Strategy question

Why did Instagram remove the like count on posts?

Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.

What this question tests

Understanding of a real product decision driven by user wellbeing over raw engagement metrics.

Context: like counts were widely reported to drive social comparison and anxiety, especially among younger users (common knowledge context).
Explain the tradeoff: like counts are a strong engagement and validation loop, but at a cost to user mental health and platform trust.
Explain the strategic logic: removing public like counts reduces pressure to perform for likes, potentially improving authentic posting behavior.
Note the business risk accepted: engagement per post might dip short term, but user trust and long-term retention were prioritized instead.
Mention it was tested as an option rather than a blanket removal, giving users some control.
Tie to outcome: a signal that platforms are willing to trade some engagement metrics for user wellbeing and brand trust.

Grounds the answer in the well known wellbeing rationale (common knowledge), not invented internal data.
Explains the real tradeoff accepted, potential engagement dip for improved trust and long-term retention.
Notes it was rolled out as an optional or tested change in some markets, showing nuance rather than an absolute claim.

Inventing specific internal statistics about the impact that were never publicly disclosed.
Ignoring the wellbeing rationale entirely and guessing unrelated reasons.
Treating it as a simple engagement optimization when it was explicitly a tradeoff against engagement.

Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.