CASE STUDY • GOOGLE GATHER
Revolutionizing Social Outings with Friends
Simplifying planning with an all-in-one collaborative social product.
INTRODUCTION
A hypothetical scenario where Google has contracted my team to develop a prototype, Project Gather, that provides users with an easy and seamless way to plan social outings with their friends.
PROBLEM
After enduring two years of Covid-19 and quarantine measures, people around the world crave in-person interactions with their friends and colleagues more than ever. To address this need, Project Gather was initiated with the objective of providing an all-in-one collaborative social product that simplifies planning outings with friends.
The primary goal of this collaboration is to launch a prototype that stands out from any existing Google tools while still harnessing the power of Google Maps and other relevant Google products. Our aim is to create an easy-to-use and seamless user experience that is centered around the customer's needs.
RESULTS
Developed a 5 year Product Vision that incorporates future technologies
Ideated and prioritized over 20 features
Produced a Beta Launch Strategy that reduces cost of buy-in and marketing
Translated requirements into measurable KPI’s
DELIVERABLES
Product Roadmap
Product Features Doc
Go-To-Market Strategy
Beta Launch Strategy
User Personas
Product Vision
MY ROLE
Product Manager
Consultant
Strategist/Analyst
STAKEHOLDERS
Google Maps Team
Google Gather Team
Google Marketing Team
Discovery
During the discovery phase, my focus was on identifying the key target demographics for the MVP beta launch, as well as potential pain points and use cases. Through this process, I prioritized these pain points to determine product must-haves and nice-to-haves, and developed success metrics to measure product effectiveness.
Market research was conducted to gain a better understanding of key competitors, and I created a feature table to define must-have and nice-to-have requirements. Lastly, I synthesized all of these key factors to develop a high-level roadmap and product vision for the next five years.
The benefits of using google gather
As a product manager, one of the crucial questions I aimed to address was why users should consider using Google Gather. Before targeting specific users, I needed to understand the use cases of a casual social gathering and scheduling app. After careful consideration, I identified the following use cases, highlighting those that we would prioritize for the beta launch:
Simplify the planning process for social gatherings with friends
Allow users to easily discover new venues and activities
Improve coordination and communication among group members
Provide an intuitive, user-friendly interface that reduces friction in the planning process
By focusing on these use cases, Google Gather would offer a distinct advantage over existing apps in the market, making it an attractive option for potential users.
Why I Prioritized These Use Cases
In my assessment, focusing on these use cases is the optimal way to develop Google Gather as a free service for casual users while also using the data and insights gained from their usage to enhance the app for monetization in the workplace and event management settings.
I anticipate that early adopters of the app will be individuals who frequently attend parties, events, or regularly socialize with friends. As a result, it is imperative to create a seamless experience for users who desire to connect with new people at concerts or parties.
By prioritizing these use cases, we will provide a unique value proposition to our target audience, making Google Gather their preferred choice for social gathering planning. Additionally, we will be able to gather valuable insights from these users that we can leverage to enhance the product further for future use cases.
Identifying Target Users
As a conceptual product, I had to make certain assumptions about the users who would be most likely to use Google Gather. Since the app is designed to simplify social gathering planning, I identified two key users that we should prioritize for the beta launch: Social Samantha and Friendly Fred.
Social Samantha
Social Samantha is a New York socialite who has a full-time job during the week and enjoys regular social outings with friends on weekends to unwind. She values convenience and seeks a user-friendly app that simplifies the planning process.
Friendly Fred
Friendly Fred is a college student who wants to make the most of his college experience by creating lasting memories with friends. He lives on campus and desires an easy-to-use app that helps him plan fun outings and activities with his peers.
By prioritizing these two user profiles, we ensure that the app caters to the needs of our target audience, enabling them to effortlessly plan social outings and make the most of their free time.
What’s Frustrating about Planning Social Outings?
To truly understand our users and their needs, we need to identify the most frustrating pain points they currently face when planning social outings. I conducted research by speaking with friends and family who share similar profiles to Samantha and Fred, and identified the following pain points:
Difficulty in coordinating schedules and finding a time that works for everyone
Uncertainty about which activities or venues everyone will enjoy
Tedious back-and-forth communication via text or email to finalize plans
Last-minute cancellations or changes in plans causing inconvenience
Lack of visibility into who is attending an event and who is not
I prioritize addressing the bolded pain points, as they are common frustrations that users of similar platforms such as Calendly and other scheduling apps currently experience. By solving these pain points, we can differentiate ourselves from competitors, enhance the user experience, and potentially gain significant market share in the scheduling and event planning marketplace.
Who is our competition?
To identify our competitors, I categorized them into four groups: Large Social Media Companies, Niche Competitors, Navigation Providers, and New Technologies.
Large Social Media Companies include social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram that may want to develop similar products to serve their users' social needs.
Niche Competitors are companies that specialize in event planning and social meetups, like Meetup.com and EventBrite.
Navigation Providers refer to companies and apps that provide location and navigation services, which could leverage similar technology to Google Maps to develop competing products. For example, Apple Maps could potentially develop a similar social gathering and planning app.
New Technologies encompass the expansion of new and existing technologies like the Metaverse, which competes with the nature of in-person social engagement. As more social activities move online, users' time spent with others in person may decrease, creating competition for Google Gather.
Strategic Approach
Based on the insights gained from Discovery, I strategically prioritized Gather's essential, desirable, and optional features. Furthermore, I established key success metrics and created a project plan with a beta launch strategy, along with conducting a risk assessment to ensure the product's success.
Success Metrics Analysis
Measuring Success
Using the insights from user research, I identified key success metrics that would indicate a successful beta launch. While I acknowledge the uncertainties that come with launching an MVP, these metrics serve as a starting point for defining success based on early product adoption.
What’s Our North Star?
To determine overall success and adoption, I determined that monthly active users (MAU) would be our North Star metric. Since a social app should have consistent usage to fulfill its purpose, MAU will be an essential measure of the app's success. However, we remain open to adjusting these metrics as we gather data post-beta launch.
What will Gather do?
Product Features
After identifying the pain points of our users, I determined the essential features that would provide immediate benefits. I also took into consideration the long-term aspect of this project and planned for potential future features to ensure we stay ahead of any competitors who may launch a similar product.
Potential Features
Risks Assessment
Final Delivery
I outlined the strategy for a Beta launch and the subsequent 5-year product vision. I would love the opportunity to launch this product one day. Yes, I am available for contract work Google :)
Project Plan
Beta Launch Strategy
Product vision
It is crucial to ensure that any long-term vision for the product aligns with Google's mission and vision in order to effectively sell the idea to the company. Without this alignment, Google Gather may become an off-brand and ignored product down the pipeline. With this in mind, I conclude my conceptualization of Google Gather.
Get in touch!
I’m always open to new opportunities. If you have an awesome full-time, contract, or freelance opportunity that you’d like to speak to me about, feel free to send me a message :).