Gmail and a rival product: sizing the threat and recommending a response

As Gmail's product manager, you learn that a competing product is going after Gmail's users. How do you assess it, and what do you do? ```hint Diagnose before you respond Before choosing what to do, work out what the competitor offers that Gmail does not, and whether any group of Gmail users is actually moving to it. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - What is the competing product, and how does it differ from Gmail: price, privacy, features, or bundling with another product? - Is it aimed at personal accounts, at businesses that pay for Google's work tools, or both? - Do we already see users moving, or are we reacting to a launch before any data exists? - Who is behind it: a startup, or a large company with its own ecosystem? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - How Gmail creates value and earns money, for free personal users and for paying business customers - An assessment of the competitor's offer, the segments it threatens and the evidence of switching - A response sized to the threat, with options compared and one recommended - Metrics to track the threat and judge the response, with guardrails and a point at which to escalate - The risks of reacting too much and too little, and how the decision is communicated to the team ### Follow-up Questions - Suppose the competitor's main selling point is that it shows no ads. Would you change Gmail's business model in response, and what would it cost? - How would you tell a short burst of interest from a lasting shift in user behavior? - How would you present a recommendation to change nothing yet to a worried leadership team?