Whatnot·Software Engineer·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

Senior

May 2026

Summary

Product sense question for a software engineer role at Whatnot. One question, open-ended, and they wanted the full package: problem, users, feature, metrics, experiment design, guardrails, the works.

Questions Asked (1)

You're working on a consumer mobile app. Propose one product improvement to boost engagement, retention, or conversion. Walk through the user problem, the affected segment, what you'd build, how you'd implement it, what metrics you'd track, how you'd run an experiment, what guardrails you'd watch, and any risks to other users.

Product Sense & IdeationA/B Testing & ExperimentationProduct Analytics & Metrics

Author's notes

This is a lot to cover in one question and I underestimated how long the metrics and experiment sections would take.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Pick a specific, high-impact user problem for a well-defined segment (e.g., new users who haven't made a purchase) and propose a focused feature that addresses it. Structure your answer around the problem, solution, implementation, metrics, experiment, guardrails, and risks, showing how you'd validate impact with data.

Pro tip: Tie your proposal to Whatnot's live shopping model—e.g., leverage real-time interactions or social proof—and emphasize how you'd measure success with metrics that matter to the business (e.g., conversion rate, retention).

1. Define the problem and segment

Identify a specific user problem that impacts engagement, retention, or conversion, and narrow it to a target segment (e.g., new users, casual browsers).

2. Propose the solution

Describe the feature or improvement you'd build, focusing on how it solves the problem for that segment and fits Whatnot's live shopping experience.

3. Outline implementation

Explain at a high level how you'd implement it, including any technical considerations, dependencies, and potential challenges.

4. Define metrics and experiment

Specify the primary and secondary metrics you'd track, and design an A/B test to measure impact, including control/treatment groups and duration.

5. Address guardrails and risks

Identify guardrail metrics to monitor for negative side effects, and discuss potential risks to other users or the platform.

Key Points to Mention

Clear problem statement with a specific user segment (e.g., new users who abandon after first session).
Solution that leverages Whatnot's live, social, and real-time nature (e.g., personalized live show recommendations, social proof notifications).
Implementation considerations: data needed, backend changes, frontend work, and potential scalability issues.
Metrics: primary (e.g., conversion rate, retention), secondary (e.g., engagement time, repeat purchases), and guardrails (e.g., user satisfaction, load time).
Experiment design: A/B test with control and treatment, sample size, duration, and success criteria.
Risks: impact on other user segments, potential for decreased engagement elsewhere, technical debt, and ethical considerations.

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.