Design a Google lost-item finder and decide whether Google should launch it

Google is considering a move into helping people locate belongings they have misplaced or lost. Lay out what the product should be, then decide whether Google should build it. ### Clarifying Questions - Should the product mainly help people recover items after they go missing, help prevent losses in the first place, or both? - Which belongings are in scope: everyday items such as keys, wallets and bags, Google devices such as phones and earbuds, or bigger things such as luggage and bikes? - Should I consider only consumers, or also businesses that need to keep track of equipment? - Is Google willing to sell its own hardware here, or should I assume partners make any physical device? ### Part 1 — Shape the product Choose the users the product serves first and describe what it does for them, from the moment someone realizes an item is missing to the moment it is back in their hands. ```hint Start at the moment of loss Picture the few minutes after someone notices their keys are gone: what do they already know, and what do they need to know? Then ask which of Google's existing assets could supply the missing piece. ``` #### What This Part Should Cover - A chosen target segment and the loss scenarios that matter most to it - The core finding experience and any prevention features, with what ships first - How Google's existing products and devices make this better than a standalone tracker - Protections against the product being used to follow a person ### Part 2 — Make the build call Recommend whether Google should enter this market. Explain the evidence behind your call and what would change your mind. ```hint Name the edge A recommendation is stronger when it identifies an advantage Google has that a well-funded rival could not easily copy, and the conditions under which entering would be a mistake. ``` #### What This Part Should Cover - A market size estimate with labeled assumptions - The competitive landscape and Google's right to win - Strategic value beyond hardware revenue, weighed against costs and risks - A clear go or no-go call with launch shape and stop conditions ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A product scope that follows from a specific user segment and loss scenario rather than a feature list - Google-specific assets such as Android's installed base, Maps and Assistant used to justify both the design and the decision - Stalking, privacy and battery risks treated as launch requirements, not afterthoughts - Success metrics tied to whether people actually get lost items back - A build decision consistent with the product designed in Part 1 ### Follow-up Questions - How would you stop someone from slipping a tag into another person's bag to track them, including people who carry iPhones? - Would you sell a Google-made tag, rely on partner hardware, or both, and why? - What single metric would you use to judge the first year, and which guardrail would you pair with it?