You are the PM for a streaming video service. You come into the office and see that one key metric has dropped by 80%. What will you do?

Introduction

A sudden 80% drop in a key metric for our streaming video service is a critical issue that demands immediate attention and a structured approach to resolution. As the Product Manager, I'll lead a comprehensive root cause analysis to identify, validate, and address the underlying factors while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• What specific key metric has dropped by 80%?

• When did we first notice this drop, and over what time frame did it occur?

• Are all user segments equally affected, or is the impact concentrated in specific groups?

• Have there been any recent product updates or system changes that coincide with this drop?

• Are there any known technical issues or outages that might explain this sudden change?

• Has the definition or measurement of this metric changed recently?

Why these questions matter: Understanding the nature and scope of the metric drop is crucial for focusing our investigation and developing targeted solutions. Hypothetical answers to these questions would significantly shape our approach:

For example, if the affected metric is "daily active users" and the drop occurred suddenly across all user segments, we'd likely focus on technical issues or major external events. However, if the drop is in "average watch time" and primarily affects mobile users, we'd investigate mobile app-specific problems or changes in mobile user behavior.