How would you monetise Google Keep?
Google Product Management Interview Question - Product Strategy: How would you monetise Google Keep?
How to Answer Product Improvement Questions?
Here is a step-by-step framework you should follow while answering product improvement interview questions during the interview,
0. Pay close attention to the keywords in the question.
1. Describe the Product. (P)
2. Ask clarifying Questions to trim down the scope of the question. (Q)
3. Define the Goal you want to achieve. (G)
4. List the User Segments and select one segment to focus on. (U)
5. List and prioritize the Pain Points for that segment. (P)
6. List out your Solutions to solve those pain points. (S)
7. Evaluate all the solutions and prioritize them. (E)
8. Define Metrics to measure the performance of the solutions. (M)
9. At the end, Summarize your answer (S)
Before the start of interview, write down these steps somewhere in case you forget.
Let’s get started with the solution (remember to follow the framework),
Step 1: Describe the Product
Google Keep is a cross-platform note-taking application by Google that allows users to quickly capture and organise information. Users can create text notes, to-do lists with checkboxes, voice memos (with automatic transcription), images, and even hand-drawn sketches. All notes sync seamlessly across devices (mobile apps on Android/iOS and web), tied to the user’s Google account.
It is commonly used for things like grocery lists, lecture notes, meeting notes, ideas brainstorming, setting reminders, and saving snippets of information on the go. The core pain point Google Keep addresses is convenience: it provides a simple, fast way to offload information from your brain into a trusted digital system, accessible anywhere.
Major competitors include Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Apple Notes, and newer productivity tools like Notion. Unlike some of these feature-rich competitors, Keep’s differentiator is its simplicity and tight integration with the Google ecosystem (Google Drive, Docs, Calendar, Assistant, etc.).
Now that we’re clear on what Google Keep is and who uses it, I’ll move on to clarifying the scope of the monetization discussion with a few questions.
You: “Before we move on, I have a few clarifying questions I’d like to ask about the problem. Shall I proceed?”
Step 2: Ask Clarifying Questions
Q) “Are we primarily focusing on individual consumers or organizational (Google Workspace) users for monetisation?”
Interviewer: “Assume we are focusing on consumer users only (individuals using the free app).”
Q) “Is there a specific geographic market or region we should prioritize for this monetization launch?”
Interviewer: “Consider a global release – the strategy should be applicable worldwide.”
Q) “What current monetization strategies (if any) are in place or being tested for Google Keep?”
Interviewer: “Assume that currently Google Keep is not monetized at all – it’s a free service with no ads or paid features.”
Q) “Are there any legal or regulatory constraints we should keep in mind (for example, data privacy considerations given the sensitive information in personal notes)?”
Interviewer: “You can consider privacy best practices, but for this exercise, you can keep detailed legal/regulatory analysis out of scope.”
Q) “Do we have specific revenue targets or financial goals for this monetization, or is it more about exploring viable options?”
Interviewer: “For this interview question, you don’t need to worry about exact revenue targets – focus on viable monetization ideas and user value.”
Q) “Finally, should we focus on any particular platform for Keep (e.g. mobile app vs web), or treat the experience uniformly across platforms?”
Interviewer: “You can assume the primary focus is the mobile app experience, since that’s where most consumer usage is, but solutions can extend to web as well if needed.”
Step 3: Define the Goals
Google’s overall mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Google Keep contributes to this mission on a personal scale by helping users organize their own information (notes, ideas, tasks) in a simple and accessible way. The primary goal in this scenario is to introduce monetization to Google Keep in a manner that aligns with its mission and enhances the product, without alienating users who currently enjoy a free, clean experience.
Success would mean Google Keep can generate revenue to support itself (and even profit), while improving user engagement and satisfaction through the new offerings.
Step 4: List the User Segments
Google Keep’s user base is diverse, covering various age groups and use cases. Broadly, since we’re focusing on consumers, we can segment users into a few persona categories:
Students (15–24): Use Keep for quick class notes, to-do lists, and organizing study material. Highly mobile-focused and budget-conscious.
Working Professionals (25–55): Use Keep to manage work and personal productivity—meeting notes, reminders, and quick info capture. Often integrate it with Google Workspace tools. They tend to outgrow basic features and are more likely to pay for advanced capabilities.
Casual Note-Takers (55+ or light users): Use Keep occasionally for lists, reminders, and everyday notes. They prefer simplicity and are unlikely to pay for premium features.
For the scope of this monetization strategy, I will focus on the Working Professionals segment (ages ~25–55). This segment is a significant portion of Keep’s active users – people who rely on digital tools to manage their busy work and personal lives. They are also heavy users of productivity apps and likely have the highest willingness to pay for additional features that save them time or make them more organized.
Step 5: List the User Pain Points
Focusing on the Working Professionals user segment, here are some major pain points and unmet needs they currently experience with Google Keep: