My first instinct was to panic a little because Gmail has like 2 billion users, so the stakes feel absurd.
Start by clarifying the strategic rationale for sunsetting Gmail—whether it's due to declining relevance, resource reallocation, or a shift to a new product. Then outline a phased, user-centric plan that balances business goals with minimizing disruption to billions of users, and finally address stakeholder alignment and communication.
Pro tip: Acknowledge that Gmail is deeply embedded in users' lives and Google's ecosystem; propose a migration path to a successor product rather than a hard shutdown, and emphasize data portability and trust.
Ask questions to understand the strategic context: Is Gmail being replaced by a new product? Is it unprofitable? What are the goals (e.g., cost savings, focus on AI)? This ensures your approach aligns with business objectives.
Map out all stakeholders: users (consumer and enterprise), internal teams (Ads, Workspace, Cloud), partners, and regulators. Evaluate the impact on each and identify risks such as data loss, revenue decline, and brand damage.
Propose a multi-phase approach: announce early, stop new sign-ups, offer migration tools to a successor, gradually reduce features, and finally shut down. Include timelines and milestones.
Develop a comprehensive communication plan: transparent messaging, easy data export, dedicated support, and incentives to migrate. For enterprise, provide white-glove transition services.
Define success metrics (e.g., migration rate, user satisfaction, cost savings) and monitor throughout. Be prepared to adjust based on feedback and unforeseen issues.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.