Lyft Student Rider Experience: Product Design for College Campuses

Design a version of the Lyft experience built specifically for college students. ```hint Pick the trip that hurts Students ride for very different reasons: crossing campus, getting home late from the library, weekends out, trips to the airport at the end of term. Choose the student group and the trip moments where Lyft is weakest before you brainstorm features, because cost, safety and driver supply look different in each. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Is the goal to win students as long-term customers, to grow ride volume in college towns now, or to make student rides profitable? - Is this a mode inside the existing Lyft app or a separate product, and are bikes in scope alongside cars? - Which students matter most: undergraduates living on or near campus, students who commute in from farther away, or international students without a car or a local credit card? - Can the solution involve universities (partnerships, campus night-safety programs), or does Lyft act alone? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why students are worth a dedicated design for Lyft despite low spending per ride, and a goal that reflects it. - A chosen student segment and trip moments, with the reasoning, instead of designing for all students at once. - Ranked pain points such as affordability, late-night safety, availability at peak times, and paying or splitting fares. - Solutions prioritized by impact, effort and unit economics, ending in a clear MVP. - Success metrics with guardrails on subsidy cost, driver supply and safety. ### Follow-up Questions - Student discounts cost margin. How would you show the program pays back over a student's lifetime as a Lyft rider? - Parents want to pay for their child's rides and see where they go, while students want privacy. How would you design for both? - The university already runs a free late-night shuttle. Do you partner with it, compete with it, or ignore it, and why?