In the sample case of WhatsApp service outage, here is an overview of what product manager can do to handle the crisis

Digital world is going crazy. 

People are spending more and more time on mobile apps, websites, and social media sites. These apps are constantly adding new features to keep the users engaged. In such a scenario, it’s almost impossible for any app to remain free of bugs or bugs if you may say so! 

Now imagine if you’re part of a product team responsible for developing a messaging app? 

If we talk about WhatsApp, then you already know what’s coming next!

However, this doesn’t stop people from worrying when the service goes offline. 

If you work in a product management role here are some things that you should keep in mind during a similar outage crisis,

What is a product manager responsible for?

If you’re a product manager in WhatsApp, then you create the roadmap for the product and make decisions about the roadmap. You determine the release schedule and roadmap for the future. You also work with engineering teams to decide on the best way to build a product. You also work with people in sales and marketing to build demand for the product. You make strategic decisions about the business of the company. When WhatsApp goes down, you’re the one who has to take quick action to resolve the issue and reassure the users. If WhatsApp goes down once and you don’t have a plan to handle the situation, you’ll lose the trust of your users. So, what are you going to do? You can’t do it all by yourself. You need your team to support you and help you solve the situation.

Handling an outage crisis

You’ve been building WhatsApp for years. You have a plan in place to address the situation when WhatsApp goes down. However, as WhatsApp goes down, your world comes crashing down. You’re not able to do your job, your team isn’t able to resolve problems, and the customers aren’t able to reach you. You’re in a state of panic, and it’s going to be a long time before you can calm down. Now, this state of panic might last for a few minutes or for a few hours. It depends on your personal situation. However, one thing that you can be sure about is that the panic is going to last for a long time. You might not be able to come out of it on your own. You need to talk to someone and get some help. You might need to talk to your friends or family members and explain what’s going on.

Build a notification channel

The first thing that you want to do is find someone who is willing to listen to you. However, life is too busy, and there aren’t many people who are willing to listen. So, what next? You can’t just sit there and waste your time. You need to solve the problem right now. So, you start building a channel which will let you talk to people and get things done. Start asking people to send you messages. You can also start replying to group messages if you want to talk to a few people at a time. You can also create a Google Docs channel or an online channel on Slack, HipChat, or Asana. If you’re in a state of panic, you can start a work-related channel so that you can focus on solving the problem. 

Don’t panic and stay flexible

WhatsApp has been down many times in the past. However, there is one thing that you can be sure of - WhatsApp is going to remain in business. So, try not to panic when WhatsApp goes down. Instead, keep calm, use the notification channels that you’ve built, and solve the problem. So, you need to stay calm, solve the issue, and reassure your users. Don’t give up if it’s difficult to solve the problem. You might find it difficult to solve the problem, but don’t give up. Keep trying to solve the problem.

Use your team when the dust settles

A lot of people want to solve the issue as soon as possible. You might want the same thing. However, you need to understand that solving an outage crisis is not a one-day or one-week project. It’s a project that’s going to take you some time. It might take you one day or it might take you a few days. Try to solve the problem without trying to solve it right away. Wait for some time and solve the problem when the dust has settled. If you solve the problem right away, you might be solving a different problem. 

Wrapping up

In the end, WhatsApp is just a messaging app. So, it’s normal for it to go down every now and then. When it does, don’t panic and solve the issue when the dust has settled. Remain calm, use the notification channels that you’ve built. Use your team when the dust has settled and solve the issue.