Google Interview: Decisiveness Training

You’re PM for Google Maps. Your Q2 goal is to increase user engagement by 15% (measured by MAUs returning 3+ times/week). You have one engineering team for the quarter and must choose ONE initiative:

Option A: Saved Places Collaboration

• Let users share lists of places with friends (restaurants, travel spots, etc.)
• Reach: 8M users/month (power users who already save places)
• Potential impact: Medium - strengthens social use case
• Effort: 3 person-months
• Risk: Unclear if social features fit Maps’ utility mindset

Option B: Offline Navigation Improvements

• Better offline maps, route recalculation without data
• Reach: 15M users/month (international users with spotty data)
• Potential impact: Medium - reduces friction for existing users
• Effort: 4 person-months
• Risk: Benefits users who already use Maps, doesn’t bring new engagement

Option C: Local Events Layer

• Show concerts, farmers markets, festivals on the map
• Reach: 20M users/month (casual users exploring neighborhoods)
• Potential impact: High - creates new reason to open Maps beyond navigation
• Effort: 2 person-months
• Risk: Content quality depends on event data partnerships

Context:

• Current MAU returning 3+ times/week: 150M
• Goal: Increase to 172.5M (15% growth = +22.5M MAUs)
• Competitor pressure: Apple Maps improving social features
• Google’s strength: Discovery and exploration

Your Task:

1. Pick ONE option
2. Make a clear recommendation with reasoning
3. Explain what you’re sacrificing and why that’s acceptable

Take your time. Walk me through your thinking.