Design a bicycle renting app for Google

Asked in Google PM Interview

If you're a Product Manager, you know that PM interviews are challenging. Cracking them is a skill in itself—very different from what we do in our daily jobs!

Many great PMs excel at their work but feel anxious when facing interviews. You're judged based on structured frameworks, and there's little room for free thinking during the interview. As someone rightly said—PM interviews are not just a test of knowledge but a test of preparedness.

To help you navigate this, I’m launching a series to help you crack PM interviews. I’ll send two newsletters every week—one on Sunday and another on Wednesday.

A lot of people have told me that finding time to prepare for PM interviews is tough. So, here’s an approach: prep along with my newsletter! First, try answering this question in the comments—"Design a bicycle rental app as a Google Product Manager." Then, come back and read my solution. If you think my approach could be better, let me know in the comments too!

Let’s get started—together! 🚀

1️⃣ Ask the Interviewer

🔹 Why does Google want to build this?

2️⃣ Google’s mission 🎯

Google’s mission is to:
✅ Simplify the world’s information
✅ Make it accessible & useful

This aligns with making travel more convenient by simplifying transportation options and fits into Google’s product ecosystem:
🔹 Google Maps – Navigation support 🗺️
🔹 Google Pay – Seamless payments 💳
🔹 Google Travel – Trip planning 🏝️

3️⃣ Clarifying questions 🤔

Before diving into the solution, clarify:
❓ Area of launch – Localized or global? 🌍
❓ Rental duration – Hourly, daily, or weekly? ⏳
❓ Mode of operation – Own fleet (asset-heavy) or partner model? 🚲
❓ Competitors – Who else is in this space? ⚔️
❓ Bike types – Normal bikes, e-bikes, or both? 🚴‍♂️🔋
❓ Standalone or integrated app – Within Google Maps or a new app? 📱

4️⃣ User personas 👥

🔹 Solo Travelers – Quick, easy bookings 🎒
🔹 Families – Multiple ride bookings, convenient for kids & elderly 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦
🔹 Group Travelers – Multiple rides, coordinate plans 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
🔹 Tour & Travel Agencies – Bulk bookings, high AOV 🏨

5️⃣ Prioritizing user personas 📌

🎯 High priority (Frequent users): Solo travelers & families
🎯 Lower priority (High AOV users): Group travelers & travel agencies

6️⃣ User needs 🏆

Must-have needs (MVP) ✅

🔹 Check availability of bikes (Google Maps integration 🗺️)
🔹 Seamless booking & payments (Google Pay 💰)
🔹 Navigation & route guidance (Google Maps 📍)
🔹 Transparent pricing (Hourly/daily/weekly)

Good-to-have features 🌟

🔸 Guided audio tour 🎧
🔸 Community features – Connect with other cyclists 👥
🔸 Helmet, knee pad, and safety gear rentals 🦺
🔸 Integration with Google Travel for itinerary planning 🗺️

7️⃣ Solution 🚀

Core features (MVP) 🎯

✅ Ride availability in location (Google Maps)
✅ Booking rides (single/bulk) 🛒
✅ Seamless payments (Google Pay)
✅ Navigation support (Google Maps)

Good-to-have features 💡

🔹 Prevent bike theft – QR code-based ride start 🔏
🔹 Guided audio tour – History & landmarks narration 🎙️
🔹 Helmet & safety gear rentals 🏍️
🔹 Guided itinerary for tourists 📌

8️⃣ Trade-offs ⚖️

📌 Standalone App vs Integrated into Google Maps/Travel
✅ Integrated App – Faster adoption, but might clutter UX
✅ Standalone App – Richer experience, but lower adoption

📌 Mode of Operation (Capex Heavy vs Partnerships)
✅ Capex Heavy – Own fleet, high cost, greater control 🏢
✅ Partnership Model – Less cost, but lower control 🤝

9️⃣ Risks & mitigation 🚨

⚠️ Fleet management burden – Capex & manpower heavy, partnerships reduce risk
⚠️ Local regulatory compliance – Work with local authorities for approval
⚠️ Vandalism & theft – QR/ID-based verification & anti-theft tech

🔟 Success metrics 📊

📌 North Star Metric – 🚲 # of rides booked per day
📌 Adoption – 📈 # of tourists booking rides daily
📌 Revenue – 💵 AOV & total revenue
📌 Usage – 🕒 Avg ride duration, heatmap of popular routes

How can you make the answer better?

1️⃣ Always (always) start with users📈

Right now, the problem statement isn't deeply explored. Instead of jumping into Google’s mission, start with why this problem needs solving:

• User Pain Points: Limited public transport options, expensive alternatives (taxis, rentals), lack of last-mile connectivity.

• Market Opportunity: Growing demand for micro-mobility solutions, increased focus on sustainability.

👉 Fix: Frame it as a problem statement and explain how Google is uniquely positioned to solve it.

2️⃣ Deepen trade-off analysis ⚖️

Your trade-offs are good but need clear decision-making criteria:

• Standalone App vs. Google Maps Integration:

  • Instead of just stating adoption vs. UX clutter, consider Google’s existing product principles.

  • Would users want a separate app? Or would they expect an integrated experience?

  • Could Google experiment with an MVP inside Maps, then spin it off based on adoption?

• Capex Heavy vs. Partnerships:

  • What are examples of successful models (e.g., Uber’s partnerships, Lime's approach)?

  • How do different cities’ regulations affect this decision?

👉 Fix: Use data points, examples, and clearer decision criteria to refine trade-offs.

3️⃣ More thoughtful success metrics 📊

Metrics are good but lack a direct link to business impact.

• How does # of rides per day tie into revenue growth?

• How do we measure user satisfaction & retention?

• Should we track ride completion rates, cancellations, or time to find a bike?

👉 Fix: Add qualitative + quantitative metrics, considering business viability and UX success.

4️⃣ Expand user needs to cover edge cases 🎯

What happens if:

• No bikes are available nearby? → Suggest alternative transport options

• The app has high demand & low supply? → Dynamic pricing

• A user wants insurance/safety guarantees? → Liability coverage or damage fees

👉 Fix: Add edge cases & contingency planning to strengthen the solution.

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Do add your comments! I will go through all of them.