Project Background

Meta's Facebook Reels team is preparing a Q3 launch of a new AI-generated onboarding flow intended to increase first-week creator activation. You are the lead User Experience Researcher supporting a cross-functional pod of 11 people: 1 PM, 1 EM, 5 engineers, 1 designer, 1 data scientist, 1 content strategist, and you. The PM has already socialized the feature as a key launch for the half, and leadership expects a go/no-go recommendation in 10 business days.

Your just-completed mixed-methods study across 24 participants and a rapid unmoderated follow-up on 180 users found that the new flow increases setup completion but significantly reduces trust among new creators, especially for younger users who feel the AI suggestions are "fake" and "pushy." The PM disagrees with the interpretation and wants to launch on schedule, arguing that the activation metric matters more.

Key Stakeholders

The PM wants to protect the committed launch date and avoid re-scoping. The Design Manager wants to preserve the current interaction model because the team has already finalized assets. The Engineering Manager is concerned about late changes causing code freeze risk. The Reels Director wants a clear recommendation tied to business impact and launch confidence.

Constraints

• Launch decision due in 10 business days
• Only 2 additional research days available before code freeze
• Remaining research budget: $18,000
• Engineering can only accommodate one medium-sized UX change or two copy-only changes before freeze
• Rollout is planned to 5% of new creators in the US and Canada first

Complications

1. The PM has already presented the feature in a QBR as "on track" and is resistant to any delay.
2. The quantitative results are directionally strong on activation, but the trust concerns are concentrated in a high-priority Gen Z segment.
3. Legal requests revised disclosure language if AI suggestions remain in the launch scope.

Your Task

1. Create an execution plan for how you would communicate the findings and drive a launch decision.
2. Recommend whether to launch, delay, or narrow scope, with explicit trade-offs.
3. Define what additional evidence, if any, you would gather in the remaining time.
4. Propose stakeholder alignment steps, escalation paths, and a rollback plan.
5. Specify launch success criteria and post-launch monitoring for the first 30 days.