Product Management Program

INDUSTRY PROJECT - PART 2

Problem Statement

UpGrad would like to increase discussions among the students of a

cohort in a program on their learning platform while they are going
through content.

Student Names
Tushar Sharma | tusharmps@gmail.com
Piyush Dudeja | piyushdudeja@outlook.com
MVP
To build an MVP, we'll use the BUILD - MEASURE - LEARN framework, where we'll list down the riskiest
assumptions on which the core offering of our features depend. These are the primary assumptions we
would want to validate through an MVP before building the final features, then measure the
performance of the product and learn from the data and finally develop the product iteratively.

S.NO Riskiest Assumptions Reasons

1 People are willing to use the UpGrad’s
chat feature over other modes of
communication like WhatsApp or phone
calling.
2 Number of question posting will be
increased if we allow users to post
selected user group
3 Notifying users throughs emails would
increase engagement on discussion
forum
Before implementing a full-fledged chat tool which
would have all the required features, we would
first want to validate if students would even use
the basic chat feature instead of the traditional
communications mode like phone calling or
instant messengers.
Before implementing an option for anonymous
questions posting, we would like to see if users are
even using an option to ask questions to selected
set of people
Before implementing email notifications for
multiple triggers, we would want to validate If
there is any improvement in the user engagement
after implementing email notification for one
trigger i.e. when user receives an answer for his
question.

Based on the riskiest assumptions, below are the features which we’ll include in the MVP:

Assumption Number Features

1 A simple chat feature where the users would be able to exchange text
messages to communicate with each other. Users would also be able to
create groups and exchange text messages.
2 User would be able to post questions to selected set of people in the cohort
instead of posting it to complete cohort.
3 Application will send an email notification to the users whenever someone
has added an answer to their questions on the discussion forum.

Please Note: Detailed documentation of the MVP feature requirements are covered in the PRD section of
this document under epics and user stories.
Roadmap
Considering we started the development of these features in September 2018,
the development of the complete feature set would spread over 3 quarters
starting from Q2 2018 and ending on Q1 2019.

Please Note: Detailed documentation of the roadmap millstones are covered in the PRD section of this
document under roadmap and key milestones.

Product Analytics
Tracking these metrics would help the team understand the adoption rate of the chat feature. Based on
the data collected, we can define the roadmap of increasing the scalability.

Acquisition/Activation:
Chat Feature:

• Number of users using the chat feature

 • Number of users using video chat
• Number of users using audio chat
• Number of users using share file option

Posting questions to selective users & anonymously:

• Number of questions asked anonymously

• Topics of the anonymous questions
• Number of questions posted to selective people
• Total number of questions post feature deployment

Scheduling meetings for assignment discussion:

• Total Number of meetings scheduled

• Total no. of invites sent per user (Also a referral metric)

Email If someone has replied to your question and comment:

• Email Open Rate

• Email Click Through Rate

Retention:

These metrics would be beneficial to track after the features have been deployed for a considerable
amount of time & would indicate the regularity of usage.

Chat Feature:

• Time spent online (on chat) per user

• Average number of messages per user
• Time spent on video chat per user
• Time spent on audio chat per user
• Average number of files shared per user

Posting questions to selective users & anonymously:

• Average number of anonymous questions asked per user

• Average number of questions asked to a selective group per user

Scheduling meetings for assignment discussion:

• Average Number of meetings scheduled per user

• Average time spent on scheduled meeting
• Total meeting time spent per user on each assignment

Product Used For Tracking: These metrics can be tracked using Google Analytics.
Product Requirement Document (PRD)
Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Why Implement These Features?
• Research
• Project Scope
• Epics & User Stories
• Design
• Technical Architecture
• Success KPIs & Metrics to Track
• Key Milestones & High-Level Roadmap
• Testing
• Dependencies

Introduction
UpGrad would like to increase discussions among the students of a cohort in a program on their learning
platform while they are going through content. There is a discussion forum and a WhatsApp group for
students to have discussions, but they are separate from the learning experience.

The idea is to add multiple features in the application which would help us increase the user discussion
on the UpGrad portal without disturbing or interfering in their learning experience. Considering this, we
conducted a user research and came up with a list of features which have a potential to achieve our
goal. In this document, we’ll study about those features and a roadmap of how to develop and deliver
them iteratively.

Why Implement These Features?

As mentioned in the assignment statement, UpGrad is facing a problem that students are not interacting
much on their platform. Implementing the mentioned features will not just increase the discussions on
the portal but will increase the overall user engagement with the application and their program.

With these features residing in the application, it will help users to complete majority of the discussions
within the application itself without using any other communication medium.
Research
We conducted a user research to understand the perspective of the existing UpGrad students and to
understand the pain points of the current discussion platform available to them and identify ways which
could improve the same.

User Insights

• We interviewed 20 students from current and previous UpGrad batches

• Gender %: 20% Female, 80% Male
• Age: 25-32
• Course Taken: 80% Product management Certification, 20% Digital Marketing certification

Interview insights:

• 70% of the users felt the need for discussion with other students right after the scores of an
assignment are published on the portal. Other situations for a discussion varied from catching
up on course progress, discussing course content to talking about job opportunities
• 100% of the users preferred website as the mode for online learning
• 80% of the users felt current mode of discussion only allows the questions to be addressed to
the whole cohort and there’s no option to ask questions to an individual/specific set of students
• Other paint points included current mode of discussion is Q&A based and limits the option of an
informal discussion
• Other media for communication used by students: WhatsApp, Email, FB Messenger
• 70% of the users feel option to chat with other online students will motivate them more to
discuss on the platform. Other responses included enabling video conferencing on the portal &
scheduling discussion times with other students
• Main topics of discussion with other students:
o Discuss marks on assignments
o Discuss individual answers once the assignment scores are published
o Discuss approaches to answer questions in an assignment
o Check on overall course progress with other students
o Discuss doubts in course content

Project Scope
In Scope
1. Chat Feature: A new message screen would be introduced where user would be able to chat
with the fellow learners. There would also be a chat widget on each screen for quick messages.
a. 1:1 Chatting
b. Group Chatting
c. Share Files
d. Audio & Video Conferencing
2. Option to post a question to selective people in the cohort.
 a. From the user research, we got an insight that people often fear to ask question in the
discussion forum because the complete cohort can see it. The idea is to add an option
for the users to ask question only to some selected fellow learners.
b. For this we’ll add an additional option in “add a question screen” where we’ll ask the
user if he wants to ask this question to all or some selected users. If he selects the latter,
we’ll give him the option to select the from the list of users we have in the current
cohort.
c. Once the question is posted, only the users who were added in that question would get
a notification and would be able to see that question in their discussion forum.
d. TAs can still see all the questions.
3. Option to schedule meetings/discussions with fellow learners (The discussions would happen
on the message screen)
a. Once the assignment result is out, from the same page, users can schedule a
meeting/discussion with some selected fellow learners to discus about the assignment
details.
b. Allowing users to schedule meetings from the calendar screen. The scheduled meetings
would happen on the message interface.
4. Sending emails to user if someone has replied to their question: This would notify the user if
he/she is not on the portal and don’t have a mobile app. Getting an email would keep him/her
engaged with the ongoing discussion

Out of Scope
1. Any email alerts apart from answers and comments to the questions posted in discussion forum.
2. Monitoring the content shared over the chat feature.

Epics & User Stories

Epics User Stories

As a user, I would like to chat with my
cohort members so that I can
converse with one or more users.
1. As a user, I would like send text messages to a user
to that I can converse with him/her
2. As a user, I would like to create a group so that I can
send text messages to all the users in that group
3. As a user, I would like to copy the messages from
the chat so that I don’t have to type the same
message again.
4. As a user, I would like to forward the messages from
the chat so that I don’t have to type the same
message again.
5. As a user, I would like to share media files on chat so
that I can share the required material within the
application
6. As a user, I would like to see who all are online so
that can I reach out to the online users
As a user, I would like to make audio
calls with my cohort members so that
I can call them from the portal itself
As a user, I would like to make video
calls with my cohort members so that
I can call them from the portal itself
As a user, I would like to have an
option to post questions without
getting noticed by the complete
cohort
As a user, I would like to schedule
meetings with cohort members so
that I can discuss program related
stuff.
As a user, I would like to receive email
notifications so that I’m always
updated and engaged with the
application
1. As a user, I would like to call a single user so that I
can have a discussion with him.
2. As a user, I would like to have a conference call so
that I can speak to multiple users at the same time.
3. As a user who has initiated a call, I would like to
have an option to add another participant in the
group call so that I can add anyone who is not on the
call.
1. As a user, I would like to call a single user so that I
can have a discussion with him.
2. As a user, I would like to have a conference call so
that I can speak to multiple users at the same time.
3. As a user who has initiated a call, I would like to
have an option to add another participant in the
group call so that I can add anyone who is not on the
call.
1. As a user, I would like to post the questions to
selected users so that the question is not visible to
complete cohort
2. As a user, I would like to post my question
anonymously so that I can hide my identity while
discussing questions
1. As a user, I would like to schedule meeting once the
assignment results are declared so that I can discuss
them with my cohort friends.
2. As a user, I would like to schedule meetings from the
calendar interface so that I can schedule discussions
with my cohort friends.
3. As a user, I would like to see all the scheduled
meetings on my calendar so that I can track them.
4. As a user, I would like to receive a notification 15
mins before the meeting so that I’m reminded about
the same.
1. As a user, I would like to receive email notification
every time someone adds an answer on my question
so that I’m updated.
2. As a user, I would like to receive email notification
when a comment is added on the answer I added in
a question thread so that I’m always updated.
3. As a user, I would like to have a settings to control
the email notifications so that I can choose for what
instance I need an email.
Design
Screen 1: Dashboard

• User would now be able to initiate a chat with the fellow students who are online.
• A chat widget would be displayed at the bottom right of each screen.
Screen 2: Add a question pop up screen
• User would be able to ask a question to selected set of people.
• If the above is true, only the users who are tagged in the question would see the question in
their discussion forum.
• User would also be able set up a meeting/discussion for any module. The discussion would
happen on the message screen where user can chat with each other.
Screen 3: Performance Scorecard Screen
1. Once the assignment result is out, user would now be able to schedule a discussion for the
same.
2. The users who are part of the discussion would receive a notification and they can initiate the
discussion from the message screen.
Screen 3: Message Screen
• All the chats can be viewed in this message screen.
• Whenever a meeting/discussion is scheduled, a new group with the discussion members will be
created here.

Technical Architecture
To be added by the engineering team

Success KPIs & Metrics to Track

Success KPIs:
• Number of accounts using the chat feature
• Number of questions posted after feature deployment vs without the feature
• Average session timings of a user before and after the features deployment
• Number of time user visited back into the application through email notifications

Metrics to Track:
Tracking these metrics would help the team understand the adoption rate of the chat feature. Based on
the data collected, we can define the roadmap of increasing the scalability.

Acquisition/Activation:
Chat Feature:

• Number of users using the chat feature

• Number of users using video chat
• Number of users using audio chat
 • Number of users using share file option

Posting questions to selective users & anonymously:

• Number of questions asked anonymously

• Topics of the anonymous questions
• Number of questions posted to selective people
• Total number of questions post feature deployment

Scheduling meetings for assignment discussion:

• Total Number of meetings scheduled

• Total no. of invites sent per user (Also a referral metric)

Email If someone has replied to your question and comment:

• Email Open Rate

• Email Click Through Rate

Retention:

These metrics would be beneficial to track after the features have been deployed for a considerable
amount of time & would indicate the regularity of usage.

Chat Feature:

• Time spent online (on chat) per user

• Average number of messages per user
• Time spent on video chat per user
• Time spent on audio chat per user
• Average number of files shared per user

Posting questions to selective users & anonymously:

• Average number of anonymous questions asked per user

• Average number of questions asked to a selective group per user

Scheduling meetings for assignment discussion:

• Average Number of meetings scheduled per user

• Average time spent on scheduled meeting
• Total meeting time spent per user on each assignment
Roadmap & Key Milestones

The intent of this section is to list down the tasks based on quarters which are further divided into 4
weeks sprint.

Quarter 3 & Quarter 4 2018

• Sprint 1 (1st Sep to 30th Sep 2018)

o As a user, I would like send text messages to a user to that I can converse with him/her
o As a user, I would like to create a group so that I can send text messages to all the users
in that group
o As a user, I would like to post the questions to selected users so that the question is not
visible to complete cohort
o As a user, I would like to receive email notification every time someone adds an answer
on my question so that I’m updated.
• Sprint 2 (1st Oct to 30th Oct 2018)
o As a user, I would like to call a single user so that I can have a discussion with him.
o As a user, I would like to post my question anonymously so that I can hide my identity
while discussing questions
o As a user, I would like to copy the messages from the chat so that I don’t have to type
the same message again.
• Sprint 3 (1st Nov to 30th Nov 2018)
o As a user, I would like to have a setting to control the email notifications so that I can
choose for what instance I need an email.
o As a user, I would like to have a conference call so that I can speak to multiple users at
the same time.
 o As a user, I would like to forward the messages from the chat so that I don’t have to
type the same message again.
o As a user, I would like to see who all are online so that can I reach out to the online
users
• Sprint 4 (1st Dec to 30th Dec 2018)
o As a user who has initiated a call, I would like to have an option to add another
participant in the group call so that I can add anyone who is not on the call.
o As a user, I would like to video call a single user so that I can have a discussion with him.
o As a user, I would like to schedule meeting once the assignment results are declared so
that I can discuss them with my cohort friends.

Quarter 1 2019

• Sprint 1 (1st Jan to 30th Jan 2019)

o As a user, I would like to schedule meetings from the calendar interface so that I can
schedule discussions with my cohort friends.
o As a user, I would like to see all the scheduled meetings on my calendar so that I can
track them.
o As a user, I would like to have a video conference call so that I can speak to multiple
users at the same time.
• Sprint 2 (1st Feb to 2nd Mar 2019)
o As a user who has initiated a video call, I would like to have an option to add another
participant in the group call so that I can add anyone who is not on the call.
o As a user, I would like to receive a notification 15 mins before the meeting so that I’m
reminded about the same.
• Sprint 3 (2nd Mar to 2nd April 2019)
o As a user, I would like to receive email notification when a comment is added on the
answer I added in a question thread so that I’m always updated.
o As a user, I would like to share media files on chat so that I can share the required
material within the application
o As a user, I would like to share doc files on chat so that I can share the required material
within the application

Testing

Functional Criteria
1. Chat Feature
a. Verify that the user is able to successfully exchange text messages with other users and
a group of users.
b. Verify that the user is able to voice call other users or a group of users.
c. Verify that the user is able to video call other users or a group of users.
d. Verify user is able to share media files with other users and group of users.
 e. Verify user is able to share documents with other users and group of users.
2. Question Posting Feature:
a. Verify user is able to post the question anonymously and the name of the user is not
exposed on the discussion forum
b. Verify user is able to post questions to selected group of users and only those users can
see the question on their discussion forum.
c. Verify TA accounts are able to view all the posted questions from their account.
3. Meeting Scheduler:
a. Verify user is able to schedule meetings for discussing assignments results from the
scorecard screen.
b. Verify user is able to schedule a meeting from the calendar screen.
c. Verify user is able to see all the scheduled meetings on his calendar.
4. Email Notifications:
a. Verify an email notification is sent each time an answer or a comment is added for the
user’s question
b. Verify user is able to update the email notification settings.

Non-Functional Criteria
1. Chat Feature:
a. At a given point of time 10000 messages can enter the message server queue before
they start failing.
b. The max file size a user can send over the chat feature is 5MB
c. The max length of the video file can be 1 minute.
d. Only following document format can be shared over the chat:
i. PDF
ii. DOCX
iii. XLXS
e. Max people who can join an audio or video conference call is 10.
f. The media or files shared by the user would only be active on the server for the program
duration and after the program ends they’ll be deleted.
g. The maximum group size for chatting would be 10.
2. Question Posting Feature:
a. User can post “N” number of anonymous questions.
b. User can select a group of max 10 people to send a group question.
3. Meeting Scheduler:
a. User can schedule only 10 meetings in advance.
b. User can schedule N number of meeting throughout his program duration.
c. User can schedule a meeting with max 10 people at once.
4. Email Notifications:
a. A single user will get a maximum of 10 emails per day.

Performance Criteria:
1. Chat Feature:
a. At a given point of time 50 users should be able to chat with each other simultaneously.
 b. At a given point of time 10 users should be able to audio and video call with each other
simultaneously.
c. There should be no lag at the server level while sending and receiving messages.
d. The server downtime should not be more than 5 minutes.
2. Question Posting Feature:
a. At a given point of time 50 users should be able to post an anonymous question at a
time.
3. Meeting scheduler:
a. Time to schedule a meeting and sending out notifications should not take more than 30
seconds.
4. Email Notifications:
a. Application should be able to send 100 emails at a given point of time.
b. Email notifications should be send within 10 minutes of the triggered event.

Dependencies
1. We have a dependency on the design team to give us the final screens based on the wireframes
added in the document.
2. Dependency on the engineering team to analyze the requirement and come up with a technical
architecture before the development begins.