As PM for Amazon Audible, would you expand Amazon Audible content library with basic quality, or maintain curated high-quality selection?

Introduction

The trade-off we're considering for Amazon Audible is whether to expand the content library with basic quality offerings or maintain a curated high-quality selection. This decision impacts content strategy, user experience, and Audible's market positioning. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining product understanding, metrics, experimentation, and decision frameworks.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: Based on the current market dynamics, I'm thinking Audible might be facing increased competition. Could you share any recent shifts in the audiobook market that are driving this consideration?

Why it matters: Helps understand external pressures influencing the decision. Expected answer: Increased competition from new entrants or existing players expanding their offerings. Impact on approach: Would influence the urgency and scale of our response.

• Business Context: Considering Audible's premium positioning, I'm curious about our current revenue model. What percentage of our revenue comes from subscriptions versus à la carte purchases?

Why it matters: Helps determine if expanding the library might cannibalize our core business. Expected answer: Majority from subscriptions, with a growing percentage from à la carte. Impact on approach: Would influence whether we focus on attracting new users or increasing engagement of existing subscribers.

• User Impact: I'm thinking about our user segments. Can you tell me about the engagement levels of our power users versus casual listeners?

Why it matters: Helps understand which user group might be most affected by this decision. Expected answer: Power users consume significantly more content but are a smaller segment. Impact on approach: Would guide whether we prioritize depth or breadth in our content strategy.

• Technical: Regarding our content ingestion and quality control processes, how scalable are they currently?

Why it matters: Determines our ability to handle an influx of new content while maintaining quality. Expected answer: Current processes are semi-automated but would require scaling for significant expansion. Impact on approach: Would influence the timeline and resources needed for expansion.

• Resource: I'm considering the implications for our content acquisition team. What's our current capacity for vetting and onboarding new content creators?

Why it matters: Helps understand our ability to execute on an expansion strategy. Expected answer: Team is at capacity but could scale with additional resources. Impact on approach: Would impact the pace and scale of any expansion efforts.