Meta product sense interview: "Design a fitness app for Meta" (High-quality answer from Meta PM)

Summary

In this interview, Mark, a seasoned product manager from Meta and Google, demonstrates how to design a fitness app for Meta. He outlines a structured approach starting with clarifying questions, setting goals aligned with Meta's mission, segmenting the market, identifying user pain points, and proposing solutions. Mark suggests an MVP called 'Meta Fitness Challenges' to engage users through social and gamified fitness activities, emphasizing quick launch and community building.

Takeaways

• 😀 The interviewee, Mark, emphasizes the importance of practicing for product sense interviews and the significance of asking clarifying questions to understand the context and constraints of a product design problem.
• 🧐 Mark outlines a structured approach to product design, starting with understanding the mission, setting goals, considering the ecosystem and segmentation, identifying pain points, crafting solutions, and discussing metrics for a successful product launch.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The fitness app concept for Meta aims to align with Meta's mission of building community and bringing the world closer together through activity and fitness.
• 📊 Mark suggests focusing on the US market initially and targeting users interested in fitness and health, considering reach and impact to prioritize the target segment.
• 🤔 He identifies key pain points for the target segment, such as where to start with fitness, finding motivation and companionship in exercising, and tracking progress effectively.
• 🔑 The chosen solutions are Meta Fitness Challenges, Live Fitness Events, and a Meta Fitness Tracker, with a focus on creating an MVP that can be expanded upon.
• 🎯 The Meta Fitness Challenges solution is selected as the MVP due to its broad appeal, potential for high impact, and alignment with the goal of bringing people together through fitness.
• 📈 Mark discusses the importance of metrics, such as adoption, engagement, and 30-day retention rates, to measure the success of the product.
• 🤝 The interview highlights the value of a social element in fitness apps, suggesting that exercising with others can increase motivation and sustainability.
• 🛡️ Risks associated with the product, such as bad actors, health risks, and legal disclosures, are briefly mentioned as important considerations for the product development process.
• 🔚 The interview concludes with a summary that ties the MVP back to Meta's mission, emphasizing the importance of a structured approach in product design interviews.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the interview?

The main topic of the interview is discussing how to design a fitness app for Meta, which includes understanding the mission, goals, ecosystem, segmentation, pain points, solutions, and metrics for the product.

Why is Meta interested in building a fitness app?

Meta is interested in building a fitness app to get the community off the screen and together in the real world, as staring at screens isn't the best thing for people's lives.

What is the time frame for launching the fitness app as mentioned in the interview?

The time frame for launching the fitness app is within the next three months, aiming for an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

What is the initial market focus for the Meta fitness app?

The initial market focus for the Meta fitness app is the US.

What framework does Mark use to approach the design problem of the fitness app?

Mark uses a framework that includes discussing Meta's mission, setting product goals, examining the ecosystem and segmentation, identifying pain points for users, crafting solutions, and determining metrics for a successful product launch.

What are the three main motivations for people to exercise as segmented in the interview?

The three main motivations for people to exercise are for diet and weight loss, general fitness and health, and training for an event.

Why did Mark choose 'fitness and health' as the primary segment to focus on for the fitness app?

Mark chose 'fitness and health' as the primary segment because it has a large reach and high impact, aligning well with Meta's mission and the goal of bringing the world together through activity and fitness.

What are the three pain points that Mark identified as most fundamental for the fitness app?

The three pain points identified are where to start and what exercises to do, finding social elements or partners to exercise with, and how to track progress and stay motivated.

What are the three solutions proposed by Mark for the Meta fitness app?

The three solutions proposed are Meta fitness challenges, live fitness events, and a Meta fitness tracker that integrates with existing fitness devices to create a more social experience.

Why did Mark decide that the 'Meta fitness challenges' solution would be the best MVP to start with?

Mark decided that 'Meta fitness challenges' would be the best MVP to start with because it has a broad appeal, aligns well with the goal of the product, and can be launched quickly within the three-month timeframe.

What metrics will be used to measure the success of the Meta fitness app?

The metrics to measure the success of the Meta fitness app include adoption (new users registering for the service), engagement (daily and monthly active users, 30-day retention rate), and the involvement of the ecosystem, such as trainers.

What are some potential risks associated with the Meta fitness app as discussed in the interview?

Some potential risks include bad actors exploiting the social aspects of the app, health risks from improper exercise guidance, and the need for legal disclosures to ensure users are safe and aware of the need for medical advice.