Strategy question
Google decided to shut down Gmail. What would you do?
- Strategy
- Hard
Practice this question out loud. An AI interviewer asks it, follows up like a real interviewer would, and scores your answer. Type or speak.
Start a mock interview on this question · Mock interview from a job description
What this question tests
Crisis and change-management thinking: how a PM would manage a major, user-hostile decision, including migration, communication, and mitigating backlash.
How to approach it
- Clarify the premise: react to and manage the decision as the PM closest to affected users, not just give an opinion.
- Identify affected segments and dependencies: personal users, businesses on Workspace, third-party apps built on Gmail APIs.
- Propose a migration plan: data export tools, a generous sunset timeline, clear alternative recommendations.
- Address the business risk: Gmail is a major distribution point for identity, ads, and Workspace, so surface the ripple effects to leadership.
- Plan communication: advance notice, a clear timeline, support channels to minimize user and press backlash.
What a strong answer includes
- Treats this as a real crisis-management exercise, notice, export tools, sunset window, cutover, not a single announcement.
- Flags the ripple effect on identity, Workspace, and ads, since Gmail is deeply embedded infrastructure.
- Balances user trust and legal exposure against however the decision was made.
Common mistakes
- Only discussing the PR angle and ignoring the operational migration plan for hundreds of millions of users.
- Not questioning why leadership would make this decision, missing a chance to show judgment about Gmail's strategic value.
Likely follow-up questions
- How would you handle enterprise Workspace customers differently from personal users?
- What would you tell Google leadership about the business risk of this decision?
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Learn the skill behind it
Chapters of the AI PM course that teach what this question tests.
- Chapter 4: Discovery and strategy for AI products
- Chapter 9: Prove it paid off: outcomes, economics, and pricing
- Chapter 14: Get the job: the AI PM interview loop