You are a PM at Meta, and Mark wants you to create a product to help people learn musical instruments remotely. What would you build?

Introduction

Creating a product to help people learn musical instruments remotely is an exciting challenge that aligns well with Meta's focus on connecting people through technology. I'll approach this by first clarifying our goals and constraints, then diving into user needs, potential solutions, and success metrics. Let's start by ensuring we're on the same page about the project's scope and objectives.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on the problem description, I'm thinking this might be a new product initiative for Meta, rather than an enhancement to an existing platform. Is that correct?

Why it matters: Helps determine if we're leveraging existing Meta infrastructure or starting from scratch. Expected answer: Yes, it's a new product initiative. Impact on approach: We'll need to consider how to integrate with Meta's ecosystem while potentially creating a standalone product.

• Given Meta's global reach, I assume we're targeting a worldwide audience. Are there any specific regions or demographics we should prioritize initially?

Why it matters: Influences language support, cultural considerations, and initial marketing strategy. Expected answer: Focus on English-speaking markets first, with plans to expand. Impact on approach: We'll design with localization in mind but start with a more focused rollout.

• Are there any specific types of musical instruments we should focus on, or should we aim for a broad approach?

Why it matters: Affects the complexity of the product and the expertise required. Expected answer: Start with popular instruments like guitar, piano, and drums. Impact on approach: We'll design a flexible system that can expand to more instruments over time.

Propose the Goal

Given Meta's focus on connecting people and fostering communities, I believe the goal is to create an engaging, social platform that makes learning musical instruments accessible, enjoyable, and interactive for users worldwide. Does this align with your vision?

Define the Scope

For this product design challenge, should we focus on creating a mobile-first application that integrates with Meta's existing social features?

Based on our discussion, I'll assume we're developing a new, standalone mobile app that leverages Meta's social graph, focusing initially on guitar, piano, and drums for an English-speaking audience, with plans to expand to more instruments and regions over time.