Overview:

This is Marc Randolph’s, co-founder and former president of Netflix memoir. He and his friend, Reed Hastings, now CEO of Netflix, started the company based on their discussions in the car during their daily commute to the office. It’s a fascinating story of how the firm got started, and an inspiring tale for aspiring entrepreneurs. The author ends the book with a call to action / challenge to the reader – what are you going to do after reading this book?

Here is what the book was about:

Overall this is a well written, engaging, and good history of the company Netflix, and how they finally beat Blockbuster in the video rental business. If you’ve ever wondered how Netflix got started, who the key people, and events were, then this is the best book for you. There are many characters in the book, and their stories are developed upon in addition to Marc, including Reed Hastings, and Mitch Lowe.

Rating: (1 to 5)

Earned a rating of 4.85 based on the story, which was beautifully written by the co-founder of the company. Marc is uniquely qualified to write such a memoir and you learn about the company, as well as the life of the author. He did an excellent job of drawing the reader in on the details, even describing the smell of coffee, sounds of engines, etc; very imaginative. You laugh when he wants you to laugh, cry when he feels sadness as you go through the ups and downs of Netflix’ story from start to IPO.

Other Thoughts

Marc thanked Gina Keating, the author of “Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs” in his acknowledgements section. You may want to check out this book if you’re interested in the Blockbuster rivalry story.

Did you read this book? What were your key take-aways? Share your comments in the section below.