Reinventing the classic globe: users, pain points, features and success metrics

You are a product manager at Microsoft, and the interviewer's prompt is short: design a globe. Nothing else is specified, so deciding what kind of globe to build and who it is for is part of the exercise. Walk through the users you would target, the problems they have with globes today, the product you would build and why, and how you would know it succeeded. ```hint Why would anyone need a globe now? Every phone already answers "where is this place?". Pick one group of people, ask what a globe could still do for them that a phone map does not, and let that decide whether you build an object, software or both. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should the globe be a physical object, a digital experience or a mix of both, or is that choice mine to make? - Is there a target user in mind, such as students in classrooms, families at home, or travelers and geography hobbyists? - Should the design build on Microsoft's existing products and services, or can it stand alone? - Are there limits on price, launch timing or the first markets to launch in? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Why this globe fits Microsoft, and one clear product goal that follows from it. - A justified choice of user segment, including any gap between who buys the globe and who uses it. - Pain points specific to how that segment uses a globe today. - Solutions prioritized by impact and effort, with an explicit, reasoned physical-versus-digital decision. - Success metrics tied to the goal, with guardrails and the main risks. ### Follow-up Questions - If your users are children, what data would the product collect, and what would it refuse to collect? - How would your design change if the target were adult travelers instead of students? - Six months after launch, teachers report that the globe sits unused after the first few weeks. How do you find out why, and what do you change?