Twitch VP of Product on From Gaming Streams to a Creator-Focused Live Streaming Platform
E233 | #TheProductPodcast
“The heart of Twitch’s product is really community, and it’s really about building a kind of a community between a streamer and their viewers and the viewers among one another, and that really takes time and multiple streams.”
In this edition of #TheProductPodcast newsletter, we delve into the world of live streaming and product management with Jeremy Forrester, VP of Product and Engineering at Twitch. With extensive experience at Twitter and now leading product strategy at Twitch, Jeremy shares valuable insights on building a creator-focused platform, evolving discovery mechanisms, and navigating the challenges of live content.
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There are many incredible lessons to learn from Jeremy. Here are a few of the top ones:
Evolving Discovery Mechanisms
“We systematically replaced all of the popularity-based discovery mechanisms with recommended-based sorting orders.”
Jeremy highlights one of the most significant changes he’s worked on at Twitch: transitioning from popularity-based content sorting to personalized recommendations. This shift involved collaborating closely with the machine learning team to create a tailored viewing experience based on factors like viewing history and location. The goal was to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to content discovery, making it easier for viewers to find streams they’ll enjoy and for creators to reach their target audience.
Fostering Creator-Viewer Engagement
“We’ve spent a lot of time as a company really focusing on giving tools to creators and viewers to kind of deepen the engagement between the two.”
Jeremy emphasizes Twitch’s commitment to enhancing the connection between creators and their audience. By introducing features like polls and channel points, Twitch aims to create a more interactive and engaging live streaming experience. These tools not only help creators maintain viewer interest but also provide viewers with more ways to participate in streams, fostering a sense of community and loyalty.
Adapting to Live Content Challenges
“The problem with live content is you really don’t have necessarily that understanding that at this given time this piece of content is interesting.”
Jeremy discusses the unique challenges of recommending live content compared to pre-recorded videos. Unlike platforms with short-form content where early viewer reactions can guide recommendations, live streams require different metrics and approaches. Twitch focuses on factors like a viewer’s affinity for a particular creator or similar content types to make recommendations, while also acknowledging the unpredictable nature of live content.
Expanding Beyond Gaming
“We recently announced the DJ program. DJs is a great example of this. It’s an activity where people can go and have a DJ set every night and they can always make it different and varied and it’s always going to be entertaining for viewers.”
Jeremy shares Twitch’s strategy for expanding beyond its gaming roots. By identifying content types that align with Twitch’s core strengths — repeatability and inherent entertainment value — the platform has successfully branched into new verticals. The DJ program exemplifies this approach, offering content that can be frequently produced while remaining fresh and engaging for viewers.
Leveraging Generative AI in Live Streaming
“I think for content creators… there are a bunch of different interesting use cases, but I think a lot of it is making it easier for them to create content, making it easier for them to kind of elevate their content.”
Jeremy explores the potential impact of generative AI on the live streaming industry. He envisions AI enhancing content creation, potentially evolving VTubing (virtual YouTuber) technology to create more realistic digital avatars. For Twitch as a platform, Jeremy sees AI as a tool to improve moderation capabilities and streamline content creation processes, such as identifying and sharing exciting moments from streams.
Building Consensus in Product Development
“I see kind of the role of product managers as trying to build consensus around the right decisions, using inputs from peers, using inputs from data, from research, from their own product sense, and then trying to build consensus as quickly as possible.”
Jeremy discusses the importance of building consensus in product development, especially as teams and scope grow. He advocates for a culture of “clean escalations” where disagreements are documented and elevated to higher levels when necessary. Jeremy emphasizes the need to distinguish between productive and unproductive conflicts, using escalation as a tool to break through barriers and move projects forward efficiently.
Key insights
- Focus on solving real user problems rather than just implementing ideas, putting the consumer at the center of product development.
- Build strong relationships across teams and use emotional intelligence to navigate complex organizational dynamics, especially in cross-functional environments.
- Embrace failure as a learning opportunity to foster innovation and drive continuous improvement in product development.
- Approach digital transformation with humility and openness, balancing the need for rapid change with existing organizational culture.
- When building teams, prioritize cultural fit and create an environment that encourages learning and responsible risk-taking.
- Balance data-driven decision-making with intuition and emotional intelligence, especially when working with diverse stakeholders.
- Continuously evolve discovery mechanisms to improve personalized content recommendations and user experience.
- Invest in tools and features that deepen engagement between creators and viewers to foster community and loyalty.
- Expand strategically into new content verticals that align with the platform’s core strengths and user behaviors.
- Leverage emerging technologies like generative AI to enhance content creation, moderation, and user experience.
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