Google product for travelers: pick a segment, a core problem and a first release

Google has asked you, as a product manager, to design a travel app. Decide which travelers it serves and which travel problem it solves, define what the first version does, and explain how you would judge whether it is succeeding. ```hint Justify a new app Google already appears at several moments of a trip. Work out what a traveler still cannot get from those existing touchpoints, and which kind of traveler feels that gap most. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Must this be a standalone app, or may the answer live inside existing Google surfaces such as Search, Maps or Flights? - Which part of travel is in scope: inspiration and planning, booking, the trip itself, or the whole journey? - Is the goal user growth and engagement, or revenue such as booking referrals and travel ads, and over what time frame? - Leisure trips only, or business travel too, and domestic as well as international? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why Google and why now: the assets Google can bring and the gap existing travel products leave open. - Traveler segments defined by need, with a justified choice of one. - That segment's pain points across planning, booking and the trip itself, and a prioritized feature set with a clear first release. - Success metrics that suit an activity people do a few times a year, such as per-trip outcomes and repeat use, with guardrails. - Risks: conflict with booking sites and advertisers, privacy of personal travel data, and the quality of recommendations. ### Follow-up Questions - Booking sites also advertise on Google. How does your app treat them: as partners, competitors or both? - People plan only a few trips a year. How do you keep the app useful between trips, or should you not try? - How would you know whether your itinerary recommendations are good, before launch and after?