Internal Things: Building Internal Tools at Netflix

Open Connect

Actually Netflix

BUILDING INTERNAL TOOLS AT

Trent Willis Senior UI Engineer Insight Engineering @trentmwillis

Insight Engineering @trentmwillis

Insight Engineering “Enable real-time operational insights for Netflix Engineers” @trentmwillis

Not always “glamorous” @trentmwillis

Not always “glamorous”, but rewarding and important @trentmwillis

Improve the day-to-day experience for others @trentmwillis

Improve the day-to-day experience for your co-workers @trentmwillis

Build a foundation for others to succeed @trentmwillis

Build a foundation for your company to succeed @trentmwillis

Create something different (The world of Web Development is vast) @trentmwillis

Lumen bit.ly/netflix-lumen @trentmwillis

Imagine you’re watching Netflix… @trentmwillis

@trentmwillis

Meanwhile in the Netflix cloud… @trentmwillis

@trentmwillis (*image above is not how it actually happens…)

@trentmwillis (*also not how it actually happens…)

@trentmwillis (*we also do not employ Pokémon)

@trentmwillis

Don’t describe your work by jargon. Describe it by the value it brings. @trentmwillis

@trentmwillis

How do we support any data source? @trentmwillis

Web Workers @trentmwillis

@trentmwillis

Weaving Webs of Workers noti.st/trentmwillis/RxTcdy/weaving-webs-of-workers @trentmwillis

How do we visualize any data? @trentmwillis

Mapper functions @trentmwillis

evil @trentmwillis

eval @trentmwillis

Address your user’s needs and fun challenges will abound @trentmwillis

How do internal projects change the day-to-day job? @trentmwillis

You work directly with customers. (For better or worse.) @trentmwillis

Development → Feedback (yay!) @trentmwillis

Development ← Feedback (meh) @trentmwillis

Your users are less technologically diverse. @trentmwillis

Support policies are different. More limited. @trentmwillis

Freedom! @trentmwillis

Freedom? @trentmwillis

The technologies don’t really change. @trentmwillis

The technologies don’t really change. The people do. @trentmwillis

How do you measure the success of internal products? @trentmwillis

Success is different. @trentmwillis

Functionality > Aesthetics @trentmwillis

Your customers don’t necessarily have choices. @trentmwillis

Your customers don’t necessarily have choices, but they have needs. @trentmwillis

Stability & Reliability > New Features @trentmwillis

Not impacting existing workflows is (usually) more important than enabling new workflows @trentmwillis

Customer Satisfaction > Growth @trentmwillis

Successful internal products grow. @trentmwillis

Honestly, the differences aren’t that big. @trentmwillis

Consider the possibilities. @trentmwillis

Ask about internal things. @trentmwillis

@trentmwillis

@trentmwillis P.S. Tuca & Bertie is 🔥

Thank you! Any questions? @trentmwillis P.S. My team is hiring! jobs.netflix.com/jobs/869498