You are the product manager for Instagram stories. How would you measure success at launch?

Introduction

Measuring the success of Instagram Stories at launch is a critical product success metrics challenge that requires a comprehensive approach. To address this effectively, I'll follow a structured framework covering core metrics, supporting indicators, and risk factors while considering all key stakeholders. This approach will ensure we capture the full impact of Stories on Instagram's ecosystem and user engagement.

Step 1

Product Context

Instagram Stories is a feature that allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. It's designed to encourage more frequent, casual sharing and increase overall engagement on the platform.

Key stakeholders include:

• Users: Looking for a fun, ephemeral way to share moments
• Advertisers: Seeking new ad placement opportunities
• Instagram: Aiming to increase user engagement and compete with Snapchat
• Facebook (parent company): Interested in cross-platform synergies and data

User flow:

1. Creation: Users capture or upload content, add stickers, filters, or text
2. Posting: Content is shared to their Stories
3. Viewing: Followers can watch Stories in a slideshow format
4. Interaction: Viewers can respond via direct messages

Stories fits into Instagram's broader strategy of increasing user engagement and time spent on the platform. It also helps Instagram compete directly with Snapchat, which pioneered the Stories format.

The product is in the launch phase, focusing on rapid adoption and establishing user behavior patterns.