Although its video streaming service sparkles with a Hollywood sheen, Netflix still taps its roots in Silicon Valley to stay ahead of traditional television and movie studios. The company frequently reaches into its technological toolbox without viewers even realising it. It uses a few subtle twists on the knobs of viewer recommendations to help keep its 270 million worldwide subscribers satisfied at a time when most of its streaming rivals are seeing waves of cancellations.
Netflix is able to pull off these variations through the deep understanding of viewing habits it gleans from crunching the data from subscribers’ histories with its service – including those of customers who signed up in the late 1990s when the company launched with a DVD-by-mail service that continued to operate until last September. “It is a secret sauce for us, no doubt,” says Eunice Kim, Netflix’s chief product officer, while discussing the nuances of the ways Netflix tries to reel different viewers into watching different shows. “The North Star we have every day is keep people engaged, but also make sure they are incredibly satisfied with their viewing experiences.
” The changes are meant to package all the information that might appeal to a subscriber’s tastes in a more concise format to reduce the “gymnastics with their eyes,” says Patrick Flemming, Netflix’s senior director of member product. What Netflix is doing may seem like a small thing, but it can make a huge difference,.