I spent too long on the user experience side and didn't get deep enough into the monetization mechanics or how bidding would actually work under the hood.
Start by clarifying the product goals and constraints, then propose a high-level design that integrates auctions into Instagram's existing features (e.g., Stories, Shops). Focus on key components like real-time bidding, scalability, and monetization, and discuss trade-offs.
Pro tip: Emphasize how the auction feature can leverage Instagram's social graph and engagement metrics to drive participation and trust, while ensuring low-latency updates for real-time bidding.
Ask questions to understand the scope: Is it for physical goods, digital items, or ads? What scale? What are the latency and consistency requirements?
Outline the main components: auction creation, bidding service, real-time updates, payment integration, and notification system. Consider integration with Instagram Shops and Stories.
Detail the bidding service: how to handle concurrent bids, ensure fairness, prevent fraud, and scale. Discuss data storage (e.g., for bids, items) and real-time communication (WebSockets, push notifications).
Explain how Instagram earns revenue (e.g., commission fees, promoted auctions) and how the feature enhances user engagement and social interaction.
Discuss trade-offs between consistency and availability, and how to scale to millions of users. Mention potential bottlenecks and mitigation strategies.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.