Roadmap to Make an Executive Present at a Meeting in Japan Within Minutes

Google's CEO finds you at headquarters in Mountain View and says he has to be at a meeting in Japan in five minutes. Getting him there physically that fast is impossible, but he asks you to build a roadmap for the next five to ten years that works toward solving this problem. Explain what problem you believe he really needs solved, the options you considered, how you would phase the roadmap, and how you would measure progress along the way. ```hint Find the need behind the request Ask what attending in person gives him that a video call today does not. That answer decides whether your roadmap moves the person faster or makes his presence travel instead. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - What kind of meeting is it: a negotiation, a relationship-building visit, an inspection of a site or product, or a routine review? - Is the roadmap only for Google's own executives, or for a product Google would offer to its customers? - Must Google build every part, or can partners such as hardware makers and airlines be involved? - Would the people in Japan accept a remote presence instead of a visit, and do they expect to see him in person for some meetings? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Reframing the five-minute request into the underlying need (presence, trust, nonverbal cues, language) and naming which part is truly out of reach - Options spanning faster travel, richer remote presence and delegation, judged on feasibility within ten years and on Google's strengths - A phased roadmap with concrete milestones, dependencies and decision points, where each phase delivers value on its own - Metrics for each phase, including whether the people in Japan experience the meeting as equivalent to meeting in person - Constraints such as network delay across the Pacific, a time difference of more than half a day, business culture, security and cost ### Follow-up Questions - In year three the remote-presence product works well technically, but partners in Japan still expect a visit for important deals. What do you do? - How would the roadmap change if leadership insisted that physical travel itself must get faster? - If your budget were cut in half, which milestone would you drop first, and why?