Should Trustpilot prioritize increasing review volume or improving review quality?

Introduction

The trade-off between increasing review volume and improving review quality is a critical decision for Trustpilot's product strategy. This scenario touches on the core of Trustpilot's value proposition as a review platform. I'll analyze this trade-off by examining the product ecosystem, potential impacts, and key metrics, then design an experiment to inform our decision-making process.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming Trustpilot is facing challenges with either review quantity or quality. Could you provide more context on what's driving this trade-off consideration?

Why it matters: Helps understand the root cause and urgency of the situation. Expected answer: Recent decline in review volume or quality concerns from businesses. Impact on approach: Would influence whether we prioritize short-term fixes or long-term strategic changes.

• Business Context: How does this trade-off align with Trustpilot's current revenue model and growth targets?

Why it matters: Ensures our solution supports overall business objectives. Expected answer: Review volume drives ad revenue, while quality impacts subscription retention. Impact on approach: Would help balance short-term gains against long-term platform value.

• User Impact: Which user segments (consumers, businesses, or both) are most affected by this trade-off?

Why it matters: Identifies key stakeholders and potential risks. Expected answer: Businesses are concerned about quality, while consumers value volume for decision-making. Impact on approach: Would guide our focus on specific user needs and potential feature adjustments.

• Technical Feasibility: What current technical limitations might affect our ability to improve review quality?

Why it matters: Helps understand constraints and potential implementation challenges. Expected answer: Limited NLP capabilities for automated quality checks. Impact on approach: Would influence whether we focus on automated solutions or manual processes.

• Resource Allocation: What's our current team capacity for implementing changes in either direction?

Why it matters: Ensures our recommendation is realistic and actionable. Expected answer: Limited engineering resources but flexible content moderation team. Impact on approach: Would guide the balance between technical and operational solutions.