Waymo revenue diversification beyond ride-hailing: options and recommendation
Company: Google
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Waymo, the autonomous driving company, runs a consumer ride-hailing service today, and its leadership wants it to monetize beyond that service. You are the product manager. What should Waymo do? Lay out a strategy and recommend a direction.
```hint Separate the asset from the product
Waymo owns a driving technology as well as a consumer ride service. Consider what could be sold, reused or extended, including offerings for other customers, without relying on the consumer ride-hailing app.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- What time horizon applies, and is the goal to maximize revenue, margin or strategic position?
- Must the answer stay within Waymo's own products, or may the driving technology go into new products or partner offerings?
- Are there limits on capital, fleet size or the cities where vehicles may operate?
- Should the new revenue avoid taking vehicles away from the existing ride service?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A stated goal and horizon, plus an honest view of Waymo's strengths and weaknesses.
- A broad set of options that differ in customer and in how much operating work Waymo takes on, not variations of a single idea.
- Explicit comparison criteria and a committed recommendation with reasons.
- Sequencing, dependencies, and how the choice interacts with vehicles that also serve rides.
- Success metrics and the main risks, including safety and regulation.
### Follow-up Questions
- If the same vehicle can take a delivery job or a ride request, how would you decide between them in the moment?
- What would make you switch from partnering with others to operating the new service yourself?
- What evidence from a first pilot would tell you to stop?
Overview: An autonomous driving company is asked to monetize beyond its consumer ride-hailing service. The question tests strategic product thinking: assessing technology strengths and operating weaknesses, comparing options such as licensing, delivery, institutional transit services and in-vehicle services, and recommending a sequenced plan with metrics.