Home
→
Books
→
That Will Never Work
That Will Never Work

The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

2019

Biography

by

Marc Randolph

Biography of the first five years of Netflix through its IPO, written by Marc Randolph, cofounder and first CEO. It details how the company turned the idea of mailing DVDs into reality, navigated the dotcom bubble bursting, found its winning subscription strategy, and launched kiosks.

Order now ON
Jermaine's Notes
Read

March 2025

Lessons on splitting founding equity and radical cofounder honesty. Blockbuster passed on buying Netflix for $50m. Read 2019 hardcover.

Connected Posts
Netflix's Startup Naming Hack: Beta Name
Netflix's cofounder reveals his surprising "beta name" hack to bypass naming paralysis and focus on building.
How Netflix Started: 137 DVD Orders
From 137 orders to a $410 billion empire: The surprising reality of Netflix's humble beginnings and the lesson of starting incredibly small.
Why Netflix's First CEO Stepped Down
Ruthless honesty between cofounders led to Marc Randolph stepping down after just one year and Reed Hastings becoming CEO.
How Netflix Cofounders Divided Early Equity
Learn why the first Netflix CEO Marc Randolph owned only 30% while his cofounder Reed Hastings had a majority 68% stake.
Netflix Cofounder Ownership at IPO
Netflix cofounder ownership at IPO: Uncover the data hidden in their S-1 filing, revealing founder and VC firm stakes.
Why Netflix Said No to Canada
Netflix's 'Canada Principle' offers a powerful framework for saying 'no' and focusing strategically.
Connected Entrepreneurs
No items found.
Connected Books
Netflixed
Read

April 2025

A biography of Netflix, from inception through 2011. Details the epic battle with Blockbuster and how Netflix almost lost. Describes the strategy and decisions behind the transition from DVD rentals to streaming.
Blockbuster's board members helped Netflix win their battle. Read 2012 hardcover.
Learn more →