Daydream Innovation: Netflix
How Might We Bring Innovation to Netflix?
Whenever you see the title “Daydream Innovation,” it means that I share my thought experiment to bring innovation to the chosen topic by applying one of the breakbias tools.
This time, I will use Netflix to bring innovation.
Introducing the Shift Tool
The Shift Tool enables us to visually identify the area of untapped direction that businesses of today don't focus on.
Step 1: List the common assumptions about the subject.
Think about the subject’s (Netflix) function, utility, and features, and list up fundamental aspects of the subject matter.
Netflix
Binge-watching
Unlimited view
Original content
Ad-Free
Personalization
Accessibility (wide range of devices)
Subscription (monthly)
Streaming
Downloadable contents
User Experience
Step 2: Based on the output from the previous step (#1), create bias axes.
Revisit each item from Step 1 and think about each word's axis. In doing so, you may want to consider the two extreme indicators.
Binge-watching
Ease of watching the next episode (Easier ↔ Harder)
Unlimited view
Frequency and Style of payment (Pay per view ↔ Pay for the duration)
Original content
The originality of content (Only on Netflix ↔ Same content in other platform)
Ad-Free
Amount of distraction (More distraction ↔ Less distraction)
Personalization
Ease of finding suitable content for me (Easy ↔ Difficult)
Accessibility (wide range of devices)
Amount of devices you can use to watch (One device ↔ Multiple)
Subscription (monthly)
Payment Style (Onetime payment ↔ Recurring)
Streaming
Ways to transfer the data from the server (Streaming ↔ Download)
User experience
User’s benefit (Great UX ↔ Bad UX)
Alright, this would be enough.
Step 3: Create a 2x2 matrix with bias axes from Step 2.
Combine two axes from Step 2, and create 2x2 matrix to identify industry direction or common sense.
After creating several matrices with different combinations of a set of bias axis, I found the following matrix to be the one that indicate industry trend/norm.
Axis 1: Ease of watching the next episode
Axis 2: UX
I hope nobody would argue that binge-watching has become a norm for video streaming services. So, I wrote, ‘The easier to watch more episodes, the better the UX will be.’
Step 4: Break bias and draw an arrow that goes against the current industry direction.
While nobody might want to challenge the idea of binge-watching, what if we draw arrows like in this image and come up with this statement?
The harder to watch more episode, the better the UX is
It doesn’t make much sense at first glance. But that’s the whole point. You now created a new bias-broken direction. This is where you’d ideate some solution.
Challenge your brain to make this statement work.
Thoughts based on the bias-broken statement
Did you know that the word 'binge' first appeared in English in the mid-1800s, and originally meant 'to soak'? It wasn't until around the time of World War I that the term 'binge' began to be used to refer to eating and drinking excessively. And it came into common usage around 2012-2013 when Netflix released the full 13 episode season of ‘House of Cards’ at once.
While Binge-watching can be very satisfying, convenient, immersive and potentially fulfilling, but there are negative aspects as well.
Overconsumption/Addiction
Increase the risk of physical & mental health (sitting too long)
Sleep disruption
Anti-Social
Neglection of other essential activities
In the old days, TV episodes were broadcasted on a weekly basis, which allowed more time for viewers to digest and reflect on the content. While ‘convenience’ may win over, I think we should have a choice in how we consume.
In this thought experiment, I use parents and children as primary users.
Read on.
Idea: Netflix View Token
What if Netflix creates a "View Token" that is used to watch the content or play games? Parents could give some View Tokens to their kids. This can be given as a daily, weekly, or monthly allowance, or parents could decide to give the token one event at a time.
Kids could then use this token to consume content (with additional restrictions set by parents). For example, if parents set up the View Token to be offered to kids every Sunday, then kids could enjoy one episode at a time every Sunday as if it had been broadcasted on a weekly basis.
This is entirely the opposite of binge-watching, but there is added value.
Parents won’t have to fight to stop their kids from watching too long.
Kids don’t overconsume and avoid getting addicted.
They won't overuse Netflix and forget to do other important things (communicate with family and friends, do physical activity, enjoy off-screen activities).
Give kids a chance to learn how to balance their time to maintain healthy lifestyle.
Waiting to watch the next episodes will allow more time for kids to digest and reflect on the content. (To me, this is very important.)
Expanding the idea
What if all online stream video services would create this universal view token?
What if this integrates other apps for the house chore, physical activity, or study/school performance app?
What if kids could earn tokens based on their overall performance?
For example, the kid's performance on homework submission at school corresponds to the token value. If they slack off in homework, then the token value goes down. Watching one episode might cost more tokens, or they may simply receive fewer tokens.
The aim is to help kids lead a balanced, healthy, digital and non-digital life.
Wrap up
For this thought experiment, I applied the ‘Shift’ tool from breakbias OS.
You might have various responses to the idea itself, but at least I broke one bias of Netflix with this tool. With the Shift tool, you can continue to break other biases and come up with new ideas.
That’s a wrap! It’s just a daydream. But the daydream can create next innovation. Keep breaking biases!
Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
If you’re looking for innovative ideas for your products, services, and businesses, I’d recommend hosting innovation workshops with me.
If you are interested in training for a systematic innovation thinking, I’d recommend getting trained with the BreakBias Master Course.
