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The question

What if Netflix’s engagement problem isn’t about attention?

Netflix competes with TikTok, Reels and YouTube for attention. But opening a feed and settling into a film can be different intentions.

Scroll to explore

Humor me for a second.

Pick something to watch tonight.

Take your time. Anything catch your eye?

Concept: Netflix catalogHover or tap a title

Scroll.
Pause.
Scroll again.

  1. “I swear I spend more time scrolling Netflix than actually watching anything. By the time I pick something I’m already tired.”

    Choice overload

  2. “That’s the illusion of choice. It’s like walking into a grocery store where every aisle is stocked with the same ten products.”

    Choice scarcity

  3. “I mean it’s not that there’s ‘nothing’ to watch. It’s that everything feeling like a commitment nowadays…”

    Uncertainty

  4. “It’s either too long, too heavy, or not the right mood.”

    Emotional mismatch

  5. “Half the time I just give up and rewatch something I’ve already seen.”

    Passive intention

Every line here is from Reddit, word for word.

From the outside, everybody is doing the same thing. But the person holding the remote might be asking for something completely different.

More choice won’t solve every one of these feelings. Neither will a shorter video.

There are a lot of moving parts.

The scroll is the behavior. What sits behind it is less obvious. A recommendation, the mood you’re in, the time you have, or the story itself could all change the decision.

But before I get carried away with ideas, can we talk about something?

I counted 37 rows on my Netflix homepage.

Thirty-seven.

Top 10. Trending Now. Award Winners. Today’s Picks for You. And somehow, we’re still going.

It’s starting to feel like being on a date with someone who’s trying a little too hard to impress you.

That’s kind of my point. I’m already paying for Netflix. I don’t need convincing that there’s plenty to watch. I need help finding something I actually want to watch.

And sure, maybe some of the content just isn’t that good. You can’t recommend your way out of a bad movie. But I’ve had Netflix for over a decade, and I find it hard to believe there aren’t still some incredible gems hiding in that library.

NetflixActive now

  1. I’m award-winning.

  2. Everybody loves me.

  3. I’m great with romance.

  4. Actually, do you like thrillers?

  5. Because I’m great at those too.

  6. Oh, and did I mention...

  7. Babe, relax. You’re giving me 37 reasons to like you, and somehow I still don’t know if I do.

So why does finding one feel like a job?

I’ve opened Netflix, scrolled for twenty minutes, and gone to bed without watching anything. It had my attention the whole time. It just never gave me a reason.

Anyway, a few ideas came to mind.

For the “Is this worth committing to?” nights.

01A reason to begin

Some scenes take you back. Some make you curious.

Watch this for a moment.

Meredith and Derek in Grey’s AnatomyGREY’S ANATOMY · S02 E05
“Pick me.
Choose me.
Love me.”

Recognize it?

If you do, maybe you remember exactly how it felt. Or now you want to watch that episode again. If you’ve never seen Grey’s Anatomy, you might be wondering what led to this moment.

Same scene. Two completely different reasons to keep watching.

Clip source
The idea: Moments

Give the feeling somewhere to go.

You’ve probably seen it happen on TikTok. A clip from a show you’ve never watched, and suddenly you need to know what led to that moment. Or a scene you’ve seen a hundred times, and you’re right back there. “I am the one who knocks.” (Breaking Bad. Go watch it.)

That isn’t a recommendation. It’s a feeling. And right now TikTok and YouTube are the ones creating it, even for the shows on Netflix.

Netflix has a Clips feed, but it’s built to help you sample something fast. This would be built to make you feel something: scenes chosen for the emotion they spark, not the history they match. Then each one leads somewhere. Back to that episode if you remember it, or to the very beginning if you’re new.

Concept: Moments handoffNo episode plays here

Have you seen this before?

  1. Recognize the scene
  2. Find the episode
  3. Back to that episode

Where the scene does its work.

  1. Awareness
  2. Interest
  3. Consideration
  4. First play
  5. Engagement
  6. Retention
  7. Advocacy

Two viewers, the same Grey’s Anatomy scene. The spark gets you watching tonight. The slow burn rebuilds trust over time.

Explore the experimentcan a powerful clip lead to real viewing?

My hunch: a scene that makes you feel something, shown to the right person, gets more people into the actual show than today’s Clips feed does. Not just a tap. Real viewing, tonight and over the weeks after.

TODAY

The Clips feed as it is.

THE SCENES

Signature scenes, picked for how they make people feel. Same playback as today.

THE SCENES, PLUS A PATH

The same scenes, each leading somewhere. Back to that episode if you’ve seen it, the very beginning if you’re new.

Finding the scenes

Honestly, the part I haven’t solved. A few places to start: editors who know the catalog, critics and reviews, the moments people rewind, and what fans already clip and share. Netflix’s own models could help too. Once it’s running, the data starts to build itself.

What to measure

Two things. The spark: did the scene lead to a first episode tonight? The slow burn: do people keep coming back over the next few weeks? Any viewing counts, even background noise. Plays can’t tell you which is which, so it’s worth simply asking.

The catch

Some scenes might be enough on their own. You feel it, and you’re done. And yes, spoilers. They need care, but they don’t sink the idea. Most of these scenes are already all over TikTok.

What would change my mind?

If people love the scenes but don’t press play on the show. Or they come back once and never again.

No Netflix data assumed. A real test would set its own baselines, thresholds and guardrails.

This one isn’t about tonight’s scroll. It’s about the next one.

02A reason to stay connected

Sometimes the best part starts after the credits.

I’ve had the longest crush on Zoë Saldaña (yes, from Colombiana). I would watch behind-the-scenes footage just to find out if she’s as funny as I imagine. But that’s beside the point. (Mostly.)

Concept: After the creditsChoose an extra
Bridgerton behind-the-scenes footage

BRIDGERTON

One quiet doorway behind the story.
Still Watching Netflix · Watch at source
The idea: After the credits

Let the curiosity continue.

You know how a show gets under your skin? You finish it, but you’re not quite ready to leave.

So instead of moving you straight on, what if Netflix let you stay a little longer? One quiet doorway into the bloopers, the cast or the set, right there in the same frame.

Want the next episode? Great, don’t interrupt it. This is for the curious, not another content maze.

The bet: an optional extra could make a return more likely, if it adds something you wouldn’t have found anyway.

Explore the experimentcan an extra bring you back?

My hunch: when you’re not ready to leave a show, one small extra at the right moment keeps you close to it. Not more watching tonight. A better reason to come back.

TODAY

The show ends, and Netflix suggests what’s next.

THE LOOP

When the show ends, a choice. Stay a little longer with the bloopers, the cast or the set, or move on as usual.

START SMALL

Use what Netflix already has before making anything new.

When to show it

The part I’m still working out. After a season finale feels right. Maybe after the episode everyone talks about. Never in the way of the next episode. If you’re bingeing, it waits.

What to measure

Mostly the slow burn. Do people come back sooner, start the next season, or pick up something else with the same cast? And the simple one: did they enjoy it, or skip it?

The catch

An extra might just replace other viewing instead of adding to it. Some shows won’t have much to give. And new footage costs money, so it should earn its place first.

What would change my mind?

If people watch the extras but don’t come back any sooner. Or if it starts to feel like one more thing in the way.

No Netflix data assumed. What extras exist depends on each show.

And for “I want to watch something. I don’t want to look for it.”

03A reason to return

What happened to having something to look forward to?

Remember knowing your show was on at eight? Streaming gave us the freedom to watch anything, anytime. I love that. But I wonder if we lost a little of the anticipation along the way.

Concept: Random TuesdayIllustrative pick
Green Book, this illustrative Random Tuesday pick
NetflixRANDOM TUESDAY

Green Book

An independent film voice’s pick.

“For when you want a long drive and a good conversation.”

One film. Everyone, this Tuesday.

Illustrative guest recommendation. Availability varies.

The idea: Random Tuesday

One film. Someone whose taste you trust.

You know the film reviewer whose suggestions you actually save? What if a different independent film voice picked one film for Netflix each Tuesday?

Right now that voice lives somewhere else. On TikTok, on Reels, in a ChatGPT answer. Netflix gets the play, but someone else gets the trust. What if the voice you trust lived inside Netflix?

A face or a voice you trust. One recommendation. A few words about why they love it. Then the film, right there.

No mood questionnaire. No new list to work through. Just: this one, tonight.

Explore the experimentcan one film a week take the deciding away?

My hunch: streaming solved what’s on, and gave us what do I pick instead. One film, every Tuesday, picked by a person. Just one less decision, and something to look forward to.

TODAY

The usual homepage. The featured banner, then the familiar rows.

RANDOM TUESDAY

Same homepage. But on Tuesdays, the banner is one film picked by an independent film enthusiast, with a few words on why. Don’t like the pick? Keep scrolling.

The experiment

One group gets the usual homepage, another gets Random Tuesday, for several weeks. We’re not testing whether people like the reviewer. We’re testing whether one recurring pick makes choosing easier and gives people a reason to come back.

Building the anticipation

A tease on Monday. A reveal on Tuesday, shared by Netflix and the guest reviewer. Nothing elaborate. Just enough to make people wonder what’s coming next.

What to measure

Do people watch the pick, press play faster, and enjoy it? A month later, are they still coming back? Better yet, are they looking forward to it?

The catch

Netflix’s shuffle button didn’t stick. But shuffle gives you something when you ask. Random Tuesday gives you something to anticipate.

What would change my mind?

If people try it once and don’t come back. If choosing doesn’t get any easier. Or if viewing just moves from one film to another.

No Netflix data assumed. Film choices are illustrative. Availability varies by country, so it might have to be one film per region.

Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room.

The wild card

When did a category become a collection?

Be honest.

Netflix has a category for practically everything. Critically Acclaimed. Binge‑Worthy. Simply Incredible Movies.

I’m convinced there’s one for films featuring a man in a blue shirt.

And look, categories are useful. But there’s a difference between putting films in the same room and giving them a reason to be there.

Think of an art exhibition. Not every painting gets a spot on the wall.

Because a collection isn’t about everything that fits.
It’s about what deserves to be there.

NetflixCategories

Critically Acclaimed

Binge-Worthy

Simply Incredible Movies

Films Featuring a Man in a Blue Shirt

Now, imagine:

Illustrative picks. Choose a poster to step into its collection. Availability varies by country.

A little personality. A different perspective.
Maybe a few gems you would’ve never thought to watch.

Because Netflix already knows what I’ve watched.

But what about everything I don’t even know I’m missing?

And while we’re at it, what if I could create my own?

Think Spotify playlists, but for Netflix.

Because honestly, My List is starting to look like a graveyard of good intentions.

What if I could take my favorite films and shows, give them a name, and make a collection of my own?

Keep it private. Share it with friends. Let someone else discover something through my taste for once.

Just a thought.

NetflixMy List

Final episodeOne more thing

Wait. There’s one more thing.

I’ve just spent all this time complaining about the 37 rows on my Netflix homepage. And what have I done? Come up with four more things Netflix could add.

Late at night, a huge, shy elephant is squeezed into a small armchair in a tiny living room, its head pressed against the ceiling. It hides behind a cushion, blushing, with the TV glow and rows of thumbnails reflected in its eyes.

Replace noise.
Don’t add to it.

None of these ideas work if they just become another row to scroll past.

So maybe we need to rethink the homepage first. What if Home did a little less, but helped us find a little more?

Concept: Home
NetflixHomeShowsMoviesNew & PopularMy List

Row 1 of 37

Illustrative. Row names and picks are examples.

The proposal isn’t to remove content. It’s to make discovery more intentional, while leaving deeper browsing in Movies and Shows.

Maybe it was never about attention.

None of this is a knock on Netflix. It built its reputation on stories people couldn’t stop talking about, and that’s still why most of us are subscribed. Our attention spans might be a little fried. But we’re still here. These ideas are just ways to help us remember why.

A few ideas. Not answers.

Convince me I’m wrong.
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