Your director at Netflix asks about Categories: should we implement more Netflix dynamic categories that change frequently, or maintain stable categories?

Introduction

The trade-off we're examining today is whether Netflix should implement more dynamic categories that change frequently or maintain stable categories. This decision impacts user experience, content discovery, and potentially, viewer engagement and retention. I'll analyze this trade-off by considering user behavior, technical implications, and business objectives.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm thinking about the current state of Netflix categories. Could you provide more information on how often categories currently change and how they're determined?

Why it matters: Establishes baseline for comparison Expected answer: Categories change monthly based on content trends and user behavior Impact: Informs the scale of change we're considering

• Business Context: Based on Netflix's focus on personalization, I assume this aligns with improving user engagement. How does this initiative tie into our current strategic priorities?

Why it matters: Ensures alignment with overall business strategy Expected answer: It's a high priority initiative to improve content discovery and watch time Impact: Would justify more resources and a faster timeline

• User Impact: I'm considering the different user segments. Can you share which user groups are most affected by category changes?

Why it matters: Helps tailor the solution to key user segments Expected answer: New users and occasional viewers are most impacted Impact: Would focus the experiment design on these user groups

• Technical: Thinking about the backend, how flexible is our current system for implementing dynamic categories?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility and potential technical constraints Expected answer: The system can handle frequent changes but may require optimization Impact: Might necessitate including the engineering team early in the process

• Resources: Given the potential scope, what resources are available for this project in terms of team capacity and budget?

Why it matters: Helps scope the project realistically Expected answer: Dedicated product and engineering team with moderate budget Impact: Would influence the scale and timeline of the experiment