Netflix Game Tie-In for a Hit Unscripted Series: Product Design
Company: Netflix
Role: Product Manager
Category: Product Design & Strategy
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Other
Netflix wants a game built around one of its popular reality shows. How would you design it?
```hint Start from what fans already do
Think about what reality-show fans do besides watching: arguing about the cast, predicting outcomes, picking favorites. Then ask at which point in a season's release schedule a game could matter most.
```
### Clarifying Questions
- Is there a specific show in mind, such as a dating experiment or a competition series, or should I pick one?
- What should the game do for Netflix: drive viewing of the show, keep members engaged between seasons, or grow the games business?
- Which devices are in scope: phones, the TV, or both?
- Must it follow Netflix's current games model, included in the membership with no ads or in-app purchases?
### What a Strong Answer Covers
- A goal tied to Netflix's subscription business, and a chosen show with what makes its format distinctive.
- Fan segments, a chosen target segment, and that segment's unmet needs around the show.
- Game concepts built on the show's format and release schedule, prioritized into an MVP and later phases.
- Metrics that link play to viewing and retention, including how to separate the game's effect from fans who would have watched anyway.
- Risks such as spoilers, portrayal of real cast members, discoverability and dependence on production timelines.
### Follow-up Questions
- Players love the game, but their viewing of the show looks the same as similar non-players. Was it worth building?
- Episodes drop in batches and fans watch at different speeds. How do you keep the game free of spoilers?
- How would the design change if players' votes could influence a future season of the show?
Overview: A Netflix product design question: create a game based on one of the service's popular reality shows. It tests choosing a goal that fits a subscription business, picking a fan segment, turning a reality format into play, and measuring whether the game changes viewing and member retention.