Design Uber for Kids. [Product Management Interview Question]

Image credits - https://gbksoft.com/blog

Interviewer: Design Uber for kids

Priyanka: Before we proceed, I would like to clarify my understanding of Uber. So, Uber is a digital ride-hailing platform that connects riders with drivers. The passengers can request a ride on the platform, and the driver can fulfil the demand by dropping them at the desired location. Uber acts as a facilitator between the two and takes a cut out of each ride that happens through its platform. Besides this, Uber also has business verticals like Uber Eats, Uber Freight, etc. Is my understanding correct?
Interviewer: Yes.

Priyanka: Alright, to understand the problem better, I would like to ask some clarifying questions. When we talk about kids, I am assuming we are referring to an age group of 10–16 years who can travel alone. Also, I am assuming that parents will be booking the rides for their kids.
Interviewer: That’s a fair assumption

Priyanka: Also, we are catering to the age group of 10–16, so there will be no requirement for booster seats.
Interviewer: That’s correct.

Priyanka: Should we design a new app or integrate it into the existing app? I think we can extend the existing app as this will help us leverage our existing user base to use this feature.
Interviewer: Sure.

Priyanka: Today, parents struggle to get their kids to travel alone and want to make their kids independent from a young age. So, having the option to book a safe ride through Uber can reduce the transportation issue they face. The goal of the product is to provide a safe ride to the kids who want to travel from one point to another.
Interviewer: Yes

Priyanka: Is there any time or resource constraint should I be acquainted with?
Interviewer: You are not bounded by any such constraint.

Priyanka: Okay, the way I would like to go about it, first we will discuss the different user segments and then focus on a specific user persona. We will go through their journey to see the pain points they face. Then we will see solutions corresponding to the most pressing pain points. After that, we will talk about the metrics to track whether our solution is working or not. At last, we can discuss some trade-offs or the future trends which can be used. Are we aligned on this?
Interviewer: Sounds great, please go ahead.

Priyanka: Let’s discuss the different user segment

User Segments:

1. Single/working parents who struggle with getting their kids to different places like tuition classes due to their busy schedule

2. Physically challenged parents who are unable to drive their kids to different places and depend on other people to help them.

3. Teenagers who want to meet their friends or just visit their hobby classes.

4. Drivers

Priyanka: Essentially, our app will cater to all the different customer segments. From the parent segment, I would like to focus on single/working parents as they are the ones have to potential to provide a huge userbase for our application. Teens will be the secondary users of our application.

User Journey:

I will try to visualize the journey of a parent who wants to book a ride for their kid from point A to B.

1. Register their kids on the platform

2. Schedule a ride for their kid

3. Kids will board the cab

4. Track the ride

5. Kids will offboard the cab at the destination

6. Payment will be charged for the ride

Pain points/Use Cases:

1. As a working parent, I want to preschedule/schedule or remotely book rides for my kid.

2. As a working parent, I want to ensure that my kid has conveniently boarded the right cab when they are travelling alone as I am not able to drop them off due to my busy schedule.

3. As a working parent, I want to ensure my kid is travelling with a trusted driver.

4. As a working parent, I want to track my kid’s ride and receive an acknowledgment when my child has been dropped at the desired location.

5. As a working parent, I would want my child to have a fun-filled ride.

6. As a working parent, I would want my child to get some refreshment especially if he had a long tiring day.

Pain point Prioritization:

I would like to prioritize pain points 2 and 3 as safety and trust are of utmost importance and cannot be compromised in this scenario.

Solutions/Features:

Solutions for the pain points #2:

a) Smart screen: There will be a smart screen in the cab. Parents will be able to chat with their kids so that they can know their whereabouts. They can also send an SOS signal in a single tap through the screen if they are uncomfortable during the ride. This will help them in getting immediate assistance.

b) Drop-off/Pickup Notes: If the parent is booking a ride for their kid remotely, they can add notes through which they can provide instructions to their kids. For example — If the kid needs to sign out of their cricket practice session, the parents can send a reminder to collect their kit through the notes section.

c) Verification code: Parents might book rides for their kids remotely. So they can provide a code to their kids which will help them identify the right cab. The driver will match the code shared by the kid, and post verification, the ride will begin.

Solutions for the pain points #3:

a) Driver sensitization: When parents book a ride for kids, Uber should connect them with drivers who are top performers and have gone through rigid screening. Also, drivers should be sensitised toward handling kids.

b) Multiple-time face verification: The profile picture of drivers can be verified multiple times during the ride through facial recognition to ensure that the driver is the same.

c) Immediate notification on route deviation: Parents should be able to check the driver's history before booking the ride. Parents will be immediately notified if drivers deviate from the normal route. Also, a support team will instantly get in touch with the parent to help them.

d) Schedule with the same driver: The parents should be able to schedule weekly rides for kids. Also, if the same driver picks up the kid there can be increased trust and safety.

Prioritization (Impact vs Effort):

Solution #2a [High Impact] [High Effort]
Solution #2b [Medium Impact] [Low effort]
Solution #2c [Medium impact] [Medium Effort]

Solution #3a [High Impact] [High Effort]
Solution #3b [Medium Impact] [Low Effort]
Solution #3c [High Impact] [Medium Effort]
Solution #3d [Medium Impact] [High Effort]

For MVP, I would like to have #2b, #3a, #3c in the MVP

Success Metrics:

1. Number of rides successfully completed by kids

2. Customer satisfaction score(CSAT)

3. Number of ride cancellations by drivers

4. Average rating given to the driver by parent post-ride completion.

-- Technomanagers