How would you improve Netflix Categories/Browse?

Introduction

I'm excited to dive into improving Netflix's Categories/Browse feature. This is a critical component of the user experience, directly impacting content discovery and user engagement. I'll approach this challenge by first clarifying our objectives, then analyzing user segments and pain points, before proposing and evaluating solutions. Let's get started.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions

• Looking at Netflix's position in the streaming market, I'm thinking about the balance between personalization and content exploration. Could you share more about the current mix of algorithmic recommendations versus curated collections in the browse experience?

Why it matters: Determines if we should focus on improving AI-driven personalization or enhancing human-curated categories. Expected answer: Currently, it's a 70/30 split favoring algorithmic recommendations. Impact on approach: A higher reliance on algorithms would lead me to focus on improving the underlying recommendation engine and user data collection.

• Considering the global nature of Netflix's audience, I'm curious about the localization efforts in categories and browse. How much does the browsing experience currently vary across different regions or languages?

Why it matters: Influences whether we need to prioritize a more globally consistent experience or double down on localization. Expected answer: Significant variations exist, with 60% of categories being localized. Impact on approach: High localization would lead me to focus on improving the framework for creating and managing region-specific categories.

• Given the evolving landscape of content consumption, I'm wondering about cross-platform usage patterns. What percentage of users regularly switch between devices (e.g., TV to mobile) during their viewing sessions?

Why it matters: Affects whether we need to prioritize cross-device continuity in the browsing experience. Expected answer: Approximately 40% of users regularly switch devices mid-session. Impact on approach: A high percentage would lead me to focus on creating a seamless, synchronized browsing experience across devices.

• Considering Netflix's content strategy, I'm interested in the balance between promoting new releases and leveraging the existing catalog. What's the current ratio of new to catalog content featured in the main browsing sections?

Why it matters: Influences whether we should focus on improving discovery of new content or better surfacing of the existing library. Expected answer: Currently, it's a 60/40 split favoring new releases. Impact on approach: A heavy emphasis on new releases might lead us to redesign category structures to better highlight fresh content while ensuring valuable catalog items don't get buried.