That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

Following in the footsteps of Phil Knight's Shoe Dog, co-founder and first CEO Marc Randolph shares the amazing, little-known tale of how Netflix evolved from an idea to a business. There was a period when physical video stores ruled the market. There were late fees everywhere, no one had heard of video streaming, and the mainstream acceptance of DVDs looked as far off as flying cars. In fact, when Marc Randolph had his notion in 1997, these were the generally recognized rules of the land. Using the internet to rent movies was a simple idea, but it was only one of many, far worse ideas that Randolph would present to Reed Hastings, his business partner, on their daily commute. Other ideas included personalized baseball bats and a shampoo delivery service. However, Hastings was fascinated, and the two established a firm, with Randolph serving as the CEO and Hastings as the main investor. With more than 150 million members, Netflix appears destined for success, but the most disruptive start-up of the twenty-first century started with few supporters and faced hardship at every turn. Marc Randolph's inspirational journey demonstrates how anyone with grit, gut instincts, and determination can change the world—even with an idea that many think will never work. From having to pitch his own mother to becoming an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-famous meeting where Netflix brass pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Randolph's story shows how anyone can achieve remarkable things. But more than simply the inner workings of one of the most recognizable businesses in the world are revealed. Packed with ideas that defy common sense and presented in engrossing style, it addresses some of our most important queries regarding taking a risk in life or business: How would one start? How do you handle failure and disappointment? How do you handle achievement? Success—what is it, exactly? That Will Never Work is not just the quintessential follow-your-dreams story, but also one of the most dramatic and perceptive entrepreneurial stories of our time, covering everything from idea development to team building to knowing when to let go.