PM Interview Question→As a product manager for an existing product, how do you choose between launching a new feature and fixing an existing bug? Example: Spotify

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Bootcamp

5 min readJan 2, 2025

Choosing between launching a new feature and fixing an existing bug as a Product Manager involves balancing user needs, business goals, and resource constraints. The decision hinges on evaluating the impact, urgency, and alignment with a long-term strategy. Below is a detailed framework to approach this decision, using Spotify as a real-life example.

Framework for Decision-Making

Understand the Scope and Impact

Feature Impact: Evaluate how the new feature aligns with business goals, enhances user experience, or attracts new users.
Bug Impact: Assess the bug’s severity:
— Is it a critical bug that prevents core functionality (e.g., playback not working)?
— Is it a minor bug with limited user impact (e.g., visual misalignment in the app)?

2. Prioritize Based on User Impact

Use data from analytics, user feedback, and surveys:
— How many users are affected by the bug?
— What is the expected adoption or impact of the new feature?
Leverage prioritization frameworks like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or ICE (Impact, Confidence, Effort) to objectively score both options.

3. Evaluate Long-Term vs. Short-Term Value

Fixing Bugs: Bugs may erode trust and retention, particularly if they affect core features like music playback.
Launching Features: New features can drive engagement, retention, and differentiation in a competitive market.
Assess whether fixing the bug or delivering the feature aligns better with long-term strategy.

3. Assess Resource Constraints

Estimate the effort and time required for both tasks.
Can the bug be fixed quickly without delaying the feature launch, or would fixing it require significant resources?

4. Communicate Trade-Offs Transparently

Discuss with stakeholders (engineering, design, and leadership) the trade-offs of prioritizing one over the other.
Explain the rationale clearly to avoid misalignment.

Example: Spotify

Let’s apply this framework to Spotify, a music streaming app with millions of daily active users.

Scenario: A Bug vs. A Feature

Bug: Some users report that their playlists are not syncing properly between devices. This is a critical issue for multi-device users, as it disrupts the core value proposition of seamless music access.
Feature: Spotify plans to launch a “Group Playlist Voting” feature that allows users in a shared playlist to vote on the next song, enhancing social collaboration.

1. Impact Analysis

Bug: Playlist Sync Issue

User Impact:
High: Affects users’ ability to seamlessly listen to music across devices, which is a core functionality.
Metrics: 2% of daily active users report this issue in app reviews and support tickets, which translates to hundreds of thousands of users.
Risk: If left unresolved, this could lead to churn among loyal, high-value users.
Business Impact:
Loss of trust and user frustration for premium subscribers, potentially impacting retention.

Feature: Group Playlist Voting

User Impact:
Medium: Targets a smaller subset of users (those who frequently collaborate on playlists).
Metrics: Estimated to increase engagement by 5% in group playlists, based on past feature launches.
Business Impact:
Differentiation in the market, which may attract new users and drive social sharing.

2. Prioritization Using RICE

Decision: Fixing the bug scores higher as it impacts a larger user base, with high confidence and low effort.

3. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Value

Fixing the Bug: Resolves a critical issue affecting core functionality. This sustains trust and ensures users can rely on Spotify for seamless music access.
Launching the Feature: While the feature has long-term engagement potential, its immediate reach and adoption are limited to a niche use case. It is less critical compared to fixing the bug.

4. Resource Allocation

Engineering team estimates:

— Bug Fix: Requires 2 engineers for 1 sprint.

Feature Development: Requires 4 engineers for 3 sprints.
Outcome: Fixing the bug can be completed without significantly delaying other roadmap items.

5. Communication Strategy

To Stakeholders:
Emphasize the urgency of the bug and its impact on core functionality.
Share a timeline showing the bug fix will not significantly disrupt future feature launches.
To Users:
Communicate transparently about the bug, acknowledging the issue and outlining steps to resolve it.
Use this as an opportunity to build trust by showcasing Spotify’s commitment to quality.

Outcome

Fixing the playlist sync bug is prioritized due to its critical nature, large user impact, and relatively low effort.
The Group Playlist Voting feature is delayed but remains in the pipeline for a subsequent release.

Takeaway

In this scenario, prioritizing the bug aligns better with Spotify’s core user value proposition: seamless music access. As a Product Manager, balancing user satisfaction with innovation requires constant evaluation of impact, urgency, and alignment with strategy. By applying frameworks like RICE and involving cross-functional teams, you can make data-driven decisions that drive both short-term and long-term success.

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