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That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
In the tradition of Phil Knight's Shoe Dog comes the incredible untold story of how Netflix went from concept to company-all revealed by co-founder and first CEO Marc Randolph. Once upon a time, brick-and-mortar video stores were king. Late fees were ubiquitous, video-streaming unheard was of, and widespread DVD adoption seemed about as imminent as flying cars. Indeed, these were the widely accepted laws of the land in 1997, when Marc Randolph had an idea. It was a simple thought—leveraging the internet to rent movies—and was just one of many more and far worse proposals, like personalized baseball bats and a shampoo delivery service, that Randolph would pitch to his business partner, Reed Hastings, on their commute to work each morning. But Hastings was intrigued, and the pair—with Hastings as the primary investor and Randolph as the CEO—founded a company. Now with over 150 million subscribers, Netflix's triumph feels inevitable, but the twenty first century's most disruptive start up began with few believers and calamity at every turn. From having to pitch his own mother on being an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-infamous meeting when Netflix brass pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Marc Randolph's transformational journey exemplifies how anyone with grit, gut instincts, and determination can change the world—even with an idea that many think will never work. What emerges, though, isn't just the inside story of one of the world's most iconic companies. Full of counter-intuitive concepts and written in binge-worthy prose, it answers some of our most fundamental questions about taking that leap of faith in business or in life: How do you begin? How do you weather disappointment and failure? How do you deal with success? What even is success? From idea generation to team building to knowing when it's time to let go, That Will Never Work is not only the ultimate follow-your-dreams parable, but also one of the most dramatic and insightful entrepreneurial stories of our time.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published September 17, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,176 reviews
November 5, 2022
Buckle up for the ride!! Marc Randolph, founder of Netflix, takes readers on the wild roller coaster ride of startups. It took Netflix only four years from initial launch to going public. I recently worked at a tech startup that went public within four years and it is a crazy, heart thumping, tightrope-walking journey. This book reads like a corporate thriller with heart stopping twists and challenges.
When Netflix initially launched in April 1998, after twelve months of incredibly hard work, their servers kept crashing as customers were going to their site. Cloud server companies didn’t exist at the time. Netflix employees kept running to Fry’s, an electronics store, to continually buy new desktops with only 64 megs of RAM each.
In 1998, very few DVD players existed so Netflix partnered with Sony and Toshiba to include promotional information about Netflix in each DVD player package. Initially Netflix offered the purchase and rental of DVDs. 90% of their revenue was coming from the purchase of DVDs rather than renting DVDs. Netflix tried many promotional gimmicks to try to interest customers in renting DVDs, but customer acquisition costs exceeded revenue. The breakthrough came with a subscription service.
A large part of the book is about creating company culture with a startup and Netflix’s company culture is legendary. Randolph credits Patty McCord, the first HR leader at Netflix, with being instrumental in creating their company culture as well as redefining the entire field of Human Resources. After the dot.com bubble burst, Netflix had to lay off 40% of their workforce to remain a viable company. The layoffs were handled humanely, in-person, and with compassion. Below is a link to the Netflix culture.
Netflix Culture: https://jobs.netflix.com/culture
Other hairpin turns throughout the book include conversations with Amazon and Blockbuster about whether they were interested in acquiring Netflix during the early years. Both companies were not interested at all. At the time of the conversation with Blockbuster, Netflix was doing $5 million in revenue and Blockbuster was close to $6 billion. We all know how that story unfolded.
Randolph credits his optimism and persistence throughout his life on not taking “No” as the final answer. There are many examples of this in his book but the best example is when he was turned down for a job very early in his career and he asked everyone in the interview process for feedback on how he could improve. He ended up getting the job.
There are many, many leadership and life lessons throughout this fabulous book, including the Randolph Rules that his father created and Marc kept near his mirror and read every morning. He has passed these down to his three children.
Highly, highly recommend That Will Never Work, particularly for those working or interested in startups, as well as those who love reading books that combine business, leadership lessons, and memoir.
When Netflix initially launched in April 1998, after twelve months of incredibly hard work, their servers kept crashing as customers were going to their site. Cloud server companies didn’t exist at the time. Netflix employees kept running to Fry’s, an electronics store, to continually buy new desktops with only 64 megs of RAM each.
In 1998, very few DVD players existed so Netflix partnered with Sony and Toshiba to include promotional information about Netflix in each DVD player package. Initially Netflix offered the purchase and rental of DVDs. 90% of their revenue was coming from the purchase of DVDs rather than renting DVDs. Netflix tried many promotional gimmicks to try to interest customers in renting DVDs, but customer acquisition costs exceeded revenue. The breakthrough came with a subscription service.
A large part of the book is about creating company culture with a startup and Netflix’s company culture is legendary. Randolph credits Patty McCord, the first HR leader at Netflix, with being instrumental in creating their company culture as well as redefining the entire field of Human Resources. After the dot.com bubble burst, Netflix had to lay off 40% of their workforce to remain a viable company. The layoffs were handled humanely, in-person, and with compassion. Below is a link to the Netflix culture.
Netflix Culture: https://jobs.netflix.com/culture
Other hairpin turns throughout the book include conversations with Amazon and Blockbuster about whether they were interested in acquiring Netflix during the early years. Both companies were not interested at all. At the time of the conversation with Blockbuster, Netflix was doing $5 million in revenue and Blockbuster was close to $6 billion. We all know how that story unfolded.
Randolph credits his optimism and persistence throughout his life on not taking “No” as the final answer. There are many examples of this in his book but the best example is when he was turned down for a job very early in his career and he asked everyone in the interview process for feedback on how he could improve. He ended up getting the job.
There are many, many leadership and life lessons throughout this fabulous book, including the Randolph Rules that his father created and Marc kept near his mirror and read every morning. He has passed these down to his three children.
Highly, highly recommend That Will Never Work, particularly for those working or interested in startups, as well as those who love reading books that combine business, leadership lessons, and memoir.
March 26, 2021
Pretty sure all the good reviews are from people the author knows. There’s no reason this book should be 13 hours long. The Epilogue was 30 minutes!! He drones on and on with personal stories, how he already has a few successful start ups, and tips for success. By the end I found him unlikeable and unrelatable.
February 9, 2020
3.5 stars
"[Author & screenwriter] William Goldman is most famous for writing three words: 'Nobody Knows Anything' . . . Nobody really knows how well a movie is going to do, until after it's already done it . . . [It] isn't an indictment. It's a reminder, an encouragement . . . you have to trust yourself. You have to test yourself. And you have to be willing to fail." -- the author, on pages 211-212
Marc Randolph's That Will Never Work is a book that untidily - though not really meant in a negative way - combines memoir, some modern history, and business 'self-help' (or just plain luck, depending on your point of view) to detail the start of the 21st century mega-success story known as 'Netflix.'
On paper Randolph seems to be engaging and self-deprecating, recounting his role as a co-founder (along with Reed Hastings, the 'Mr. Spock' personality of the duo; Randolph is more the 'Capt. Kirk,' obviously) and the initial CEO of the company during its salad years of 1998-2003. Searching for the next great money-making idea, they more-or-less stumbled onto mail-service DVD rentals online, which pretty much sounded the death knell for the ubiquitous local video stores of the 80's and 90's. Unusually - for an American mini-saga set firmly in the big business world - there is a pleasant lack of back-stabbing or ethically-challenged players involved here; for all I know this version of events is sanitized, but maybe that's just my rote cynicism. Still, it was actually sort of amazing to read how an initially ragtag, cash-strapped group in a strip-mall storefront grew to having 150 million customers.
"[Author & screenwriter] William Goldman is most famous for writing three words: 'Nobody Knows Anything' . . . Nobody really knows how well a movie is going to do, until after it's already done it . . . [It] isn't an indictment. It's a reminder, an encouragement . . . you have to trust yourself. You have to test yourself. And you have to be willing to fail." -- the author, on pages 211-212
Marc Randolph's That Will Never Work is a book that untidily - though not really meant in a negative way - combines memoir, some modern history, and business 'self-help' (or just plain luck, depending on your point of view) to detail the start of the 21st century mega-success story known as 'Netflix.'
On paper Randolph seems to be engaging and self-deprecating, recounting his role as a co-founder (along with Reed Hastings, the 'Mr. Spock' personality of the duo; Randolph is more the 'Capt. Kirk,' obviously) and the initial CEO of the company during its salad years of 1998-2003. Searching for the next great money-making idea, they more-or-less stumbled onto mail-service DVD rentals online, which pretty much sounded the death knell for the ubiquitous local video stores of the 80's and 90's. Unusually - for an American mini-saga set firmly in the big business world - there is a pleasant lack of back-stabbing or ethically-challenged players involved here; for all I know this version of events is sanitized, but maybe that's just my rote cynicism. Still, it was actually sort of amazing to read how an initially ragtag, cash-strapped group in a strip-mall storefront grew to having 150 million customers.
May 6, 2020
Fascinating AND entertaining!
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I won this book in a giveaway. (Thank you Hachette Book Group!) I was a little worried I would find That Will Never Work a bit dry but I was totally wrong. I found myself smiling/chuckling many times as I was reading it. Marc Randolph SO has a way with words and if he ever writes another book, I will be first in line to read it.
I loved reading how Marc would pitch ideas (customized dog food, customized baseball bats, customized shampoo — all sold over the internet and delivered by mail), and since Reed was the one with the cash, he was free to shoot down ideas without worrying about hurt feelings. I truly came to care about every one of the original ten employees. What a rollercoaster ride they all had the first few years. Just reading about how they came up with the first DVD mailers was fascinating. The part about what Amazon was like when it first started and was selling only books, was astonishing and hilarious!
I think I laughed the hardest at this, though:
"I can't help but note that as of this writing, the little DVD-by-mail company that Blockbuster could have purchased for $50 million is now worth $150 billion.
And guess where Blockbuster is?
They're down to one last store. It's in Bend Oregon."
Maybe I like that part so much because I live in Bend, Oregon.
I'm not sure what I was expecting when I won this book in a giveaway. (Thank you Hachette Book Group!) I was a little worried I would find That Will Never Work a bit dry but I was totally wrong. I found myself smiling/chuckling many times as I was reading it. Marc Randolph SO has a way with words and if he ever writes another book, I will be first in line to read it.
I loved reading how Marc would pitch ideas (customized dog food, customized baseball bats, customized shampoo — all sold over the internet and delivered by mail), and since Reed was the one with the cash, he was free to shoot down ideas without worrying about hurt feelings. I truly came to care about every one of the original ten employees. What a rollercoaster ride they all had the first few years. Just reading about how they came up with the first DVD mailers was fascinating. The part about what Amazon was like when it first started and was selling only books, was astonishing and hilarious!
I think I laughed the hardest at this, though:
"I can't help but note that as of this writing, the little DVD-by-mail company that Blockbuster could have purchased for $50 million is now worth $150 billion.
And guess where Blockbuster is?
They're down to one last store. It's in Bend Oregon."
Maybe I like that part so much because I live in Bend, Oregon.
September 23, 2019
I tend to find Netflix a very interesting company and so the story itself is interesting. That said the writing style is such that I found myself skimming through large chunks of it without feeling like I was missing much. Lots of memoir-ish stuff that just added nothing.
If I didn’t find the topic particularly interesting I probably would have bailed on this one.
If I didn’t find the topic particularly interesting I probably would have bailed on this one.
December 8, 2019
This book was like listening to an annoying uncle brag about how good he is at business. It seems like he just wrote it so he could reminisce about the good old days.
It took him a long time tell stories we already know the end to. And some of his stories were so contrived. [My wife] said, "You look like a chameleon." In a way...I was!
I really thought this was going to be a book about Netflix (more like Creativity, Inc.). It was more like an autobiography. We never get to the streaming...it ends right after the IPO. In the epilogue he takes the opportunity to take a potshot at Blockbuster, who didn't buy them...like he doesn't realize if they did he's be significantly less wealthy.
If you're thinking about reading this, just know the it should be called, "How I made Netflix Work: The Marc Randolph Story."
It took him a long time tell stories we already know the end to. And some of his stories were so contrived. [My wife] said, "You look like a chameleon." In a way...I was!
I really thought this was going to be a book about Netflix (more like Creativity, Inc.). It was more like an autobiography. We never get to the streaming...it ends right after the IPO. In the epilogue he takes the opportunity to take a potshot at Blockbuster, who didn't buy them...like he doesn't realize if they did he's be significantly less wealthy.
If you're thinking about reading this, just know the it should be called, "How I made Netflix Work: The Marc Randolph Story."
November 18, 2019
Some neat details about difficult moments in Netflix’s early history. Really great stories. But the author has a chip on his shoulder that interfered with my ability to trust the narrative. Careful lies of omission made me yearn for a less conflicted historian.
April 25, 2020
مراجعة مجمعة لكام كتاب من ضمنهم الكتاب ده
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7d2x...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7d2x...
December 29, 2019
Got this from a work acquaintance as a Christmas gift. Not a fan. The author comes across as a giant money-obsessed douchebag, with chapter titles like "show me the money" and "how it feels to deposit a check for almost $2 million". Not relatable at all to the average non-millionaire, and comes off as flaunting wealth in a nation with millions of people unemployed, homeless and in poverty. Wish I could return this trashy book.
January 3, 2020
One of the main things I wanted to note from this book is that being an entrepreneur is a lot easier when you've a wad of cash behind you. Jeff Bezos was given some "seed capital" by his folks to start Amazon, the not unforgettable sum of three hundred grand. To be fair, Marc Randolph is very open about the fact that Netflix was funded initially by family and friends - or rather, make that "friend", his main partner Reed Hastings. Of the two million dollars "raised" to kick off the idea of renting DVDs by mail, $1.9 million came from Hastings who had vested options from another tech venture, and the other hundred grand came from Randolph's family and friends, including his mum. But with his breezy style and devil-take-the-hindmost attitude to risk, you're prepared to forgive Randolph this bit of good fortune. If a mate lent me $1.9m, I may have beat it to the Bahamas for a few month's thinking time. Or a few years. Or permanently, given I think I could yield 10% out of that by investing. That's the difference between guys like me and guys like Randolph and Bezos though, the willingness to gamble and the drive to make things happen. Of course, if I was Bezos, I'd be richer than him because I'd clean windows on the side, but fair play, he's probably kept busy with Amazon.
Randolph is clearly the ideas man behind Netflix and concerns himself with a lot of the softer side of business in the early days, such as nurturing and developing the culture of the organisation he was creating. As a marketing man, he's always interested in what the consumer wants as opposed to what the accountants or the software engineers are fixated on, and admits that he was probably not as hard headed as he needed to be to run the whole business in the round. One of the more interesting parts of the book is when his original partner, Reed Hastings, decides similar, and seemingly elbows his way into the Netflix business to try and take more control of it. Even I became a bit angry over this power play, and I wondered how much of the whys and wherefores were being edited out of the account? Randolph moves on quickly back to the business of giving his consumers what they wanted, sometimes through luck and sometimes through good guidance.
The story continues up to and beyond the initial Netflix IPO where they all suddenly become mega rich, although you’re left to wonder and consult Google to find out how much. This being America, sadly that seems to be all that matters, despite Randolph’s protestations otherwise, and you feel that Randolph lost the company to Reed Hastings. Which then makes you wonder how much control Randolph actually had in the first place, and I began to think that this book was a protesting wail of Randolph’s for recognition, “Netflix was my idea, it was, it was, it was!” And maybe it was. But as Randolph himself says in the very first chapters, ideas are ten a penny. Making an idea work, that’ s a different story, and perhaps that is Hasting’s story. Randolph left in 2003, and look what’s happened to Netflix since he’s not been around and Reed has been in the chair. Randolph argues that his DNA is still in the company, but unfortunately he’s been written out of the narrative. This book is a good attempt to write him back in (at least for a short time until Hastings commissions a movie about the Netflix story. After this book, I wonder if Randolph will even feature in it.)
This isn't quite as enjoyable a read as Shoe Dog, but as business books go it's pretty good. It's also nice to see Randolph's family mentioned often as an inspiration and his wife as a support and counterbalance to his working life. It's quite a Silicon Valley story all the same, and you can't help but think that Netflix triumphed largely because it was knitted in to this culture and network from the start. Still, credit where it's due and there's no doubt that this company has shaped and is still shaping the internet culture that we have today. Given that, do we really care who started it all off? Marc Randolph clearly does.
Randolph is clearly the ideas man behind Netflix and concerns himself with a lot of the softer side of business in the early days, such as nurturing and developing the culture of the organisation he was creating. As a marketing man, he's always interested in what the consumer wants as opposed to what the accountants or the software engineers are fixated on, and admits that he was probably not as hard headed as he needed to be to run the whole business in the round. One of the more interesting parts of the book is when his original partner, Reed Hastings, decides similar, and seemingly elbows his way into the Netflix business to try and take more control of it. Even I became a bit angry over this power play, and I wondered how much of the whys and wherefores were being edited out of the account? Randolph moves on quickly back to the business of giving his consumers what they wanted, sometimes through luck and sometimes through good guidance.
The story continues up to and beyond the initial Netflix IPO where they all suddenly become mega rich, although you’re left to wonder and consult Google to find out how much. This being America, sadly that seems to be all that matters, despite Randolph’s protestations otherwise, and you feel that Randolph lost the company to Reed Hastings. Which then makes you wonder how much control Randolph actually had in the first place, and I began to think that this book was a protesting wail of Randolph’s for recognition, “Netflix was my idea, it was, it was, it was!” And maybe it was. But as Randolph himself says in the very first chapters, ideas are ten a penny. Making an idea work, that’ s a different story, and perhaps that is Hasting’s story. Randolph left in 2003, and look what’s happened to Netflix since he’s not been around and Reed has been in the chair. Randolph argues that his DNA is still in the company, but unfortunately he’s been written out of the narrative. This book is a good attempt to write him back in (at least for a short time until Hastings commissions a movie about the Netflix story. After this book, I wonder if Randolph will even feature in it.)
This isn't quite as enjoyable a read as Shoe Dog, but as business books go it's pretty good. It's also nice to see Randolph's family mentioned often as an inspiration and his wife as a support and counterbalance to his working life. It's quite a Silicon Valley story all the same, and you can't help but think that Netflix triumphed largely because it was knitted in to this culture and network from the start. Still, credit where it's due and there's no doubt that this company has shaped and is still shaping the internet culture that we have today. Given that, do we really care who started it all off? Marc Randolph clearly does.
December 29, 2019
I really don't get all the glowing reviews. It's one thing to write a book sharing your experiences and some vague, common sense "success tips". On the other hand, I really doubt someone is going to give away the very business strategies that, say, a father would pass down to his son. This would only generate more competition to himself and would not be very bright! So don't expect anything like that in this book.
Another consideration that wasn't really touched on in this book is that networking is essential to being successful in business. As an Asian in the U.S.A. inheriting a family business, I can see that this happens along racial or ethnic lines, most of the time. In my experience this happens organically, without it coming from a source of negative feelings towards other demographics, but I can't speak for everyone. Now, this may be a sensitive topic, but let's look at this with a clear unemotional understanding to better critique what is missing from this book. The author, a Jewish man, has the benefits or privileges that go along with his extensive Jewish contacts in the entertainment and media industries (95% of the world's media are in the hands of 6 Jewish-owned companies). With networking comes promotion of your business and good PR (isn't the author related to the Bernays family, as in Edward Bernays the propagandist and father of public relations?) So this factor cannot be underestimated in his success.
Also, this book could have discussed what influenced the direction of the business (the shows, content, and messages that Netflix allows or doesn't allow). The author's Jewish background appears to have highly influenced the content that Netflix promotes. For example, if you look at the Jewish Talmud (a major influencer in Jewish culture, regardless of religious or secular background "It is our common law" as Herman Wouk Jewish author and Pulitzer Prize winner said) we can see verses like Gittin 56b and 57a, which describes Jesus Christ boiling in excrement in hell (yes, really). The Jewish disdain for Jesus Christ may have influenced Netflix to portray Jesus as a homosexual (like many other negative portrayals of Him).
Entertainment is not everything, and despite some people's addiction to it, it is not a "need" like food or water. If anything, it can be used to shape culture and inject ideas into society that were previously unknown. It can dumb down s0ciety and make people complacent, pacified and distracted from what really matters. The rise of independent content creators on numerous websites and social media sites provide stiff competition in entertainment and other media categories. Who knows - the future of Netflix may go the way of Blockbuster in the 2020's.
Overall, this book is more useful to light a fireplace than to read - a common problem in this genre.
Another consideration that wasn't really touched on in this book is that networking is essential to being successful in business. As an Asian in the U.S.A. inheriting a family business, I can see that this happens along racial or ethnic lines, most of the time. In my experience this happens organically, without it coming from a source of negative feelings towards other demographics, but I can't speak for everyone. Now, this may be a sensitive topic, but let's look at this with a clear unemotional understanding to better critique what is missing from this book. The author, a Jewish man, has the benefits or privileges that go along with his extensive Jewish contacts in the entertainment and media industries (95% of the world's media are in the hands of 6 Jewish-owned companies). With networking comes promotion of your business and good PR (isn't the author related to the Bernays family, as in Edward Bernays the propagandist and father of public relations?) So this factor cannot be underestimated in his success.
Also, this book could have discussed what influenced the direction of the business (the shows, content, and messages that Netflix allows or doesn't allow). The author's Jewish background appears to have highly influenced the content that Netflix promotes. For example, if you look at the Jewish Talmud (a major influencer in Jewish culture, regardless of religious or secular background "It is our common law" as Herman Wouk Jewish author and Pulitzer Prize winner said) we can see verses like Gittin 56b and 57a, which describes Jesus Christ boiling in excrement in hell (yes, really). The Jewish disdain for Jesus Christ may have influenced Netflix to portray Jesus as a homosexual (like many other negative portrayals of Him).
Entertainment is not everything, and despite some people's addiction to it, it is not a "need" like food or water. If anything, it can be used to shape culture and inject ideas into society that were previously unknown. It can dumb down s0ciety and make people complacent, pacified and distracted from what really matters. The rise of independent content creators on numerous websites and social media sites provide stiff competition in entertainment and other media categories. Who knows - the future of Netflix may go the way of Blockbuster in the 2020's.
Overall, this book is more useful to light a fireplace than to read - a common problem in this genre.
February 16, 2022
Най-добрата книга за технологичен стартъп, която някога съм чел. Марк Рандолф е първият изпълнителен директор на Нетфликс. Заедно с Рийд Хофман основават компанията през 1997 г., но тогава тя няма нищо общо с днешния технологичен гигант. Дори основната идея е коренно различна - продажба и наемане на филми (под формата на DVD) по пощата. Да, правилно прочетохте. Първоначално Нетфликс доставя филмите на дискове по пощата, които след това трябва да бъдат върнати с обратна пратка.
Нетфликс въвежда иновации, които са актуални и до днес. Най-важната от тях е добре познатия ни месечен абонамент за неограничен брой филми от каталога им. Необичайната за времето си идея бързо е възприета от технофилите в Силициевата долина. Но дори тогава Нетфликс е все още малка компания, която е можело да бъде закупена от видео гиганта Blockbuster срещу "само" 50 милиона долара. Сделката пропада, а равносметката днес е красноречива - Нетфликс се оценява на над 150 милиарда долара, а Blockbuster има само един останал магазин - в Бенд, Орегон. Сега резултатът от сблъсъкът между двете компании ни изглежда предначертан, но в началото на 21 век е имал по-скоро формата на Давид срещу Голиат. Между другото, Нетфликс модела на абонамент става все по-популярен и в медицинската сфера. Вече има компании, които предлагат неограничен брой дози от техните лекарства на конкретни страни срещу твърда сума от пари на годишна база. Така здравните власти са стимулирани активно да търсят всички пациенти, които биха били имали полза от съответното лечение.
Книгата на Марк Рандолф ни разкрива несигурностите по пътя към успеха. Лишена е от клишета и ни дава реалистична представа за технологичния свят. Добрите идеи се раждат рядко, често след поредица от грешни решения и рядко са продукт на моментен проблясък на гениалност. Промяната в посоката на развитие (пивотиране на професионален жаргон) обикновено не се приема лесно от екипа и изисква сериозни усилия за постигане. Авторът отделя особено внимание на трудните моменти в професионалното си израстване - свалянето му от позицията на главен изпълнителен директор, уволняване на персонал за свиване на разходите, комбиниране на професионалните и семейни задължения. През 2002г., преди дигитализацията на компанията, Марк Рандолф напуска Нетфликс, защото чувства, че вече не може да допринесе за развитието ѝ - решение, което у нас би било абсолютно необяснимо. Колко от вас биха осъзнали, че са достигнали момента на изчерпване на възможностите и биха оставили развитието на печеливша компания в ръцете на други специалисти?
Нетфликс въвежда иновации, които са актуални и до днес. Най-важната от тях е добре познатия ни месечен абонамент за неограничен брой филми от каталога им. Необичайната за времето си идея бързо е възприета от технофилите в Силициевата долина. Но дори тогава Нетфликс е все още малка компания, която е можело да бъде закупена от видео гиганта Blockbuster срещу "само" 50 милиона долара. Сделката пропада, а равносметката днес е красноречива - Нетфликс се оценява на над 150 милиарда долара, а Blockbuster има само един останал магазин - в Бенд, Орегон. Сега резултатът от сблъсъкът между двете компании ни изглежда предначертан, но в началото на 21 век е имал по-скоро формата на Давид срещу Голиат. Между другото, Нетфликс модела на абонамент става все по-популярен и в медицинската сфера. Вече има компании, които предлагат неограничен брой дози от техните лекарства на конкретни страни срещу твърда сума от пари на годишна база. Така здравните власти са стимулирани активно да търсят всички пациенти, които биха били имали полза от съответното лечение.
Книгата на Марк Рандолф ни разкрива несигурностите по пътя към успеха. Лишена е от клишета и ни дава реалистична представа за технологичния свят. Добрите идеи се раждат рядко, често след поредица от грешни решения и рядко са продукт на моментен проблясък на гениалност. Промяната в посоката на развитие (пивотиране на професионален жаргон) обикновено не се приема лесно от екипа и изисква сериозни усилия за постигане. Авторът отделя особено внимание на трудните моменти в професионалното си израстване - свалянето му от позицията на главен изпълнителен директор, уволняване на персонал за свиване на разходите, комбиниране на професионалните и семейни задължения. През 2002г., преди дигитализацията на компанията, Марк Рандолф напуска Нетфликс, защото чувства, че вече не може да допринесе за развитието ѝ - решение, което у нас би било абсолютно необяснимо. Колко от вас биха осъзнали, че са достигнали момента на изчерпване на възможностите и биха оставили развитието на печеливша компания в ръцете на други специалисти?
August 10, 2022
Honestly, I’m not sure why I thought this book would be a good idea. It’s long, boring, and basically you need friends/family with lots of money-not very inspiring. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 13, 2021
So good. Great insight into Marc Randolphs brain, how he thinks and works. Lots of great ideas to implement into your own business!
September 7, 2022
First thing first, my dad would be so proud of he knows I had read something very educational, not lovey dobey stuff. Haha! Honestly, the reason I bought this book at the first place because it cost me RM19.90. So, I was like "why not, give it a chance". Well, what can i say, it worth every penny.
It all started Last two nights (I think) before I went to bed - I read a few pages and I can't stop reading it. Highlighting good points, googling the meaning of each jargon words, making notes on how can I applied it on UCOP & ICA and even asked my dad to explain more about certain dealing and negotiation situation. The book inspired me to do more, thinking what can the team and I do more, how can i adapt these good ideas to the business. It also inspire you to grow and never take no for an answer for anything or everything because nobody knows anything. Easier said than done, but relentlesly things will tweak out for you one way or another. You will get there. (according to the author laa)
I recommend this book to all my startup friends to read this. Hopefully, you too feel inspired and highligthing good points for your business too. 😊
It all started Last two nights (I think) before I went to bed - I read a few pages and I can't stop reading it. Highlighting good points, googling the meaning of each jargon words, making notes on how can I applied it on UCOP & ICA and even asked my dad to explain more about certain dealing and negotiation situation. The book inspired me to do more, thinking what can the team and I do more, how can i adapt these good ideas to the business. It also inspire you to grow and never take no for an answer for anything or everything because nobody knows anything. Easier said than done, but relentlesly things will tweak out for you one way or another. You will get there. (according to the author laa)
I recommend this book to all my startup friends to read this. Hopefully, you too feel inspired and highligthing good points for your business too. 😊
August 30, 2019
I generally don't care for business books, but Marc Randolph's story of Netflix hit home, as I was part of the Blockbuster group working directly for Wayne Huizenga in the very early days (way before the company was sold, moved to Dallas post 1994 and ruined). Didn't have to be that way. Classic story of a big company's failure to adapt. But more importantly, classic story of a small company's will to adapt, survive and prosper. Kudos Marc. I wish we worked together back then.
October 17, 2021
This is so good, it's a small wonder it is still legal. Informative. Enjoyable. Highly recommended for binge-reading.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
December 20, 2019Ik heb dit boek meerdere malen een kans gegeven afgelopen tijd. Het onderwerp vind ik namelijk echt tof en interessant.
Maar de schrijfstijl.. Het voelt als een heel druk boek. Alsof een heel druk persoon heel snel tegen je aan het praten is. Dat kan heel vermoeiend zijn, en zo pakt het met dit boek uit voor mij.
Niet mijn ding dus helaas.
(DNF want het gaat me nooit lukken om deze uit te lezen, om even lekker een open deur in te trappen met deze titel :P)
Maar de schrijfstijl.. Het voelt als een heel druk boek. Alsof een heel druk persoon heel snel tegen je aan het praten is. Dat kan heel vermoeiend zijn, en zo pakt het met dit boek uit voor mij.
Niet mijn ding dus helaas.
(DNF want het gaat me nooit lukken om deze uit te lezen, om even lekker een open deur in te trappen met deze titel :P)
December 1, 2020
Engaging, well-told. Great prose. And lots of fun to read.
Was NetFlix - AKA "movie rental by mail" a good idea? Maybe. Maybe not. But it wasn't a bad idea. And if there was a way to make it work, Randolph and his team were determined to find it...
Thanks to streaming, NetFlix is now nearly as ubiquitous as in-home TV. But it was born from a litter of bad ideas, and its early days were marked by experimenting with more of the same. Its business model was incredibly vulnerable, especially after they figured it out. But established competition (coughBlockbustercoughcough) dismissed the concept, dismissed the market, and, ultimately, dismissed their own customers. So NetFlix won. But it very easily might not have.
So here it is: NetFlix, The Early Years. The story of a business concept going from "that will never work" to "that might work" to becoming a household name. The perfect story to debunk the myth of the million-dollar idea.
Ideas are easy and cheap.
Ideas don't work. People do.
Was NetFlix - AKA "movie rental by mail" a good idea? Maybe. Maybe not. But it wasn't a bad idea. And if there was a way to make it work, Randolph and his team were determined to find it...
Thanks to streaming, NetFlix is now nearly as ubiquitous as in-home TV. But it was born from a litter of bad ideas, and its early days were marked by experimenting with more of the same. Its business model was incredibly vulnerable, especially after they figured it out. But established competition (coughBlockbustercoughcough) dismissed the concept, dismissed the market, and, ultimately, dismissed their own customers. So NetFlix won. But it very easily might not have.
So here it is: NetFlix, The Early Years. The story of a business concept going from "that will never work" to "that might work" to becoming a household name. The perfect story to debunk the myth of the million-dollar idea.
Ideas are easy and cheap.
Ideas don't work. People do.
December 28, 2019
Ok book. I enjoyed hearing about the start of Netflix but it got bogged down. It was like the author wasn't sure if he was writing a business book, a biography or a company story. There were parts I loved but others I sped through just to be done.
December 29, 2019
Interesting story, painfully folksy book.
February 6, 2020
I REALLY enjoyed this book.
It was fascinating to learn more about the beginning of [probably] the biggest entertainment institution in our modern days 😄
It was fascinating to learn more about the beginning of [probably] the biggest entertainment institution in our modern days 😄
September 2, 2021
2.5 stars. Uninspiring and lacklustre- nothing like Phil Knight’s memoir
June 22, 2020
Girişimciler ve girişimci adayları, startup ekosisteminde yer alanlar veya olmak isteyenler bu yıl sadece bir kitap okuyacaklarsa o kitap bu olmalı.
Her zaman söylerim. Satışın 10 kuralı, yumurtlamanın 7 ilkesi gibi "bullet" kitaplardan hiç hoşlanmam. Hep derim ki "sen hayat hikayeni anlat, ben alacağımı alırım". İşte bu tam öyle bir kitap. O kadar iyi anlatılmış ki Marc Randolph bir startup girişimcisi mi, doğuştan yazar mı ayırt etmek zor.
Fikrimden bahsetmenin iyi birşey olduğunu öğrenmiştim. Fikrimden ne kadar çok insana bahsedersen o kadar fazla olumlu geribildirim alıyordum ve önceki başarısız girişimlerden o kadar fazla haberim oluyordu.
Marc Randolph'un Netflix fikri önce VHS ve Beta kaset kiralama, daha sonra yeni teknoloji DVD'ler ile başlıyor. Yine bir ihtiyaçtan yola çıkılıyor ancak her adımı David ve Goliath karşılaşması gibi. Amazon, Blockbuster gibi devler ve binlerce sorun. Bugün 150 milytar dolar eden Netflix'i Blockbuster'a 50 milyon dolara satmak istemeleri ve Blockbuster'ın gülüp geçmesi. Marc'ın bahsettiği Vahşi Yaşam Okulu çok ilginç. İnsana birşeyler kattığı kesin. Başarılar ve başarısızlıklar, sorunlar ve çözümler inanılmaz bir yalınlık ve dürüstlükle anlatılmış. Reed'in Marc'ın hisselerine talip olmasını okuduktan sonra aynı Marc gibi benim de başımdan aşağı kaynar sular döküldü. Marc'a yalnızca ticari başarısı için değil, kişiliği için de hayran oldum.
Oldum olası ürün geliştirmeyi çok sevmişimdir ve girişimciliğimin ilk yıllarında bunu denedim. Belki doğru insanlarla karşılaşmadığımdan, belki de acil nakit ihtiyacımdan ötürü Netflix gibi bir startup yerine sıradan bir şirket kurmayı tercih ettim. Gayet de iyi gitti ama açıkçası bir startup'ın parçası olmak içimde ukde kaldı.
1997 sanırım bir milat. Netflix de Amazon da aynı yıllara denk geliyor. Netflix'in Amazon'la karşılaştığı yıllar. Aradığın Her Şey: Jeff Bezos ve Amazon Çağı'nda bu karşılaşmadan hiç bahsedilmemişti ancak bu tarz paralellikler gerçekten hoş. Ve Amazon'un kitabı da girişimcilik adına çok iyiydi.
Marc Randolph'un şu sözleri o kadar anlamlı ki;
İnsanlar yetişkin gibi muamele görmek isterler. İnanacakları bir misyon, çözecekleri bir problem ve bunu çözecekleri alanlar ister. Yeteneklerine saygı duyacakları insanlarla çevrili olmak ister.
Bugünlerde bayıla bayıla izlediğimiz Netflix daha 1997'de mağazada bulunamaması nedeniyle müşterinin ağzında buruk bir tat bırakmak yerine mağazasız depodan alışverişin, yani e-ticaretin ilk sinyalini görmüş. Tabi o zamanlar DVD sayısı toplam 300! Bu rakam 1998'de 800'e çıkıyor.
Her hikayede aynı şeyi okuyorum. Destekleyici bir eş. Kadın veya erkek olması farketmez. Marc Randolph'un bile Netflix'i kurduğu zaman 3 çocuğu var. Eşi Lorraine bu kadar desteklemeseydi, projeye inanmasa bile eşine destek olmasaydı, evi çekip çevirmeseydi bugün Netflix olur muydu? Belki bir muadili olurdu. Ancak Marc başarılı bir insan olur muydu, kesinlikle olmazdı.
Bu arada Amazon'un ilk isminin Cadabra olduğunu ancak telafuzu Kadavra'ya benzediği için vazgeçildiğini biliyordum. Ancak Twitter'ın ilk isminin Status, Netflix'in ilk isminin de Kibble olduğunu bilmiyordum.
Çeviriyi ilk etapta kötü başladı ancak sonunda toparladı. Bu, çevirmenin ilk çevirisi olmasından kaynaklanan bir önyargı da olabilir. Baskıda kitabın her sayfasına ilk bölümün adını yazmışlar. Halbuki keşke hiç öyle birşeye girmeselerdi.
Kitap adına bu yılki en iyi kazanımlarından biri bu kitabı okumak oldu.
Kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
herkese keyifli okumalar!
Her zaman söylerim. Satışın 10 kuralı, yumurtlamanın 7 ilkesi gibi "bullet" kitaplardan hiç hoşlanmam. Hep derim ki "sen hayat hikayeni anlat, ben alacağımı alırım". İşte bu tam öyle bir kitap. O kadar iyi anlatılmış ki Marc Randolph bir startup girişimcisi mi, doğuştan yazar mı ayırt etmek zor.
Fikrimden bahsetmenin iyi birşey olduğunu öğrenmiştim. Fikrimden ne kadar çok insana bahsedersen o kadar fazla olumlu geribildirim alıyordum ve önceki başarısız girişimlerden o kadar fazla haberim oluyordu.
Marc Randolph'un Netflix fikri önce VHS ve Beta kaset kiralama, daha sonra yeni teknoloji DVD'ler ile başlıyor. Yine bir ihtiyaçtan yola çıkılıyor ancak her adımı David ve Goliath karşılaşması gibi. Amazon, Blockbuster gibi devler ve binlerce sorun. Bugün 150 milytar dolar eden Netflix'i Blockbuster'a 50 milyon dolara satmak istemeleri ve Blockbuster'ın gülüp geçmesi. Marc'ın bahsettiği Vahşi Yaşam Okulu çok ilginç. İnsana birşeyler kattığı kesin. Başarılar ve başarısızlıklar, sorunlar ve çözümler inanılmaz bir yalınlık ve dürüstlükle anlatılmış. Reed'in Marc'ın hisselerine talip olmasını okuduktan sonra aynı Marc gibi benim de başımdan aşağı kaynar sular döküldü. Marc'a yalnızca ticari başarısı için değil, kişiliği için de hayran oldum.
Oldum olası ürün geliştirmeyi çok sevmişimdir ve girişimciliğimin ilk yıllarında bunu denedim. Belki doğru insanlarla karşılaşmadığımdan, belki de acil nakit ihtiyacımdan ötürü Netflix gibi bir startup yerine sıradan bir şirket kurmayı tercih ettim. Gayet de iyi gitti ama açıkçası bir startup'ın parçası olmak içimde ukde kaldı.
1997 sanırım bir milat. Netflix de Amazon da aynı yıllara denk geliyor. Netflix'in Amazon'la karşılaştığı yıllar. Aradığın Her Şey: Jeff Bezos ve Amazon Çağı'nda bu karşılaşmadan hiç bahsedilmemişti ancak bu tarz paralellikler gerçekten hoş. Ve Amazon'un kitabı da girişimcilik adına çok iyiydi.
Marc Randolph'un şu sözleri o kadar anlamlı ki;
İnsanlar yetişkin gibi muamele görmek isterler. İnanacakları bir misyon, çözecekleri bir problem ve bunu çözecekleri alanlar ister. Yeteneklerine saygı duyacakları insanlarla çevrili olmak ister.
Bugünlerde bayıla bayıla izlediğimiz Netflix daha 1997'de mağazada bulunamaması nedeniyle müşterinin ağzında buruk bir tat bırakmak yerine mağazasız depodan alışverişin, yani e-ticaretin ilk sinyalini görmüş. Tabi o zamanlar DVD sayısı toplam 300! Bu rakam 1998'de 800'e çıkıyor.
Her hikayede aynı şeyi okuyorum. Destekleyici bir eş. Kadın veya erkek olması farketmez. Marc Randolph'un bile Netflix'i kurduğu zaman 3 çocuğu var. Eşi Lorraine bu kadar desteklemeseydi, projeye inanmasa bile eşine destek olmasaydı, evi çekip çevirmeseydi bugün Netflix olur muydu? Belki bir muadili olurdu. Ancak Marc başarılı bir insan olur muydu, kesinlikle olmazdı.
Bu arada Amazon'un ilk isminin Cadabra olduğunu ancak telafuzu Kadavra'ya benzediği için vazgeçildiğini biliyordum. Ancak Twitter'ın ilk isminin Status, Netflix'in ilk isminin de Kibble olduğunu bilmiyordum.
Çeviriyi ilk etapta kötü başladı ancak sonunda toparladı. Bu, çevirmenin ilk çevirisi olmasından kaynaklanan bir önyargı da olabilir. Baskıda kitabın her sayfasına ilk bölümün adını yazmışlar. Halbuki keşke hiç öyle birşeye girmeselerdi.
Kitap adına bu yılki en iyi kazanımlarından biri bu kitabı okumak oldu.
Kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.
herkese keyifli okumalar!
November 17, 2023
i'm a huge netflix fan so this was fun
January 6, 2023
4 stars
Summary
The book is the journey of Marc Randolph who was 1st CEO and co founder of online streaming platform Netflix. The book starts with how Marc and other co founder Reed Hastings wanted to start with some business that could scale up and something customer can come back to them again. After brainstorming through multiple ideas they landed up on DVD rental through postal and that's how Netflix was born.
Initially the model had some flaws but with passing time they got better and started getting good response. However, they had a challenge of industry leader Blockbuster who was market leader in DVD rental segment and with dotcom bubble funding for them staring getting more difficult. They took hard decisions and with innovative delivery techniques, Netflix started delivering DVD'S in one day to its customer which turned out to be a game changer and help them in establishing a strong brand.
Key Takeaways
1. Test the idea and take a calculated risk.
2. Startups are risky enough, you don’t have to invest both your time and money.
3. Come clean and fix things when you screw up.
4. You won’t get far without accepting your shortcomings, and letting someone step in.
5. Big boys are not your enemies, until they turn down your partnership.
6. Innovate your way through your problems.
7. Be willing to say no and leave money on the table, to focus on your core competency (Canada Principle)
8. See the world through your customer’s eyes.
9. People are not your most important assets. The right people are.
10. When the dust settles, take a step back and enjoy the sunset.
11. Everyone has an idea, but a few takes time and commitment to turn it into reality.
12. Name evolves over time.
13. No one has it all figured out.
14. There are bad ideas.
Randolph's Rules for Success
When Marc was 21 years old, fresh out of college his father gave him handwritten list of instructions which Marc still refer till date and plays a huge role in his success-
1. Do at least 10% more than you are asked.
2. Never, ever, to anybody present as fact opinions on things you don’t know. Takes great care and discipline.
3. Be courteous and considerate always — up and down.
4. Don’t knock, don’t complain — stick to constructive, serious criticism.
5. Don’t be afraid to make decisions when you have the facts on which to make them.
6. Quantify where possible.
7. Be open-minded but skeptical.
8. Be prompt.
Conclusion
I started this book few months back and was not sure if i'll be able to finish it because it took me more than expected time to connect with it; however once I got the grip I enjoyed reading it and could say it was an interesting read indeed.
The book deals with challenges that startup faces and how it goes through ups and downs. No doubts, there are going to be difficult days and in multiple situations you'll be place in tough spot, but if you know what's in the best interest of your business you'll be able to sail through it. Overall, a good read for someone interested to read about startup in silicon valley.
Summary
The book is the journey of Marc Randolph who was 1st CEO and co founder of online streaming platform Netflix. The book starts with how Marc and other co founder Reed Hastings wanted to start with some business that could scale up and something customer can come back to them again. After brainstorming through multiple ideas they landed up on DVD rental through postal and that's how Netflix was born.
Initially the model had some flaws but with passing time they got better and started getting good response. However, they had a challenge of industry leader Blockbuster who was market leader in DVD rental segment and with dotcom bubble funding for them staring getting more difficult. They took hard decisions and with innovative delivery techniques, Netflix started delivering DVD'S in one day to its customer which turned out to be a game changer and help them in establishing a strong brand.
Key Takeaways
1. Test the idea and take a calculated risk.
2. Startups are risky enough, you don’t have to invest both your time and money.
3. Come clean and fix things when you screw up.
4. You won’t get far without accepting your shortcomings, and letting someone step in.
5. Big boys are not your enemies, until they turn down your partnership.
6. Innovate your way through your problems.
7. Be willing to say no and leave money on the table, to focus on your core competency (Canada Principle)
8. See the world through your customer’s eyes.
9. People are not your most important assets. The right people are.
10. When the dust settles, take a step back and enjoy the sunset.
11. Everyone has an idea, but a few takes time and commitment to turn it into reality.
12. Name evolves over time.
13. No one has it all figured out.
14. There are bad ideas.
Randolph's Rules for Success
When Marc was 21 years old, fresh out of college his father gave him handwritten list of instructions which Marc still refer till date and plays a huge role in his success-
1. Do at least 10% more than you are asked.
2. Never, ever, to anybody present as fact opinions on things you don’t know. Takes great care and discipline.
3. Be courteous and considerate always — up and down.
4. Don’t knock, don’t complain — stick to constructive, serious criticism.
5. Don’t be afraid to make decisions when you have the facts on which to make them.
6. Quantify where possible.
7. Be open-minded but skeptical.
8. Be prompt.
Conclusion
I started this book few months back and was not sure if i'll be able to finish it because it took me more than expected time to connect with it; however once I got the grip I enjoyed reading it and could say it was an interesting read indeed.
The book deals with challenges that startup faces and how it goes through ups and downs. No doubts, there are going to be difficult days and in multiple situations you'll be place in tough spot, but if you know what's in the best interest of your business you'll be able to sail through it. Overall, a good read for someone interested to read about startup in silicon valley.
January 12, 2020
I am a Netflix user, even though it is through my friend's account lol. I wanted to read about the birth of Netflix, how it started and what led this revolution on how we now consume content. I loved that Marc Randolph gave us an in-depth look into Netflix was the idea stage, before capital was involved, people were hired and the first DVD purchased.
A lot happened to get this giant company started and it was great getting insights into what makes and break a start-up. Culture of course is a huge part of it, but what more is drive and determination. If you have ever wondered what went into making Netflix what it is today, this is the perfect read.
A lot happened to get this giant company started and it was great getting insights into what makes and break a start-up. Culture of course is a huge part of it, but what more is drive and determination. If you have ever wondered what went into making Netflix what it is today, this is the perfect read.
January 31, 2021
This book is very different from other well-known titles about Netflix (Powerful, No Rules Rules). It's not a book about growth or culture. It's a personal story about founding the company - a start-up, to be precise.
It's about playing bold, facing uncertainty, searching for a market, and revealing the product's identity. About picking the correct people, making hard decisions, events, and encounters that have gelled the 'early team' together.
It covers the very early days only (because Randolph has left Netflix early). You won't learn much out of it, probably it won't inspire you either - but it's quite a decent read, e.g. while running.
2.7-2.9 stars
It's about playing bold, facing uncertainty, searching for a market, and revealing the product's identity. About picking the correct people, making hard decisions, events, and encounters that have gelled the 'early team' together.
It covers the very early days only (because Randolph has left Netflix early). You won't learn much out of it, probably it won't inspire you either - but it's quite a decent read, e.g. while running.
2.7-2.9 stars
April 19, 2021
Tightly written, this succinct account of how Netflix came to be the phenomenon it is today is written in a light tone that manages to still convey the oft-heard messages like "Keep trying till you succeed" and "Nothing is an overnight success" without sounding tiring.
Key takeaway? Nobody knows Anything.
Key takeaway? Nobody knows Anything.
February 12, 2020
Amazing!!
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