Product Decoded: Interview with Todd Yellin, VP Product, Netflix

Summary

The web content is an article discussing an interview with Todd Yellin, VP Product at Netflix, for the "Product Decoded" podcast, hosted by his former colleague Gibson Biddle, focusing on Yellin's insights into product innovation, personalization, and leadership at Netflix.

Abstract

The article titled "Product Decoded: Interview with Todd Yellin, VP Product, Netflix" is the third episode of the "Product Decoded" podcast series. It features an in-depth conversation with Todd Yellin, who is currently the Vice President of Product at Netflix. Yellin delves into his passion for storytelling and personalization, and how these elements are crucial in delighting Netflix's vast global audience. The interview, conducted by Gibson Biddle, a former VP of Product at Netflix, covers topics such as the importance of challenging conventional wisdom ("smashing idols") in product development, the reasons behind Netflix's move away from the five-star rating system, and the personal growth Yellin experienced as he learned to delegate responsibilities. Yellin also shares his product management "superpowers" and discusses the balance between maintaining intimacy within a team and scaling impact as a company grows, using Netflix as a prime example. The article includes a photo of Yellin with Biddle, an embedded podcast player, and encourages listeners to provide feedback via a Survey Monkey link. It also provides a list of all "Product Decoded" podcast episodes and mentions the involvement of Spero Ventures and Product Leader Summit in producing the series.

Opinions

Todd Yellin emphasizes the importance of "smashing idols" to foster product innovation.
Netflix has abandoned the five-star movie rating system in favor of a more nuanced approach to personalization.
Yellin has learned the value of "letting go" and delegating tasks to grow as a leader.
He identifies key "superpowers" that have been instrumental in his role as a product manager.
The transition from a startup to a global company like Netflix involves trade-offs between maintaining team intimacy and achieving broader impact.
The article suggests that personal feedback from listeners, via a Survey Monkey link, is valued by the podcast team.
Spero Ventures and Product Leader Summit are acknowledged for their role in producing the "Product Decoded" podcast series.

Product Decoded Season 1 | Episode 3

Todd Yellin, Vice President of Product at Netflix, shares his passion for story-telling, personalization, design, and how he works to delight more than 120M Netflix members worldwide through both “aiming high and aiming low.”

Todd Yellin, current VP of Product, with Gibson Biddle, former VP of Product.

In the third episode of the Product Decoded podcast, I’m the host! It’s great fun for me because when I was the VP of Product at Netflix, I hired Todd as a product manager and now he’s VP of Product. The two of us are happily reunited for this podcast.

Here’s some of the “dirt” and juicy insight from Todd:

Why “smashing idols” is important in product innovation

Why Netflix no longer relies on a five-star movie rating system

How Todd learned to “let go” in order to grow as a VP-level leader

The “superpowers” Todd relies on as a product manager

The trade-offs between intimacy and impact as companies transition from startup to the world-class company that Netflix is today.

Left: Todd Yellin, Right: Gibson Biddle

I’d also love it if you could give feedback on the podcast. The link takes you to Survey Monkey and only takes one minute.

Enjoy!

Gib

If you enjoyed this podcast episode, subscribe to Product Decoded on iTunesand SoundCloud.

Below are links to all episodes of Product Decoded:

Ep: 1 — Deb Liu, VP of Marketplace at Facebook

Ep. 2 — Chris Abad, VP of Product & Design at UserTesting

Ep. 3 — Todd Yellin, VP Product at Netflix

Ep. 4 — Aaron Levie, Founder & CEO at Box

Ep. 5 — Michael Sippey, Head of Product at Medium

Ep. 6 — Amanda Richardson, Chief Data & Strategy Officer at HotelTonight

Spero Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm that is helping entrepreneurs build a future that belongs to everyone. Subscribe to our monthly Spero Ventures Insights newsletter here.

Product Leader Summit is a community of founders and VP Product leaders who gather together bi-annually to network and learn from one another. Subscribe to our quarterly Product Leader Summit newsletter here.