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alisajeffus's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable story about the beginnings of Netflix and life in the late 90s/early 00s in Silicon Valley. The stories of problem solving and culture building were super interesting & I enjoyed learning about the founder and his willingness to work in his strengths and be willing to be what the company needed him to be.
supriyasrivatsa's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book, a very interesting read. It's everything in the title - the birth of Netflix, the amazing life of an idea - from inception to shaping it to execution - the key; plus titbits about Marc Randolf's life. I liked that the book was a cross between a memoir and a documentary; to me, it seemed very wholesome that way. Towards the end of the book, I found the writing a bit vague and lacking the kind of energy the book had built up until then. Also a bummer that the book does not at all foray into how Netflix innovated and moved into streaming. However, overall, I found this to be a very interesting read with lot of insights to muse upon.
eznark's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who has been a Netflix member since I bought a DVD player in 1998 or so, this was a fun read. I felt like I had an almost personal connection to the growth of this company just from being able to remember a lot of the changes described. It was a fun to see behind the curtain on why some of these decisions were made.
From an origin story/leadership education standpoint it was great as well. I'd put it up there with Creativity, Inc. in terms of tech founding stories written by grounded, personable and mostly relateable people.
A
From an origin story/leadership education standpoint it was great as well. I'd put it up there with Creativity, Inc. in terms of tech founding stories written by grounded, personable and mostly relateable people.
A
hanshadhameed's review against another edition
5.0
That's one piece of a memoir. Funny, inspiring and beautiful on it's own way. Totally loved it.
timdams007's review against another edition
5.0
Great read, but definitely needs a new update in which Netflix's decade is told.
bookofcinz's review against another edition
3.0
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.
milshollini's review against another edition
4.0
Netflix & read.
Струва си да се прочете дори само заради историята с Блокбъстър.
Струва си да се прочете дори само заради историята с Блокбъстър.
fallingletters's review against another edition
3.0
Discussion originally published 29 September 2020 at Falling Letters.
Dad’s first comment on this book was that it is easy to read because of the conversational style. Randolph writes like he’s telling you his story over a cup of coffee. His book is more of personal memoir than journalistic nonfiction. At times, I was reminded me of a guy giving a TED talk about the origins of his company and what he learnt from it.
Dad also works in the retail business. While his market differs from Netflix’s, he appreciated a lot of the parallels, particularly to do with problem solving and risk taking. The very core of the idea alone – betting on DVDs – was a risk. Another risk that stood out was the decision to focus on renting rather than selling, when selling made up the majority of their early business. But that turned out to be the right decision: they foresaw Amazon emerging as a serious competitor. Randolph sprinkles in business/start up advice throughout. One chapter I particularly enjoyed detailed the day of the launch. I could feel the tension!
The business of Netflix ended up looking vastly different from how Randolph had initially imagined it, even though the original principal (DVDs via mail order) remained the same. And of course hindsight makes the story extra juicy – certainly no one at Netflix in 1998 imagined what it would become today. One investor they approached in the early stages wasn’t interested because he foresaw movies being downloaded over the internet. There are a few moments like that, which are particularly interesting to reflect on in light of how things have changed or stayed the same in 20 years.
This book lacks images. I would have loved to see some screenshots of their first website. Thankfully, the Wayback Machine exists! After finishing the book, Dad and I took a look. It’s neat to see the features described in the book, such as categories, ‘virtually all DVD titles!’, and the coupon for DVD player owners.
The only part of the book we were unsure about was the ending. I was surprised when I flipped the page and saw ‘Epilogue’. Randolph hadn’t yet addressed his departure from the company. Thankfully, the epilogue does go into that. But it felt a bit different from the rest of the book. It was unclear to us whether he left the company because he was truly bored or because he was pushed out. It was a little more opaque and rushed than other parts of the book, where we felt he was speaking frankly.
Final Thoughts
Dad’s first comment on this book was that it is easy to read because of the conversational style. Randolph writes like he’s telling you his story over a cup of coffee. His book is more of personal memoir than journalistic nonfiction. At times, I was reminded me of a guy giving a TED talk about the origins of his company and what he learnt from it.
Dad also works in the retail business. While his market differs from Netflix’s, he appreciated a lot of the parallels, particularly to do with problem solving and risk taking. The very core of the idea alone – betting on DVDs – was a risk. Another risk that stood out was the decision to focus on renting rather than selling, when selling made up the majority of their early business. But that turned out to be the right decision: they foresaw Amazon emerging as a serious competitor. Randolph sprinkles in business/start up advice throughout. One chapter I particularly enjoyed detailed the day of the launch. I could feel the tension!
That’s how Netflix had felt, all that spring – a blue haze buzzing around all of our heads. But starting on April 14, Netflix wasn’t just potential energy anymore. It was a live current, positive meeting negative. It was a lightning strike. And now we had to figure out how to manage it. (39%)
The business of Netflix ended up looking vastly different from how Randolph had initially imagined it, even though the original principal (DVDs via mail order) remained the same. And of course hindsight makes the story extra juicy – certainly no one at Netflix in 1998 imagined what it would become today. One investor they approached in the early stages wasn’t interested because he foresaw movies being downloaded over the internet. There are a few moments like that, which are particularly interesting to reflect on in light of how things have changed or stayed the same in 20 years.
This book lacks images. I would have loved to see some screenshots of their first website. Thankfully, the Wayback Machine exists! After finishing the book, Dad and I took a look. It’s neat to see the features described in the book, such as categories, ‘virtually all DVD titles!’, and the coupon for DVD player owners.
The only part of the book we were unsure about was the ending. I was surprised when I flipped the page and saw ‘Epilogue’. Randolph hadn’t yet addressed his departure from the company. Thankfully, the epilogue does go into that. But it felt a bit different from the rest of the book. It was unclear to us whether he left the company because he was truly bored or because he was pushed out. It was a little more opaque and rushed than other parts of the book, where we felt he was speaking frankly.
Final Thoughts