Project Context
Meta's Instagram Reels team has completed a 6-week mixed-methods research study on why new creators stop posting after their first 3 Reels. The study found three high-confidence issues: creators cannot predict distribution, editing feels too complex on mobile, and performance feedback in the Instagram app is hard to interpret. You are the User Experience Researcher responsible for ensuring these findings influence the next half's product roadmap rather than becoming a readout that teams acknowledge but do not act on.
The core team includes 1 UXR, 1 Product Manager, 1 Data Scientist, 1 Content Designer, 1 Product Designer, and 8 engineers across creation and insights surfaces. The roadmap lock for the next planning cycle is in 5 weeks, and the Director has asked for a recommendation that can fit within one quarter of engineering capacity.
Key Stakeholders
The Reels PM wants initiatives tied to creator retention metrics. The Engineering Manager is concerned the editing stack is already committed to reliability work. The Design lead wants to address the full creator journey, while the Director of Product is pushing for visible wins before the next earnings cycle. A central integrity team also needs review if any change affects recommendation transparency.
Constraints
- 5 weeks until roadmap lock
- 1 quarter implementation window after approval
- 8 engineers total, but only 4 engineer-months of unallocated capacity
- Research budget is exhausted; no new large study can be commissioned
- Any change to creator insights in Instagram requires analytics instrumentation updates with a 2-week dependency
Complications
- A senior PM argues the findings are "interesting but not causal" and prefers to prioritize a monetization feature for creators.
- The editing simplification concept tested best with users, but it is also the most expensive option and would delay a separate reliability milestone.
- The creator insights issue has weaker qualitative excitement but can ship fastest and show measurable impact sooner.
Deliverables
- Build a plan to translate the research into roadmap decisions for the next planning cycle.
- Recommend what should be prioritized, deferred, or reframed given the capacity limits.
- Define how you would align PM, Design, Engineering, Data Science, and Integrity on the decision.
- Propose launch sequencing, success criteria, and how research will stay involved through execution.
- Identify key risks that could cause the findings to be ignored or diluted and how you would mitigate them.
