YouTube web3

Skills Used: foundational research, evaluative concept testing, complex stakeholder management, surveys

Context: In 2022, I was hired to lead research on web3 at YouTube. Along with other cross-functional leads, I was tasked with the challenge of identifying meaningful, user-driven ways for YouTube to create a 0-1 web3 product that advanced our business goals while also meeting the needs of both YouTube creators and our diverse, global 4 billion+ viewership.

Approach: I created a mixed-methods roadmap to quickly make sense of this complex space, conducting 5 studies in 2 countries in the span of 5 months with over 500 YouTube creators and viewers.

Findings: Several of my research studies pointed to an unmet need for creators to provide recognition to their viewers. Creators needed new ways to give something back to their viewers, and viewers needed ways to stand out in the crowd, and display their community contributions.

Impact: My research changed the conversation around how to think about web3. Instead of introducing web3 features that were purely financially transactional, there was an opportunity to make web3 features that were community-driven and relational. By triangulating data points from multiple studies and perspectives, I convinced stakeholders to introduce earned digital assets that would provide viewers with public recognition on YouTube.

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