Designing an Audio Product for Meta

Jul 27, 2024

Designing an Audio Product for Meta

Speaker Introduction

  • Bala, Product Manager at Meta
  • Previous experience with Amazon and Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
  • Utilizes exponent mock interview videos for interview prep.

Objective

  • Discussion on designing an audio product for Meta.
  • Structure: Why build an audio product, target users, pain points, and potential solutions.

Why Build an Audio Product?

  • Market Trends:
    • Significant growth in audio consumption (e.g., Spotify's 50% increase in paid subscribers).
    • Audio creates sticky habits: people return to content they enjoy.
  • Post-COVID Relevance:
    • Audio consumption can be passive and done while multitasking (e.g., commuting, shopping).
  • Aligning with Meta's Mission:
    • Media consumption fosters bonding and community building.
    • Direct connection between shared audio experiences and community building.

Target Users

  • Ecosystem Players:
    • Listeners, Creators, Platforms (Spotify, Apple iTunes, etc.)
  • User Focus:
    • Emphasis on listeners, as they are the main consumers driving engagement.

User Segmentation

  • By Demographics:
    • Teens and Young Adults (12-34)
    • Adults (35-55+)
  • By Audio Type:
    • Music
    • Spoken Word (Podcasts and audiobooks)
    • Live Radio
  • Focus Segmentation:
    • Teens and Young Adults who listen to podcasts (86% engagement)

Pain Points Identified

  1. Discovery Issues:
    • Lack of contextual and proactive recommendations.
  2. Isolation in Experience:
    • Difficulty maintaining engagement during audio consumption.
  3. Lack of Connection:
    • Challenges in forming personal bonds with content creators.
  4. Portability Issues:
    • Difficulty transitioning audio across devices.
  5. Sharing Limitations:
    • Inability to share clips or favorite moments.

Prioritized Pain Points

  • Isolation/Boredom during listening
  • Difficulty in sharing snippets of audio content.
  • Alignment with Meta's mission to foster community.

Product Vision

  • Help users feel closer together through engaging audio listening experiences.

Proposed Solutions

  1. Communal Listening:
    • Similar to Watch Together on Messenger; allows multiple users to listen to audio together.
  2. Interactive Audio:
    • Features audience engagement during audio experience (e.g., polls, leaderboards).
  3. Immersive Audio:
    • Utilize AR/VR to enhance audio experiences.
  4. Audio Sharing:
    • Enable easy sharing of audio clips via Instagram or Facebook stories/reels.

Prioritization of Solutions

  • Communal Listening and Audio Sharing for closer alignment with community-building objectives.

User Experience Journey

  • Communal Listening:
    • Integrated within Messenger, allows for group audio consumption like a social activity.
  • Audio Sharing:
    • Easy method to clip and share audio content with friends and followers.

Trade-offs and Challenges

  • Addressing potential risks:
    • External partnerships and dependencies for podcasts
    • Building a robust audio content library.

General Interview Tips

  • Approach as if solving a real-world problem, not just an interview task.
  • Explain the thought process and reasoning behind decisions.
  • Focus on trade-offs and their implications during discussions.

Conclusion

  • Emphasized strong connection between proposed solutions and Meta's mission.
  • Recommended prioritizing user engagement through communal experiences.

Closing Remarks

  • Viewers encouraged to apply the frameworks discussed in their product management interviews.
  • Additional resources available at tryexponent.com to aid in preparation for similar interviews.