一千零一個點子之後：netflix創始的祕密

by Marc Randolph, 馬克·藍道夫, 許恬寧 (translator)

內容簡介
NETFLIX誕生的故事
每一個好點子背後，都有一千個壞點子。

再瘋狂的點子，去做就對了！
<<<全球影音串流巨擘的崛起傳奇>>>

　　Netflix共同創辦人暨第一任執行長馬克‧藍道夫，
　　娓娓道來Netflix如何從一個「概念」變成貨真價實的「企業」。

　　很久很久以前，實體的錄影帶租片店稱霸地球。太晚還片？那就罰錢。影片串流是什麼，可以吃嗎？DVD會統一天下？那就跟車子會飛是一樣的。沒錯，馬克‧藍道夫一九九七年醞釀創業點子時，人們就是那樣看待世界。藍道夫起初想得很簡單，他要靠網路提供租片服務。每天早上，藍道夫在通勤途中，向事業夥伴瑞德‧哈斯汀（Reed Hastings）拋出一萬個異想天開的提案，如客製化的棒球棍，或是將洗髮精送到你家。

　　想不到的是，哈斯汀認為網路租片值得一試。兩人組隊，哈斯汀當主要投資人，藍道夫擔任執行長，一起成立公司。如今的Netflix擁有超過一‧五億訂戶，感覺注定要崛起。然而，這間二十一世紀最具破壞性的新創公司，一開始沒有太多人看好，跌跌撞撞。藍道夫紅著臉請母親擔任早期投資人，借用簡陋的飯店會議室充當最早的辦公室，開業第一天伺服器就當掉。還有一件事人們也津津樂道：Netflix當年曾厚著臉皮請百視達（Blockbuster）收購他們。這段醜小鴨變天鵝的旅程顯示，只要肯拚，有恆心有毅力，堅持心底的聲音，即便全世界都唱衰你，還是有可能改變世界。

　　然而，這本書不只是內部人士跳出來談全球最傳奇的公司。輕鬆流暢的文字，串起各種違反直覺的概念，替我們解答最基本的問題，談如何在事業或人生中放手一搏：要怎麼開始？垂頭喪氣之際該怎麼辦？成功了又該怎麼辦？甚至到底什麼叫「成功」？

　　從發想點子，一直到建立團隊，最後明白離開的時刻到了──本書不只是追尋夢想的終極寓言，也是我們這個年代最峰迴路轉、一針見血的創業故事。

　　藍道夫的成功家訓
　　（馬克‧藍道夫大學畢業、開始第一份工作時，工程師父親手寫了一份清單送給他。）

　　1. 人家要求你做到的事，至少要再多努力一成。
　　2. 你不知道的事，永遠、永遠不要把你的意見當成事實告訴任何人。千萬小心，遵守戒律。
　　3. 做人要有禮貌，永遠體貼──對上對下都一樣。
　　4. 不要批評，不要抱怨──只講有建設性的重要評論。
　　5. 當你有事實作為依據，不要害怕做出決定，
　　6. 有可能的時候就量化。
　　7. 保持開放的心胸，但不要輕信。
　　8. 快速行動。

本書特色

　　★Netflix共同創辦人暨第一任執行長馬克‧藍道夫（Marc Randolph），揭曉從沒說過的精彩故事，娓娓道來Netflix如何從「概念」變成貨真價實的「企業」。

　　★作者以超過四十年的矽谷創業經歷，給所有創業者的建議：做沒人做過的事，自然有失敗的時候。但別想成失敗，要想成測試──可能成，可能不成。即便不成，你將學到東西，知道下次要朝哪裡走。

　　★「充滿人生哲理又趣味橫生。」──瑞德‧哈斯汀，NETFLIX執行長

名人推薦

　　王師　牽猴子整合行銷總經理
　　林之晨　台灣大哥大總經理暨AppWorks董事長
　　邱奕嘉　政治大學商學院副院長
　　胡德民　台灣微軟專家技術部總經理暨微軟新創加速器執行長
　　陳炳宇　臺大創意創業學程主任暨資工系教授
　　黃欽勇　電子時報社長
　　詹宏志　PChome Online董事長
　　（按姓氏筆畫順序）
　　不怕嘗試　推薦

各界佳評

　　充滿人生哲理又趣味橫生。──瑞德‧哈斯汀（Reed Hastings），Netflix執行長

　　Netflix誕生於馬克‧藍道夫個人的願景與創意DNA。他是創始執行長，他的領導奠定了Netflix的文化，替日後的全球革命打下基礎，翻轉我們今日製作與消費娛樂的方式。馬克後來讓賢，放手讓共同創辦人哈斯汀擴大公司規模。他示範了新創世界相當罕見的特質，有謙遜的胸懷，還明白自己想當什麼樣的人，清楚自己想要的人生。──吉娜‧基廷（Gina Keating），《NETFLIX：全球線上影音服務龍頭網飛大崛起》（Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America's Eyeballs）作者

　　馬克具備不尋常的勇氣。他讓一無所知是好事，自由實驗，不帶偏見地觀察，最終贏得勝利。──勞德‧塔伯（Lloyd Tabb），Looker創辦人

　　馬克具備犀利的眼光，直搗黃龍。我從他在醞釀Netflix就認識他，Netflix成立後一起結伴同行。每一次的對話都讓我獲益良多。關於你的產品、你的行銷、你的企畫，馬克知道什麼才重要。他是真正具備遠見的人。──米奇‧羅威（Mitch Lowe），紅盒（RedBox）創辦人與MoviePass執行長

　　娛樂性十足，這是一個由創意、運氣和不放棄交織而成的故事。──《科克斯書評》（Kirkus）

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Memoir

388 pages, Paperback

First published September 17, 2019

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

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."

[Vovka · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Nada Elshabrawy · Rating 5 out of 5]

مراجعة مجمعة لكام كتاب من ضمنهم الكتاب ده

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7d2x...

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sam Ng · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Stefan Mitev · Rating 5 out of 5]

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?

[Melissa Borsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Allegra Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Great insight into Marc Randolphs brain, how he thinks and works. Lots of great ideas to implement into your own business!

[Farisha Ruzaini · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. 😊

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Shawn Rapier · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Suhani · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Uninspiring and lacklustre- nothing like Phil Knight’s memoir

[Florin Pitea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so good, it's a small wonder it is still legal. Informative. Enjoyable. Highly recommended for binge-reading.

[J. Wootton · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Rikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting story, painfully folksy book.

[Fefyy Antela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I REALLY enjoyed this book.

It was fascinating to learn more about the beginning of [probably] the biggest entertainment institution in our modern days 😄

[Jefi Sevilay · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[⁺₊✧ MYRA ✧₊⁺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm a huge netflix fan so this was fun

[Sagar Chamoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Kriti Saxena · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Hiran Venugopalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!

[Sara Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

比起分享Netflix ，這本書更多是在講作者個人與創業之間的心路歷程，由於他把過程中遇到的問題交代地相當細節，讓人感受到他滿滿的創業能量與熱情！忍不住很喜歡他這樣的性格，與他創造出的企業氛圍，特別喜歡他大膽不羈卻兼具直率與理性分析的人格特質。

看這種創業過程的書，明明知道結果為何，卻還是因為對於商品有認同感，所以想了解他的產出過程，非常有意思。