Should Twitter build Stories?

Introduction

The strategic problem at hand is whether Twitter should invest in building a Stories feature, similar to those popularized by platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. This decision is crucial as it could significantly impact user engagement, content creation, and Twitter's competitive position in the social media landscape.

Key business objectives tied to this product strategy include:

1. Increasing user engagement and time spent on the platform
2. Attracting and retaining younger demographics
3. Providing new avenues for content creators and advertisers
4. Maintaining Twitter's unique identity while evolving with market trends

In addressing this question, I'll follow these strategic steps:

1. Clarify the strategic goals
2. Conduct a market and competitive analysis
3. Define the product vision and roadmap
4. Prioritize strategic initiatives
5. Outline an execution plan and resource allocation
6. Establish metrics and key performance indicators
7. Develop a risk management and contingency plan
8. Summarize recommendations and next steps

Step 1

Clarify the Strategic Goals (3-4 minutes)

To ensure we're approaching this decision with the right context, I'd like to clarify a few key points:

• Based on Twitter's current market position, I'm sensing that user engagement and attracting younger demographics might be key priorities. Could you confirm if these are indeed top strategic objectives for Twitter at this time?

Why it matters: This helps us align the Stories feature with Twitter's most pressing needs. Expected answer: Confirmation of engagement and demographic priorities. Impact on approach: Would focus on how Stories can drive these specific metrics.

• Considering Twitter's unique position in real-time public conversations, I'm curious about how the company views the balance between maintaining its core identity and adopting new content formats. Can you share insights on Twitter's stance on this balance?

Why it matters: Determines how much we should innovate vs. preserve Twitter's existing format. Expected answer: A desire to innovate while preserving Twitter's essence of public, real-time dialogue. Impact on approach: Would influence how we integrate Stories into Twitter's existing ecosystem.

• Looking at Twitter's current product lifecycle, I'm wondering where we see the most growth potential. Is it in expanding the user base, increasing engagement of existing users, or monetization improvements?

Why it matters: Helps prioritize the primary goal of introducing Stories. Expected answer: A mix of user base expansion and increased engagement from existing users. Impact on approach: Would shape the feature set and rollout strategy for Stories.

• Given the resource-intensive nature of building and maintaining a Stories feature, I'm interested in understanding our current constraints. What are our main limitations in terms of engineering resources, budget, or other factors?

Why it matters: Ensures our strategy is grounded in realistic execution capabilities. Expected answer: Insights into available resources and potential trade-offs. Impact on approach: Would influence the scope and timeline of the Stories implementation.

Based on the answers to these questions, I'll synthesize the key strategic assumptions that will guide our approach to the Stories feature for Twitter.