How would you improve Instagram Stories?

Product Sense CIRCLES

What They’re Really Asking

Do you understand the user, the ecosystem, and how to prioritize improvements that drive core metrics?

Framework: Use the CIRCLES framework to structure your answer.

Strong Sample Answer

First, I'd clarify the goal: increasing creator retention and frequency of posting. Currently, Stories are ephemeral, which drives urgency but creates anxiety for casual users. Using CIRCLES, I'll identify 'casual creators' as a key segment who want to share moments but fear imperfection. Their pain point is the pressure of the 24-hour disappearing act. I'd propose 'Drafts with AI Polish,' allowing users to save unfinished stories and use AI to suggest edits or filters before posting. This lowers the barrier to entry. Success metrics would be the percentage of users saving drafts and the conversion rate of drafts to posted stories. Prioritizing this over new AR filters makes sense because unlocking latent supply (more posters) drives long-term engagement more than novelty. We'd A/B test this with a segment of low-frequency posters. If draft-to-post conversion lifts by 5%, we roll out globally. This balances user psychological safety with platform growth needs.

Common Mistake to Avoid

Don’t do this: Jumping straight to feature ideas like 'new filters' without defining the target user or the specific problem being solved.

Company-Specific Variants

Amazon Variant

Frame it around 'Customer Obsession': What is the customer need they haven't articulated?

Google Variant

Focus on the algorithmic implication: How does this change content distribution?

Meta Variant

Connect it to 'Family of Apps' strategy and cross-platform sharing potential.

📚 Recommended Resource

The 0-1 PM Interview Playbook (2026 Edition)

Master every round of the PM interview with frameworks, sample answers, and company-specific strategies used by candidates who landed offers at FAANG+.

Get it on Amazon →