Vix, the Netflix of Latin America with over 50 Million Users | TelevisaUnivision Former CPTO, Michael Cerda |
E250 | #TheProductPodcast
"Curiosity, I think, is the number one trait for a product manager. The day you lose curiosity is the day you lose your ability to put yourself in users' shoes."
In this episode, Carlos sits down with Michael Cerda, Chief Product and Technology Officer at TelevisaUnivision, the world's leading Spanish-language media company reaching 125 million Spanish speakers daily. Michael discusses how they built ViX, a streaming platform competing with giants like Netflix and Disney+ that has already surpassed 50 million global monthly active users. With his impressive background launching Disney+, leading Apple's first credit card at Goldman Sachs, and working directly with Mark Zuckerberg at Meta, Michael shares valuable insights on building products across diverse markets, leveraging AI for content discovery, and cultivating the essential traits of successful product managers.
There are many incredible lessons to learn from Micheal. Here are a few of the top ones:
Building Products Like Creating Art
"When I talk about product management and building products, a lot of it has to do with taste and intuition."
Michael approaches product development as a creative discipline, drawing parallels between building products and his passions for music, yoga, and cooking. He emphasizes that great product management requires a combination of technical knowledge and creative intuition. Just as a musician understands both music theory and how to create something that resonates emotionally, product leaders must master the technical aspects while developing an intuition for what will delight users. This holistic approach has guided Michael throughout his career at Disney+, Meta, and now TelevisaUnivision, allowing him to build products that connect with audiences on both functional and emotional levels.
Personalizing Content Across Cultural Boundaries
"We don't just personalize content based on user preference. We personalize on a geopolitical basis because cultural tastes in Mexico are different from those in Argentina, Colombia, and the US."
Unlike US-based streaming services that typically build for their domestic market first, ViX had to launch simultaneously across 19 countries with varying cultural preferences, payment methods, and content interests. Michael's team developed detailed personas like "Straightforward Sophia" and "Game Day Gary" to represent different user types across regions. These personas help them tailor content recommendations, features, and marketing messages to diverse audiences within the Spanish-speaking world. By understanding the nuanced differences between markets, ViX delivers experiences that feel locally relevant while maintaining the efficiency of a global platform.
Prioritizing Performance Over Features
"The first thing to do is make sure that the product is performant. Make sure the engine works before you start to build all these fancy features on top of it."
When launching ViX in just nine months, Michael emphasized technical performance over feature development. He explains that users notice performance issues above all else—no matter how innovative your features are, if video playback isn't smooth or the app loads slowly, users will abandon the platform. This "crawl, walk, run" approach has been crucial to ViX's success, as the team focused on creating a rock-solid foundation before expanding into more sophisticated features. Michael advocates for this disciplined prioritization, especially when working within tight timelines and competitive markets.
Leveraging AI for Enhanced Content Discovery
"We're using AI to create comprehensive metadata for our content and solve the cold start problem. When a user first logs in, we need to show them something relevant before we have their viewing history."
With the world's largest Spanish-language content library, helping users discover relevant content is crucial for ViX. Michael shares how they use artificial intelligence and large language models to enhance metadata, generate personalized recommendations, and solve the "cold start" problem for new users. By employing AI to understand content contextually, ViX can make intelligent recommendations even before collecting extensive user data. This approach has significantly improved engagement metrics, particularly with new users who might otherwise churn before the recommendation engine learns their preferences.
Balancing Free and Premium Models
"Most streamers are subscription-only, but we have both AVOD (free with ads) and SVOD (subscription). It's different from subscription-only because there's a whole monetization piece on the free side."
ViX operates with a dual business model, offering both free ad-supported content (AVOD) and premium subscription services (SVOD). This hybrid approach creates unique product challenges, as the team must optimize the experience for both paying and non-paying users while satisfying advertisers. Michael explains how the free tier serves as both a standalone product and a funnel to the premium service, requiring thoughtful design of upsell opportunities without degrading the free experience. This strategy has allowed ViX to reach users at different price sensitivities while building a sustainable business in markets where subscription adoption varies widely.
Curiosity as the Essential Product Management Trait
"I can teach almost everything except the mindset of wanting to dig deeper and find solutions. Curiosity comes first."
Michael emphasizes that deep, genuine curiosity is the most important trait when hiring or mentoring product managers. While technical skills and experience matter, he believes curiosity drives innovation by enabling teams to uncover unique market gaps and user needs. A curious product manager will consistently ask "why" before "how," leading to more thoughtful solutions and a deeper understanding of user motivations. This philosophy has shaped Michael's approach to building teams throughout his career, focusing on fostering a culture of continuous learning and exploration.
Key Insights
Embrace curiosity as the driving force behind product discovery and problem-solving—it's the one trait that can't be taught.
Cultural personalization matters beyond just language differences—consider payment methods, content preferences, and viewing habits across regions.
Performance trumps features when launching a new product—ensure core functionality works flawlessly before expanding.
AI can solve practical challenges like content discovery, metadata enrichment, and the cold start problem for new users.
Balance traditional and innovative approaches when serving diverse markets with varying levels of technical adoption.
Hybrid business models (free and premium) require careful balancing of user experience across different monetization strategies.
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Credits:
Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia
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