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How a failed product became Google Maps
3 segments available
#product #productmanagement #google
Segments Timeline
The First Mistake
The speaker reflects on their initial failure as a product manager at Google while working on local search. They discuss the launch of Google Local, which was essentially a yellow pages search integrated with Google, but failed to differentiate itself and perform well despite being linked from the Google homepage.
"It was my first prominent mistake as a product manager at Google. The premise given to me was work on local search. We launched the first version of that product called Google local. It was essentiall..."
Reimagining the Product
After receiving critical feedback from Marissa Mayer and Larry Page, the speaker was given a second chance to develop a new version of the product. They describe the innovative shift to make the map the central feature of the product, leading to the creation of Google Maps, which significantly improved user engagement.
"product was fine. Like it worked, but it really wasn't differentiated. Had a pretty tough product review with Marissa and Larry and others. They sort of gave me another shot to do a V2 of it. She spen..."
A New Experience
The speaker emphasizes the importance of creating an entirely new user experience rather than simply digitizing existing solutions. They highlight the success of Google Maps, which attracted 10 million users on its first day, showcasing the impact of innovative thinking in product management.
"thread that we pulled that resulted in Google Maps. We got about 10 million people using on the first day which at that scale of the internet at the time was huge. should change the way I think about ..."