Should we build offline mode?
Last updated: November 15, 2025
Quick Overview
Your team is considering building onboarding flow. How would you evaluate this decision?
Square/Block
November 15, 20256
5
1,336 solved
Your team is considering building onboarding flow. How would you evaluate this decision?
Product questions at Square/Block test your ability to think like a product leader. This Onsite question evaluates how you balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints when making product decisions.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Identify the target user and their core problem
- Propose reasonable solutions with basic prioritization
- Define 2-3 key success metrics
- Consider basic trade-offs and risks
Key Topics to Cover
How to Approach This
- Start with the user. Who are they, what problem do they have, and what is their current workaround?
- Use a prioritization framework: impact vs effort, RICE scoring, or ICE scoring.
- Define success metrics using the AARRR framework: Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral.
- Consider second-order effects. A feature might boost short-term engagement but hurt long-term retention.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- How would you decide to kill this feature if it's not working?
- What would you do if usage data contradicts user feedback?
- How would you validate this idea before committing engineering resources?
- What competitive response would you expect and how would you prepare?
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Browse Product QuestionsSample Answer
Problem Framing
The primary problem we are addressing is whether to build an offline mode for Square's onboarding flow. This involves evaluating the necessity of offline functionality for our users, particularly smal...
User & Market Context
Our target users are small business owners, including retail shops, food trucks, and service providers, primarily in regions with inconsistent internet connectivity. For them, a seamless onboarding ex...