You open YouTube and see recommended videos. Ever wonder how they load so fast? YouTube doesn't wait for you to click - they predict and prepare!
The Prediction Game:
Real Scenario:
- Recommendation algorithm picks an old video
- Video gets pushed to 1 million users' feeds
- YouTube predicts: "This will get lots of clicks"
- They proactively cache the video data
- When users click, everything loads instantly
The Beauty:
- It's not a new video (published 2 years ago)
- But it's about to become popular
- Smart prevents the traffic storm
Other Examples:
- Twitter: Popular person tweets → cache immediately
- Netflix: Show trending in your region → cache episodes
- Amazon: Product going viral → cache product details
Key Insight: The smartest systems don't react to demand - they predict it and prepare!
