Animal tracking product: picking a segment, MVP device and success metrics

Design a product that helps people keep track of animals. Decide who it serves, what it does, and how you would judge whether it works. ```hint Let the animal set the limits A tracker for a family dog, a cattle herd and a migrating bird face very different limits on size, battery life and coverage. Pick the group first and let its limits shape the design. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should I focus on a particular kind of animal, such as household pets, farm livestock, or wild animals studied by researchers and conservation groups? - Is this meant to be a consumer product, a tool for businesses and researchers, or is that my call? - Is the company open to building hardware, or should the product work with existing collars, tags and cameras? - Should it fit Google's existing products such as Maps and Android, or can it stand alone? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A justified choice of animal type and user segment, with that segment's concrete tracking needs - The segment's pain points, ranked by how often they occur and how severe they are - A solution concept that works within the physical limits: device size and weight on the animal, battery life, coverage, durability and cost - A prioritized MVP and roadmap, plus a north-star metric with guardrails - Risks specific to tracking, including misuse to follow people, owner privacy and animal welfare ### Follow-up Questions - How would your design change for wild animals in areas with no cellular coverage? - How would you price the product: hardware, subscription or both, and why? - Which guardrail metric would stop your north-star metric from being inflated without real value to users?