The "Strategic Evolution" Framework: Improving Mature Products

The Interview Trap

Most candidates suggest features that already exist or don't align with the company's goals (e.g., "Add longer videos"—when Reels already does that). Stop. Before suggesting a change, you must define the Product Goal. Is it Engagement, Retention, or Monetization?

The Core Framework: The "3-Step Pivot"

1. Analyze the Current State & Goal

Define what "Success" looks like for Instagram Stories right now.

• The Soundbite: "Stories is currently a high-frequency engagement tool designed for ephemeral sharing. However, with the rise of TikTok and BeReal, the gap is 'Authenticity.' I’ll focus on improving Retention through more 'Raw' engagement."

2. Segment the Users & Pain Points

Don't improve it for "everyone." Pick a specific segment.

• The "Lurkers": People who watch but never post because of "Feed Pressure."
• The "Creators": People who want better tools to drive traffic to their business.
• The Soundbite: "I’ll focus on the 'Lurkers.' These users have high 'Consumption' but low 'Creation' because they feel their daily life isn't 'aesthetic' enough for Instagram."

3. Strategic Solutions (The "Levers")

• Lever 1: Lower the Bar for Entry. (e.g., "Prompt of the Day" to reduce blank-page syndrome).
• Lever 2: Group Stories. (e.g., Private collaborative stories for specific friend groups/events to reduce public pressure).
• Lever 3: Integrated Context. (e.g., "Mood-based" filters that change the UI based on the user's music or location).

Bad AnswerKracd-Level Answer"I'd add more filters because people like filters.""I’d introduce 'Collaborative Stories' to increase the posting frequency of low-intent creators by leveraging social proof.""I'd make the ads less annoying.""I’d improve the 'Ad-Insertion' logic to match the visual aesthetic of the surrounding organic stories, reducing user churn."

Move Beyond "Feature Requests"

Improving a product with 2 billion users requires a surgical approach. You have to prove that your "improvement" won't cannibalize other parts of the ecosystem (like Reels or the main Feed).

Our kits provide the teardowns for the 20 most popular tech products so you can walk into the interview with a strategic advantage.

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FAQs

Q: Should I criticize the current product?

A: Be careful. Use "Opportunity" instead of "Failure." Say "There is an opportunity to improve X" rather than "X is currently bad."

Q: What if I don't use the product?

A: Be honest but professional. "I am not a daily user of Instagram Stories, but based on my understanding of the market and the 'Stories' format, here is how I'd evaluate it..."

Q: How do I measure success?

A: Always tie it back to a metric. If you improve "Authenticity," your success metric is "Percentage of users who post at least once a week."