How Research Shaped GlobeFlix: What We Learned from 100+ User Interviews
Before GlobeFlix was anything more than an idea, we wanted to ensure we were not attempting to solve a problem that only we had, but rather a problem that other people experienced as well. So instead of jumping straight into coding an app, we asked real people, and more importantly, potential relevant users, how they watch movies and shows with someone abroad.
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Posted by
GlobeFlix Editorial Team
Here's what we learned, and how it shaped GlobeFlix from the very start.
Who Are We Building For?
We started by defining our core users, and narrowed it down to:
- long-distance couples
- expats
- friends across borders
- families split by time zones
We then ran a Prolific study with 100+ relevant participants from across the globe, and it confirmed what we suspected:
- ~85% said they watch shows long-distance. That's not just a niche, that's a real group of people with a need that we aimed to solve with GlobeFlix.
- Most watch with friends, not just partners or family. So we're not just a couple's app (that helped shape our targeted marketing).
Bottom line: watching across countries isn't rare.
The Real Problem? Catalog Chaos
The biggest headache we uncovered: figuring out what's actually available to watch in both countries.
Streaming platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus offer different catalogs depending on where you live. That makes it unnecessarily hard to find something you can both watch.
About half of potential users we interviewed said they often run into this, and the fixes weren't great (see the word cloud below):
- Google it manually
- try a VPN
- just pick something else
- or give up ...
That's the problem GlobeFlix is here to solve.
What We Learned About Viewing Habits
We didn't just ask what they watch, but we also asked them how.
- Most people watch together once a month or every few months
- The top platforms: Netflix and Disney+
- VPN usage is low (many don't even know what one is)
These insights helped us:
- Default to Netflix and Disney+ in the UI for an initial product (if GlobeFlix gained traction with those two, we'd add more)
- Keep the UI super simple, so no VPNs, no plugins, no complexity
What About Pricing?
We asked what people would pay for a tool like this. Here's what came back:
- One-time payments and monthly subscriptions were the clear winners
- Nobody likes ads
- Most people want shared access, aka if one person pays, both can use it
So that's the direction we headed for: fair, flexible pricing that doesn't get in your way. In retrospect, we found it hard to believe potential users wanted monthly subscriptions, but after launching GlobeFlix, about half signed up for monthly and eventually cancelled, while the other half signed up for lifetime and use it regularly.
What All This Taught Us
Here's the real takeaway: Some people want this. And those who want it to be easy, transparent, and built for how they already live and watch.
GlobeFlix exists because we took the time to understand the actual frustrations people have trying to connect through movies across borders. We didn't make assumptions, we asked and listened.
If that sounds like something you've dealt with, hopefully GlobeFlix can help you!
👉 Try GlobeFlix free and let us know what's working (or what's not working via https://insigh.to/b/globeflix)