How can Zomato create a monetizable data product for restaurants? Create the entire go-to-market plan for it.

Certainly, I'll provide a detailed, strategic answer to the question about creating a monetizable data product for Zomato, demonstrating deep product thinking and leadership. I'll use a first-person perspective as if directly addressing the interviewer.

Introduction

Thank you for presenting this intriguing product strategy challenge. The task at hand is to create a monetizable data product for Zomato and develop a comprehensive go-to-market plan for it. This initiative aligns with Zomato's position as a leading food delivery and restaurant discovery platform, leveraging its vast data assets to create additional value for restaurants while opening new revenue streams.

Key business objectives for this product strategy include:

1. Diversifying Zomato's revenue streams
2. Enhancing value proposition for restaurant partners
3. Strengthening Zomato's market position in the food-tech ecosystem

I'll approach this challenge by first clarifying our strategic goals, then conducting a market and competitive analysis, defining our product vision and roadmap, prioritizing initiatives, planning execution, establishing metrics, and finally addressing risk management.

Step 1

Clarify the Strategic Goals (3-4 minutes)

• Based on Zomato's market position, I'm assuming this data product aims to strengthen relationships with restaurant partners while creating a new revenue stream. Could you confirm if this aligns with the company's current strategic priorities?

Why it matters: Determines if we focus on partner retention or new customer acquisition Expected answer: Yes, strengthening restaurant partnerships is a key priority Impact on approach: Would emphasize features that provide clear value to existing restaurant partners

• Considering the evolving food-tech landscape, I'm curious about Zomato's current data capabilities. Can you share insights on the types and depth of data Zomato currently collects that could be valuable to restaurants?

Why it matters: Influences the potential scope and uniqueness of our data product Expected answer: Rich data on customer preferences, ordering patterns, and market trends Impact on approach: Would focus on transforming raw data into actionable insights for restaurants

• Given the competitive nature of the food delivery market, I'm wondering about the current pain points for our restaurant partners. What are the most significant challenges they face that our data product could potentially address?

Why it matters: Helps in tailoring the product to solve real problems and ensure adoption Expected answer: Difficulty in menu optimization, customer retention, and demand forecasting Impact on approach: Would prioritize features that directly address these pain points

• Considering the global nature of Zomato's operations, are we looking to launch this data product in specific markets initially, or is this envisioned as a global rollout?

Why it matters: Affects the go-to-market strategy and resource allocation Expected answer: Initial launch in key markets (e.g., India) with phased global rollout Impact on approach: Would design a scalable product with localization capabilities

Based on these assumptions, our strategic approach will focus on creating a data product that leverages Zomato's rich customer and market insights to help restaurants optimize their operations, enhance customer experiences, and ultimately drive more business through the Zomato platform.