemented any new features or algorithms in the past 3-6 months that could have inadvertently increased spam activity?

Why it matters: This could point to an internal cause we can directly address. Expected answer: A new connection suggestion algorithm was rolled out 2 months ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on tweaking the algorithm rather than external factors.

• Looking at the timing, I'm curious about the rate of increase. Has this been a gradual rise in spam requests or a sudden spike?

Why it matters: The pattern can indicate whether it's a systemic issue or a targeted attack. Expected answer: A sharp increase noticed over the last 4-6 weeks. Impact on approach: A sudden spike might suggest a coordinated spam campaign requiring immediate security measures.

• Considering user behavior, are these spam requests coming primarily from new accounts, or are established accounts also involved?

Why it matters: This helps us understand if we're dealing with a new user onboarding issue or a broader platform vulnerability. Expected answer: Mix of new and established accounts, with a slight skew towards newer profiles. Impact on approach: If primarily new accounts, we'd focus on registration and early account monitoring processes.