Project Context
Meta wants to launch a new Threads feature that lets creators compose once and cross-post to both Threads and Instagram Feed. The feature is intended to improve creator retention and reduce duplicate publishing effort ahead of a major creator event in 12 weeks. You are the PM responsible for planning execution across product, engineering, legal, and go-to-market teams.
The working team includes 6 engineers (3 iOS/Android, 2 backend, 1 infra), 1 product designer, 1 data scientist, 1 QA lead, and you. The launch depends on changes in Threads composer, Instagram publishing APIs, ranking safeguards, integrity review, and localized Help Center content. The VP of Product has asked for a launch plan by Friday and expects a clear view of dependencies and the critical path.
Key Stakeholders
- Threads Product Lead wants the feature live before the creator event to support growth goals.
- Instagram Publishing Platform team is supportive but is already committed to another API migration.
- Integrity and Legal require review of spam, disclosure, and content duplication risks before launch.
- Marketing wants a public announcement and creator onboarding assets at least 2 weeks before launch.
- Engineering Director wants to avoid slipping reliability work already scheduled for Threads.
Constraints
- Launch deadline: 12 weeks
- Budget for external localization/vendor support: $120,000
- No additional headcount approved
- Instagram API dependency: earliest stable endpoint available in Week 5
- Integrity review requires 10 business days after final product spec
- Localization required for 8 languages before full launch
- Reliability target: no more than 0.3% increase in composer publish failures
Complications
- The Instagram Publishing Platform team says their API may slip by up to 2 weeks.
- The creator partnerships team has already informally told top creators to expect the feature at the event.
- One backend engineer is allocated 40% to an ongoing Threads incident-reduction program.
Deliverables
- Build a project plan that identifies major dependencies, the critical path, and milestone owners.
- Propose how you would manage trade-offs if the Instagram API slips by 2 weeks.
- Define a phased launch approach, including any scope cuts or market limitations.
- Outline your stakeholder communication and escalation plan.
- Identify the top execution risks and your mitigation plan.
