How would you launch Google’s driverless car service?

Question

How would you launch Google’s driverless car service?

Asked at Google over a year ago

1.5k views

Asked at

1.5k views

How to answer Product Launch questions

Interview Guide

Top Product Launch interview questions

Would you want to launch a fitness app for Facebook? If yes, why? Please elaborate all requirements and prioritizations.8 answers | 13.6k views
Suppose Uber is about to launch Uber Grocery. Walk me through it from 0-1.7 answers | 6.6k views
You're the PM at a pharmaceutical company. How would you go about launching a new sleeping pill?7 answers | 2.2k views
See Product Launch PM Interview Questions

Invite members
Invite by email

Add another

jcmacintosh · Answer 1 · 2021-02-18T06:47:37+0000

Scope
1. So this is a Driverless Car "Service", we arent actually selling the car, correct?
2. Cars is a little vague, so can I assume we are limiting to sedan's, coupe, i.e. the passenger car segment, and leave out Pickup trucks, hatchbacks, SUV's..?
3. About the Product
  1. The driverless technology is pretty nascent, and besides Tesla no one has a reliable driverless car.
  2. The car can drive itself to pickup, drop off the passenger and then park itself.
Goal
1. I would choose "Creating Awareness" as a goal. The reasons being
  1. the product is in early stages, people are still trying to fathom the viability of this technology. before mass use, it would be necessary to have people see it in action.
Strategy
1. I would like to build my launch strategy around reliability and safety of this technology.
2. There are a potential number of segments
  1. Businesses and business travelers
  2. Students
  3. Transportation and Delivery service providers
  4. Small restaurants
  5. Family
3. I would like to concentrate on Families, since every user would have a family attachment. Nothing markets itself better than word of mouth from a person's spouse or kids or even parents or family friends.
4. There would be a number of use cases that are relevant from a family perspective for everyday use
  1. Grocery deliveries from favorite grocery store
  2. Returning packages at UPS or Kohl's
  3. Dropping / Picking up Kids from Schools
  4. Weekend dinners with Friends
  5. Dropping / picking up kids for Playdates
  6. Trips to / from Park / gym
  7. Afterschool classes
  8. Trips to / from Banks
  9. Trips to / from Train stations
5. I would want to center my launch plan around everyday activities, have the self driving car be visible in all use cases that a member of a family might be involved in.
Implementation Plan
1. Pre Launch
  1. Partners
    1. Local Shops / restaurants offering to deliver using Driverless Cars
    2. Afterschool centers i.e. Music Schools, Soccer classes, Swimming classes offering to pickup / drop off kids using driverless cars
    3. Restaurants offering pickup / drop along with reservations
    4. Banks offering check collection / drop off using driverless cars
    5. Local Transit providers i.e. NJTransit, PATH, BART offering pickup / drop off
  2. Marketing
    1. Social Media
      1. I would like to create a mystery buzz around this launch. e.g. on all partner handles have them tweet a link that leads them to a website thats counting down
      2. Any partners choosing the link will get a free gift or some form of incentive
      3. I would also splash videos of google driverless cars on youtube videos, facebook, instagram to build buzz
    2. KPI's
      1. No of food deliveries / transit stops / bank trips
      2. No of kids drop offs / pickups
      3. no of repeat trips i.e. if someone ordered food, are they also using driverless cars for dropping of kids
2. Launch
  1. Marketing
    1. On the day of the launch, I will want to have billboards showcase the driverless cars
  2. Distribution
    1. I will have at least a couple of cars at all partner locations
    2. at rush hour time, school opening / close, office commute start / stop will ensure driverless cars are visible to everyone
  3. Partners
    1. At all partner locations will need to have a QR code next to the driverless cars, the QR code would link to a short video on google driverless cars and its website
    2. Food delivery / grocery delivery whoesover is offering to ship to door, the packages will come up in driverless cars.
      1. a potential corner case would be that packages cannot be left outside the door.
3. Post Launch
  1. Monitor
    1. I will monitor the number of rides offered and availed on key use cases
Summary
1. I would want to launch the google driverless car service by building awareness of the technology and impress upon the reliability and safety. I would target families and all relevant use cases that are pertinent to a family. I will tie up with partners who are a stakeholder in the relevant use cases. My launch plan is for people to be wowed / surprised and warm up to the idea of the google driverless car being part of the everyday way of life.

Thursday · Answer 2 · 2022-01-03T20:07:49+0000

Clarifications

What is mean by driverless? Is completely driverless meaning auto driven or need the commuter needs to modulate it to very little extent may be through app or voice modulation or it is actually self driving cars by the commuters themselves without chauffers?

Assumption- A user can commute as a customer but totally driverless. One user should be there inside the car as a customer and it can't be used just as a luggage carrier without any human being inside the car.

What is the geographical scope of this product?

Assumption- I would like to scope it out to the developed countries starting US and Europe where the road infrastructure is excellent for this product and it is not too crowded like India with poor roads.

Any driving license is needed for the customer as they are the ones who will give location etc and using the same

Assumption- No

What is the type of fuel?

Assumption- Solar power driven which can store the solar energy during the day time and electric power to be used as back up

User segment

Users	Price
Personal transport like tourism, daily office commuters, travel to airport	Free
Business commuters- Used for business trips	Intermediate cost
VVIP like CEOs, Government Departments and politicians	Premium cost

Goal-Car market is already at the Growth stage with existing technology. We need to capture market, user adoption to new technology followed by engagement.

Strategy

If Cars are build by other conventional company like Nissan etc and Google makes it driverless with technology on the conventional cars and partnered with travel agencies to be used in the business of travel and tourism along with the tour package.

My opinion- We should not do it as the existing car makers might not be well aware of the technology and it might increase complexity with compromise on quality. Adding the travel and tourist agents and companies will add dependency and make less sense with the hitech cars.

If Google build its own google car and partner with owners who wants to buy it and sell it to travel agencies to make the owners and then partner with them where google just provides the platform and will give you customers . Google and travel agencies owing the cars can share profit?

My opinion- No as this will increase unnecessary complexity in the business model and these partners will become competitors who will take profit share. No need to sell it as product for personal use else if people can buy then why they will go for Google car service.

Car driverless cars become self partner with Google and get a salary? If employee or a chauffer can get salary for driving then why not a car itself as a self driven machinary?

My opinion- This sounds little vague. But I would like to avoid it as Google has itself produced these cars then why it should be a salaried.

If Cars are partially build by other conventional company like Nissan etc and Google makes it driverless with technology on the conventional cars. No driver and no salary to be given

My opinion - This will increase dependency on the car makers and high chances of poor quality and flaws. This will increase complexity and may be additional rework needs to be done by Google . Google should build its car, manage and no driver no salary to be given

My opinion- Yes as this will give more freedom/flexibility in the business model and Google can grab the existing market of the manual cars. Google can use google history to meet customer choices more you use other google services like search engine, you tube ,news, docs, movies, gmail etc. the longer it will drive without any cost. The revenue will come from the ads. Indeed, we need to keep some minimum subscription charge to avoid the misuse of cars by the first category of the users. Like unwanted booking then cancellation without any reason or Google car itself cancels the ride after 15 mins when fail to receive any response from the user.

USP and value proposition

Eco friendly battery back up and use of solar power with no use of fossil fuel
100% safety
Very minimum accidents at the precision of six sigma 99.99% accuracy with probability of failed rides by 3.14%
Adhered traffic rules automatically. six sigma 99.99% accuracy with probability of failed rides by 3.14%
Safe for even kids alone
No thefts high security
Available within time as needed never denies duty. Indeed, supply needs to be maintained
No need to pay anything as travel expense
Customize it easily per the user need for specific cases like use as ambulance

Pre Launch

Partner- with government office to be used by VVIP politicians as government vechile, MNC, hospitals who can as ambulance, banks to carry money till ATM machines

Marketing

Pre launch booking ads in magazine, airports, demos events, google ads, social media, youtube, news channels

KPI writing

No of trips taken in a day
Amount of time driving check in check out
No of sign up
No of ads clicked while sitting
No of products used while using car
Time take to book the car just after sign up
Cancellations purposely and car did self cancellation

During launch

Partner with insurance companies, medical service, airport

Marketing

Simulated free training experience , blogging, newspaper ads

Google car roadshow, auto expo

Incentives

Free internet and use of premium service which is charges in package for first 100 KM drive
refer and earn
Free premium music movies
Pre launch offers
Use the cabs for 1000 KM and get a chance to go tour

Support operations maintainence along with logistics to manage demand and suppl

Pricing ads and Summary

we need to keep some minimum subscription charge to avoid the misuse of cars by the first category of the users. Like unwanted booking then cancellation without any reason or Google car itself cancels the ride after 15 mins when fail to receive any response from the user.

Major revenue will come from ads on per click basis for the first category of users. We can give subscription package for the premium services in the car for the second and the third segment of users. Again, the customization is possible for the special case like ambulation and this will the different segment of car to be used for the special purpose but charged on premium price subscription

Trade off- Car can be used for operating crimes B. In case of accidents which is rare to happen who is going to bear accountability as neither the Google is driving car not the human drivers. Then who should be accountable for it?Google being the parent of the product can't be held accountable for any litigation process.

Who will bear the liability of tax ? Tax laws needs to be updated as tax is not charged on income generated by machinary. If employees are earning salary/profit then they are suppose to pay the taxes and in return get the benefits provided by the government. Here service is provided by a car/machinary then how it should be liable to pay taxes and what benefits will it get? Taxing a car will fall in capital expenditure from the business standpoint :)