Assume you're the lead PM of Uber freight (before it launched). How would you go about testing the idea and determining if it's feasible in 6 months?

This question is asking you as a potential Project Manager of a new line of business in an existing company to create a strategy to test and measure the viability of the new line of business. The interviewer wants to gauge your strategic thinking skills, understanding of the business model, and ability to analyze and execute a plan within a potentially challenging marketplace. To effectively answer this question, you should consider the following:

1. Understanding of Uber Freight's model: Before offering a solution, ensure you understand what Uber Freight is all about - a marketplace for shippers and truck drivers where both parties can find each other and agree on a freight load.

2. Strategy to test the product: This typically consists of the MVP (Minimum Viable Product) design, identification of a test market, and rollout plan. Also consider factors like competitive landscape, potential user base, regulatory environment, and logistics.

3. A method to determine feasibility: Describe a comprehensive metric or set of metrics you would rely on to understand if the business model is viable or not. For example, KPIs can include user acquisition rate, transaction volume, or revenue generation rate.

Having understood the Uber Freight model, I propose testing the concept in a phased method.

The first phase will be designing an MVP of the product. This will include a mobile and web application where drivers can view available shipping jobs, and shippers can post their freight requirements.

Next, I would identify a specific geography to pilot the platform - a location with a healthy mix of shippers and truck drivers. I would ensure that our marketing and onboarding efforts are particularly aggressive in the selected region.

In terms of measuring the feasibility, there are a few key metrics I would pay attention to. The first key metric is the rate of user acquisition - we need to demonstrate the ability to draw both shippers and drivers to our platform quickly. The second key metric would be the number of transactions, which indicates the level of activity on the platform. Additionally, user satisfaction scores from both drivers and shippers should be closely monitored.

Lastly, I would also look at the revenue generated against the operating costs. Given the 6-month timeline, meeting a specific revenue target is a less significant measure of success than showing strong growth trends.

By following this approach, we should be able to get good insights within 6 months to decide if it's feasible.

As the lead PM, I will embrace a data-driven approach to test the feasibility of Uber Freight.

I would start with market analysis - understanding the key players, market dynamics, freight volumes, and average rates. Armed with this information, we can determine a suitable MVP, optimally a two-sided platform connecting shippers and transporters.

In terms of testing, I would pick a pocket-sized, manageable geographic market to launch the MVP, making sure to have a good representation of both carriers and shippers for a balanced marketplace.

Metrics that I would track include the number of shippers and carriers joining the app, number of shipments being posted and accepted, the average price of transport, and feedback from users. To quantify success, we can not only measure transaction numbers but also perform cohort analysis to see the retention and repeat business rates.

Also, I would want to track cost per acquisition, time taken to onboard users, and the actual usage rate post onboarding.

By the end of six months, we should be able to gather enough data and feedback to iteratively refine our product and draw conclusions about its scalability and long-term feasibility.