What's causing the sudden increase in error rates for Kahoot's mobile app during live games?

Introduction

The sudden increase in error rates for Kahoot's mobile app during live games is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This problem directly impacts user experience and could potentially lead to decreased engagement and retention. I'll approach this analysis systematically, focusing on identifying the root cause, validating hypotheses, and developing both short-term fixes and long-term solutions.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Looking at the timing, I'm thinking this might be related to a recent app update. Has there been any significant update to the mobile app in the past few weeks?

Why it matters: Recent updates often introduce bugs or compatibility issues. Expected answer: Yes, there was an update two weeks ago. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on changes introduced in that update.

• Considering user segments, I'm wondering if this is affecting all users equally. Are we seeing higher error rates across all user types, or is it concentrated in specific segments?

Why it matters: Helps narrow down potential causes and affected user groups. Expected answer: The issue is more prevalent among users with older devices. Impact on approach: We'd investigate compatibility issues with older hardware or OS versions.

• Given the nature of live games, I'm curious about the load on our servers. Have we seen any unusual spikes in concurrent users recently?

Why it matters: Server capacity issues could lead to increased error rates during peak times. Expected answer: There has been a 20% increase in concurrent users over the past month. Impact on approach: We'd focus on server capacity and performance optimization.

• Considering the error rates, I'm wondering about the specific types of errors being reported. Do we have data on the most common error messages or codes users are encountering?

Why it matters: Different error types point to different root causes. Expected answer: The most common error is "Connection Lost" during game sessions. Impact on approach: We'd investigate network-related issues and connection stability.