Buffer · Execution · Mid · 45 to 60 minutes

What should Buffer do with Reply?

Buffer is a social media software company that helps people and businesses plan, publish, and manage content and engagement across social channels. Answer this product management case and get it graded line by line against a weighted rubric.

Strategic thinking
Customer segmentation
Execution planning
Tradeoff analysis
Written communication

The situation

Buffer's CEO has asked you, the PM responsible for Reply, to recommend its future inside Buffer. Reply is a customer support tool that Buffer acquired in 2015. Since the acquisition, the product has continued to serve customers, but its strongest fit appears to be with larger organizations that need more advanced support workflows. Buffer's broader business, brand, and go to market are better known for serving small businesses and creators with social media tools. As Buffer plans its next cycle of product investment, leaders are questioning whether Reply still belongs in the portfolio, whether it should be repositioned, or whether resources should shift toward products that align more tightly with Buffer's core audience and strengths. The decision is sensitive because Reply has paying customers who depend on it, and any major change could affect trust in Buffer. You need to advise on the path forward, balancing customer impact, strategic fit, and the cost of continued investment. Assume Reply takes a meaningful but minority share of product attention, and the team can only make one major bet in this area over the next 12 months.

What to produce

A 1 to 2 page product recommendation memo.

Your answer must

State a clear recommendation for Reply and briefly compare it with 2 realistic alternatives.
Explain how Buffer's target customer, brand, and product portfolio should shape the decision.
Identify the main customer segments affected, especially any mismatch between Reply's best fit and Buffer's core base, and explain how you would handle each segment.
Outline a practical 3 to 6 month execution plan, including customer communication, support coverage, and any transition or migration steps if the direction changes materially.
Define the metrics, checkpoints, and risks you would use to judge whether the plan is working.

Constraints

Work only from the information in the prompt, and label any assumptions clearly rather than presenting invented facts as real.
Your recommendation must be feasible for one product area, with limited ability to fund a major expansion into a very different market.
Protect customer trust and minimize disruption for existing Reply users.
Do not assume Buffer can solve this by adding a large new team or acquiring another company.

Format

Use five sections: decision, rationale, alternatives considered, customer impact and execution, metrics and risks.

How Buffer actually played it

Buffer's CEO explains shutting down Reply, the customer support tool bought in 2015, because it suited larger organizations rather than Buffer's small business base. The post covers the reasoning, the June 2020 shutdown date and the plan to build a dedicated engagement solution. A clear example of ending an acquired product that no longer fits.

An acquired product can drift from the core customer and need to be retired
Pair a shutdown with a plan for what replaces it
Give customers a firm date and clear support information

Built from We Are Sunsetting Reply, Here's Everything You Need to Know by Joel Gascoigne.