Startup stories, specially of the big ubiquitous brands like Netflix it makes for a great read. Co-Founder and first CEO Marc Randolph wrote ‘That Will Never Work’ – the behind the scenes account beyond the popular legend that Reed Hastings founded Netflix after Blockbuster charged him a $40 late fee.
Lot of the story is around the initial dejection and anxiety that comes with any startup – all thought Reed Hastings invested $1.9M of his own money into the new DVD by mail venture. One of the best part of starting up for Randolph who was tasked with running the business is that you can choose the problem you wanted to work on and wear multiple hats. It is also a crash course on leadership.
It takes many different people to build a company. Patty McCord, the first Head of HR behind the Culture Deck of the company, practically redefined HR while pioneering concepts like unlimited vacation days.
In short while it is unlikely any of us will create another Netflix in a hurry – the lessons that you can take out of it can impact the way you think and thus – the way your startup shapes up.
Listen to this narration of how Netflix came about from Marc Randolph.
And have a go at the book.
Where I learnt this #407
Marc Randolph – That Will Never Work – The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea
