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LinkedIn·Product Manager·Onsite - Product Sense / Strategy·Senior

SeniorPrefer not to say
Apr 2026

Summary

Got a product strategy question at LinkedIn for a PM role, basically asked to do a post-mortem on LinkedIn Stories. Not a lot of context given upfront, just dropped into the deep end.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

LinkedIn Stories was a product that failed. What would you have done differently?

Product StrategyProduct Sense & IdeationRoot Cause Analysis
Author's notes

This one tripped me up more than I expected.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by showing empathy for the team and acknowledging that failure is a learning opportunity, then diagnose why LinkedIn Stories failed by comparing it to successful Stories products and LinkedIn's core value proposition. Finally, propose specific, prioritized changes you would have made, focusing on user needs and LinkedIn's unique context.

Pro tip: Avoid simply copying Snapchat/Instagram; instead, emphasize how you would have validated the feature's fit with LinkedIn's professional audience and existing user behaviors before building. Show that you understand LinkedIn's ecosystem and business model.

1. Acknowledge and Diagnose

Briefly acknowledge the failure and diagnose the root causes: lack of product-market fit, poor differentiation, and misalignment with user expectations on LinkedIn.

2. Re-evaluate User Needs

Identify the core user needs LinkedIn Stories aimed to solve (e.g., casual sharing, engagement) and assess whether those needs exist on LinkedIn and how they differ from other platforms.

3. Propose Alternative Approach

Outline what you would have done differently: e.g., conduct deeper user research, test a lightweight MVP focused on professional use cases, or integrate ephemeral content into existing features like feed or messaging.

4. Define Success Metrics

Specify how you would measure success early on, using metrics like engagement, retention, and qualitative feedback, and set clear go/no-go criteria.

5. Learn and Iterate

Emphasize the importance of learning from failure and how you would apply those lessons to future product decisions at LinkedIn.

Key Points to Mention

  • Product-market fit: Stories worked on Snapchat/Instagram but not LinkedIn due to different user intent.
  • Differentiation: LinkedIn Stories lacked unique value and felt like a copycat feature.
  • User research: Validate assumptions with target users before building.
  • MVP approach: Start small, test with a subset of users, and iterate based on data.
  • Alignment with LinkedIn's core value: Professional networking, not casual social sharing.
  • Success metrics: Define clear KPIs and kill criteria to avoid sunk cost fallacy.

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