// readme / case study
README
README
A case study of Stack Trace
stack_trace.sh
$ product --info
$ product --info
Stack Trace v1.0
Stack Trace v1.0
$ role
$ role
Founder · Product Manager · Product Designer
Founder · Product Manager · Product Designer
$ status --check
$ status --check
Live and iterating
▋
// 01 / overview
An interactive career exploration platform that makes tech careers beyond software engineering easier to understand.
An interactive career exploration platform that makes tech careers beyond software engineering easier to understand.
20+
20+
question-specific modules
45 mins -> <5 mins
full interviews to focused answers
4
4
core features shipped
// 02 / context
What made this worth exploring?
What made this worth exploring?
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
A clearer path to prepare for:
A clearer path to prepare for:
Standardized interview formats
Standardized interview formats
Structured roadmaps
Structured roadmaps
Clearer skill signals
Clearer skill signals
WHEN EXPLORING OTHER CAREERS IN TECH
WHEN EXPLORING OTHER CAREERS IN TECH
I kept trying to understand:
I kept trying to understand:
What does the day-to-day look like?
What does the day-to-day look like?
What experience prepares you for the role?
What experience prepares you for the role?
How do people break in?
How do people break in?
This contrast became the starting point for Stack Trace.
This contrast became the starting point for Stack Trace.
// 03 / the problem
There’s more to tech than software engineering, but those careers are harder to discover.
There’s more to tech than software engineering, but those careers are harder to discover.
01
01
Visibility Gap
Visibility Gap
Strengths in writing, strategy, marketing, or design may not seem applicable to tech when traditional engineering roles appear to be the clearest point of entry,
Strengths in writing, strategy, marketing, or design may not seem applicable to tech when traditional engineering roles appear to be the clearest point of entry,
02
02
Information Friction
Information Friction
Useful career insights are often buried in long-form content, requiring users to dig for one relevant answer.
Useful career insights are often buried in long-form content, requiring users to dig for one relevant answer.
03
03
Industry Jargon Barrier
Industry Jargon Barrier
Unexplained terminology can make unfamiliar roles harder to understand, forcing users to search for context.
Unexplained terminology can make unfamiliar roles harder to understand, forcing users to search for context.
// 04 / the solution
V1 of Stack Trace was built around four core product decisions.
V1 of Stack Trace was built around four core product decisions.
Modular Interviews
Modular Interviews
Modular Interviews
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Relevant answers are often buried in long-form content.
Relevant answers are often buried in long-form content.
DECISION
DECISION
DECISION
Break interviews into short, question-specific modules.
Break interviews into short, question-specific modules.
WHY
WHY
WHY
Help users jump directly to the insight they care about.
Help users jump directly to the insight they care about.
Contextual Glossary
Contextual Glossary
Contextual Glossary
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Industry-specific terminology can make unfamiliar roles harder to follow.
Industry-specific terminology can make unfamiliar roles harder to follow.
DECISION
DECISION
DECISION
Define key terms directly within the interview experience.
Define key terms directly within the interview experience.
WHY
WHY
WHY
Help users understand the conversation without leaving the page to look something up.
Help users understand the conversation without leaving the page to look something up.
Resource Toolkit
Resource Toolkit
Resource Toolkit
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Learning about a role doesn’t always give users a clear next step.
Learning about a role doesn’t always give users a clear next step.
DECISION
DECISION
DECISION
Pair each interview with resources relevant to the guest’s career.
Pair each interview with resources relevant to the guest’s career.
WHY
WHY
WHY
Help users turn exploration into continued learning.
Help users turn exploration into continued learning.
Guest Directory
Guest Directory
Guest Directory
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
PROBLEM
Less-visible tech roles can be hard to discover if users don’t already know what to search for.
Less-visible tech roles can be hard to discover if users don’t already know what to search for.
DECISION
DECISION
DECISION
Create a browsable directory of professionals across different roles and career paths.
Create a browsable directory of professionals across different roles and career paths.
WHY
WHY
WHY
Make unfamiliar roles easier to explore through real career stories.
Make unfamiliar roles easier to explore through real career stories.
// 05 / prioritization
I considered two ways to bring the interviews to users.
I considered two ways to bring the interviews to users.
OPTION A: YOUTUBE
Built-in distribution, less development.
Built-in distribution, less development.
vs
OPTION B: STACK TRACE (CHOSEN)
Interactive, contextual, centered on the user.
Interactive, contextual, centered on the user.
Building Stack Trace gave me the flexibility to design the full discovery experience.
Building Stack Trace gave me the flexibility to design the full discovery experience.
DEPRIORITIZED TO V2
FEATURE
WHAT'S NEEDED
Explore By Question
Explore By Question
Bigger interview library
Bigger interview library
Request Company + Role
Request Company + Role
Clear demand + scalable pipeline
Clear demand + scalable pipeline
Saved Notes
Saved Notes
Storage + privacy plan
Storage + privacy plan
// 06 / validation plan
What will shape V2?
What will shape V2?
Exploration Hypothesis
Exploration Hypothesis
If question-specific modules reduce search effort, users will explore more than one module.
Measure: Modules viewed per session ·% of sessions viewing 2+ modules
If question-specific modules reduce search effort, users will explore more than one module.
Measure: Modules viewed per session ·% of sessions viewing 2+ modules
Clarity Hypothesis
Clarity Hypothesis
If focused answers and contextual definitions improve understanding, users will report greater clarity.
Measure: Role clarity rate · glossary interaction rate
If focused answers and contextual definitions improve understanding, users will report greater clarity.
Measure: Role clarity rate · glossary interaction rate
Action Hypothesis
Action Hypothesis
If the Resource Toolkit provides useful next steps, users will continue exploring recommended resources.
Measure: Resource toolkit click-through rate · resources clicked per session
If the Resource Toolkit provides useful next steps, users will continue exploring recommended resources.
Measure: Resource toolkit click-through rate · resources clicked per session
Feedback Loop
Feedback Loop
Direct feedback will help shape what Stack Trace explores next.
Direct feedback will help shape what Stack Trace explores next.
Direct feedback will help shape what Stack Trace explores next.
Preference Feedback
Preference Feedback
Preference Feedback
Track user selections to see what they want to explore next.
Track user selections to see what they want to explore next.
Track user selections to see what they want to explore next.
Signals: Career stage distribution · role interest distribution · insight preference distribution
Signals: Career stage distribution · role interest distribution · insight preference distribution
Signals: Career stage distribution · role interest distribution · insight preference distribution
Module Feedback
Module Feedback
Module Feedback
Measure whether users leave with a clearer understanding of the guest’s role.
Measure whether users leave with a clearer understanding of the guest’s role.
Measure whether users leave with a clearer understanding of the guest’s role.
Signals: Role clarity rate · positive vs. negative response
Signals: Role clarity rate · positive vs. negative response
Signals: Role clarity rate · positive vs. negative response
// 07 / behind the build
My Trace
Hi, I’m Mahek.
Hi, I’m Mahek.
I’m a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying computer science. I'm drawn to understanding what users value and building products that make everyday experiences easier and more meaningful.
I’m a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania studying computer science. I’m drawn to understanding what users value and building products that make everyday experiences easier and more meaningful.
FROM IDEA TO LAUNCH
I built Stack Trace independently, owning the work across:
I built Stack Trace independently, owning the work across:
Research
Research
Guest Interviews
Guest Interviews
Product Strategy
Product Strategy
Experience Design
Experience Design
Development
Development
Launch
Launch