Your team is proposing removing the profile photo upload step in the onboarding flow. What metric would you look at?

Introduction

Removing the profile photo upload step in the onboarding flow is a significant decision that could impact user engagement and product success metrics. To approach this product success metrics problem effectively, I will follow a simple product success metric framework. I'll follow a structured framework that covers core metrics, supporting indicators, and risk factors while considering all key stakeholders.

Step 1

Product Context (5 minutes)

The product in question is likely a social or professional networking platform where user profiles play a crucial role. The profile photo upload step is part of the onboarding flow, which is the user's first interaction with the platform after signing up.

Key stakeholders include:

1. Users: Seeking to create a profile and connect with others
2. Product team: Aiming to optimize user experience and increase engagement
3. Marketing team: Interested in user acquisition and retention
4. Engineering team: Responsible for implementing and maintaining the onboarding flow

The current user flow likely involves:

1. Sign-up (email/password or social login)
2. Basic information input (name, location, etc.)
3. Profile photo upload
4. Additional profile details (bio, interests, etc.)
5. Connection suggestions or content recommendations

The profile photo upload step allows users to personalize their profiles, making them more recognizable and potentially increasing engagement. However, it may also be a point of friction, causing some users to abandon the onboarding process.

This decision fits into the company's broader strategy of optimizing user onboarding and increasing user activation rates. Competitors in the space may have varying approaches, with some prioritizing quick sign-ups and others focusing on complete profiles from the start.

In terms of product lifecycle, this feature is likely in the maturity stage, where optimization and refinement are key focus areas.