Company Context
You are a PM at Nook, a Series B consumer subscription app (mobile-first) that helps people plan and follow through on meaningful activities outside of work. Nook has 6.5M MAUs, 1.1M DAUs, and a freemium model: free users get limited planning tools; Nook Plus ($7.99/month) unlocks personalized plans, group coordination, and premium content. Nook competes with Meetup (community events), AllTrails (outdoor activities), Duolingo (skill-building), and Google Calendar/Apple Reminders (generic planning).
Nook has strong top-of-funnel growth via TikTok/Instagram creators, but weak retention: many users download the app with aspirational intent (“I want a life outside work”) and churn after a week.
User / Market Scenario
Nook’s research team ran 22 user interviews and a survey (n=3,200 US users, ages 22–45). Key segments emerged:
| Segment | Share | What they say they want | What actually happens | Key friction |
|---|
| Burned-out Knowledge Workers | 38% | “I want to feel like my life isn’t just work.” | Scroll, save ideas, don’t act | Decision fatigue + low energy |
| New-to-a-City Movers | 21% | “I need friends and routines here.” | Try 1 event, then stop | Coordination + social anxiety |
| Parents of Young Kids | 19% | “I want small pockets of ‘me time’.” | Plans collapse due to logistics | Time windows + childcare constraints |
| Goal-Driven Hobbyists | 22% | “I want to get better at something.” | Stick if progress is visible | Lack of structure + feedback loops |
Competitive notes:
- Meetup wins on inventory (lots of events) but is noisy and intimidating.
- Calendar apps win on execution but don’t help users decide what to do.
- Niche apps (AllTrails, Duolingo) win on clear progress loops, but only for one activity type.
Problem / Opportunity
Nook’s current onboarding asks users to pick interests (e.g., fitness, cooking, art), then shows a feed of activity ideas and nearby events.
Data from the last 60 days:
- Day-7 retention: 31% (target 36%)
- Week-8 retention: 24% (target 32%)
- Only 14% of new users complete a first “plan” (creating a scheduled activity) in the first 72 hours.
- Users who complete 2 plans in the first week have 52% Week-8 retention.
- The feed has decent engagement (median 6 minutes/day), but only 9% of feed saves convert into scheduled plans.
Leadership believes the core issue is that Nook helps users dream but not do. The CEO reframed the product question as: “If you were not working, what would you do—and how can Nook make that real every week?”
Your Task (Deliverables)
In a 35–40 minute product sense interview, walk the interviewer through:
- Clarify the user need behind “If you were not working, what would you do?” and translate it into 2–3 concrete Jobs-to-be-Done.
- Choose a primary target segment for the next 12 weeks and justify why (impact + feasibility).
- Propose one product vision and an MVP that increases follow-through (not just browsing).
- Provide a feature prioritization approach (e.g., RICE/Kano) for 6 candidate features (below), and pick the top 2 to ship.
- Define success metrics and an experiment/launch plan that proves you’re moving Week-8 retention.
Candidate Features (pick and prioritize)
- “2-Hour Plan Generator”: suggests a realistic activity based on time, location, budget, and energy.
- Accountability Buddy: pair users with a friend or small cohort for weekly check-ins.
- Micro-habit Mode: converts goals into 10–15 minute steps and streaks.
- One-tap Scheduling: integrates with Google/Apple calendars and auto-suggests open slots.
- Local Starter Packs: curated “first 3 outings” for new-to-a-city users.
- Family-Friendly Filters: kid-friendly, stroller-accessible, and “nap-window” planning.
Constraints
- Timeline: 12 weeks to move core retention metrics; MVP must ship by week 8.
- Team: 6 engineers (4 mobile/full-stack, 1 backend, 1 data), 1 designer, 1 researcher (part-time).
- Budget: cannot add paid content inventory or large event partnerships this quarter.
- Privacy: cannot use precise background location tracking; only coarse location when app is open and user-consented.
- Platform risk: Apple is scrutinizing apps that feel like “engagement traps.” Avoid dark patterns; focus on user benefit.
Your answer should show structured thinking, clear trade-offs, and a path to measurable impact.
