Product Manager Interview Question → Time spent on YouTube has gone down by 20% day over day. What would you do?

In recent times, there has been a notable 20% day-over-day decrease in time spent on YouTube, prompting a thoughtful and strategic response to understand and reverse this trend.

In this article, we’ll delve into a comprehensive approach to address the decline in metrics, exploring various dimensions from clarifying questions to potential pain points and proposing effective solutions.

Clarifying Questions:

Before devising a strategy, it’s crucial to gain clarity on the specifics of the decline. We start by posing key clarifying questions:

1. What’s the timeframe of this decline? Is it confined to a single day?
2. When we refer to “Time Spent,” are we analyzing the average time spent per user per day or per user per session?

Metrics Exploration:

Understanding the metrics landscape is pivotal. We proceed with a series of inquiries aimed at dissecting the data:

1. Can additional details be provided on the segmentation of the metric?
2. How does the metric differ when segmented by content creators versus viewers?
3. What insights emerge when segmenting by region, device type, or operating system?
4. Exploring related metrics like sessions per user, registration conversion rates, and active user retention can offer valuable context.

External Factors:

External factors can significantly influence user behavior. It’s essential to explore if factors such as bad PR or a competitor’s product launch contributed to the observed decline.

Recent Releases:

Analyzing recent updates is imperative. We evaluate if any new features or changes align with the decline in metrics. This involves checking if the drop is anticipated based on the nature of recent releases and investigating for unintended consequences like bugs or UI changes.

Possible Pain Points:

Understanding user pain points is crucial. Potential issues identified include user annoyance with advertisements, difficulty finding relevant content, or negative comments affecting content creators’ engagement.

Proposed Solutions:

With a thorough understanding of the situation, two potential solutions are proposed:

1. New Onboarding Experience:

• Impact: High
• Confidence: Low
• Effort: Low

Introduce a new onboarding experience prompting users to specify their interests, thereby organizing their feed based on preferences.

2. Subscription Prompt after Video Views:

• Impact: High
• Confidence: Medium
• Effort: Low

Encourage users to subscribe to channels after completing video views through a strategically timed pop-up modal.

Metrics for Success:

To gauge the success of the second solution, we propose tracking key metrics:

1. Time spent on the website per user per day (primary metric).
2. Percentage of new users seeing the pop-up prompt within 7 days.
3. Percentage of users who see the prompt and subsequently subscribe.
4. Average number of channel subscriptions per user.
5. Active user retention.
6. Average sessions per user per day.
7. Average time per session per user.

Final thoughts

Addressing a decline in user engagement requires a multifaceted approach. By thoroughly examining the situation, understanding user behavior, and implementing targeted solutions, YouTube can strive to reverse the decline and enhance the overall user experience. This article serves as a guide for product managers and stakeholders navigating similar challenges in the dynamic landscape of digital platforms.

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