Designing a New Product That Combines LEGO Bricks With Google's Technology
Company: Google
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Imagine Google has acquired the LEGO Group. As a product manager, what new product would you create from the combination? Explain why the pairing creates an opportunity neither company could pursue as easily on its own, who the product is for, what it does, and how you would tell whether it works.
```hint List the assets first
Before brainstorming, write down what each company brings that the other lacks. A strong idea uses something only LEGO has and something only Google has; an idea that needs just one of them does not justify the acquisition.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- What does Google want from the deal: a new business line, a showcase for its technology, or a stronger presence with families and schools?
- Should the product be physical, digital, or a mix of bricks and software?
- Does LEGO keep running as its own brand, and are its existing apps and games part of what I can change?
- Should I treat building for children, and the privacy rules that come with it, as in scope?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A stated goal for the acquisition and a product that depends on both LEGO's assets and Google's
- A chosen user segment, such as children in an age band, parents, adult fans or teachers, with concrete pain points
- A specific product concept with a user journey, and alternatives considered and set aside
- A first release, success metrics and guardrails
- Risks particular to this pairing: children's privacy, screen time replacing hands-on play, and protecting LEGO's brand
### Follow-up Questions
- Parents value LEGO because it is screen-free. How would your product avoid reducing hands-on building?
- How would the product make money, or would it be free, and why?
- How would you adapt the product for classrooms instead of homes?
Overview: A product strategy question that imagines Google owning LEGO and asks what new product a product manager would create from the combination. It tests whether the idea relies on both companies' strengths, serves a clearly chosen segment, and handles children's privacy and screen time.