I went straight to 'delay the launch' and the interviewer just kind of waited, like they wanted more.
Start by acknowledging the gravity of the situation and the need to balance user needs, business goals, and launch timelines. Then, outline a structured plan to diagnose root causes, prioritize fixes, and make a data-driven go/no-go decision while keeping stakeholders aligned.
Pro tip: Demonstrate that you can make tough trade-offs by focusing on the 'minimum lovable product' rather than just the 'minimum viable product'—sometimes delaying launch is better than eroding trust, but you must quantify the cost of delay.
Analyze internal feedback and metrics (CSAT, usage data, etc.) to identify specific pain points and root causes. Segment feedback by user type, feature, and severity to prioritize issues.
Evaluate each issue's impact on user experience and business goals, and estimate the effort required to fix. Use a prioritization framework like RICE or impact/effort matrix to focus on high-impact, low-effort fixes.
Communicate findings and proposed plan to key stakeholders (engineering, design, marketing, leadership). Facilitate a discussion on trade-offs and secure buy-in for the recommended path.
Implement prioritized fixes in rapid iterations, with clear success metrics. Consider a phased rollout or beta to validate improvements before full launch.
Based on progress and remaining risks, make a data-driven recommendation to either launch on time, delay, or launch with a limited scope. Document the decision rationale and contingency plans.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.