Blair Ethington on Recommerce and Solving the Hard Problems

There are no easy answers in product development. The road zigs and zags, with each turn leading to new questions. And that's exactly what Blair Ethington enjoys most. In a recent Retail Brew "Coworking" interview, eBay's VP of buyer, seller and consumer-to-consumer business talked about the ideas shaping her work: solving problems without obvious answers, building a customer experience rather than standalone features, and leaning into recommerce as a durable source of value for buyers and sellers alike.

The toughest problems are the most rewarding

It's the challenges that don't come with a clear roadmap that Ethington finds the most energizing. "I've always been drawn to problems that don't have obvious answers and require some exploration," she said. That mindset is what makes eBay's work on agentic experiences especially exciting. "We're not just improving search - we're reimagining it," she said, describing how AI could better understand customer intent and help people make decisions more naturally.

Product starts with the customer, not the feature

One of the biggest misconceptions Ethington encounters is what "product" actually means. Early in her career, while helping introduce product management at a traditional retailer, she often found herself explaining that the product wasn't the merchandise - it was the experience surrounding it. That philosophy continues to shape how she approaches building for buyers and sellers today.

Recommerce is proving its staying power

Of all the trends reshaping retail, Ethington believes recommerce has one of the strongest foundations because it creates value at every step of the transaction. "It's one of the rare trends where economic and environmental incentives are aligned," she said. Every pre-loved item that finds a new owner makes goods more affordable, creates income for sellers, and gives products a longer life.

Don't fall for the empty inbox rule

The worst advice Ethington ever received was to finish every day with an empty inbox. "The truth is, inspiration rarely arrives as an email. And productivity isn't about responding to everything," Ethington said. "It's about making time for the things that matter most." Productivity, she believes, comes from being intentional with how time is spent, rather than simply responding to everyone else's priorities.

You can read the full interview here.