a16z Podcast

Designing a Culture of Reinvention

Episode Summary

Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings talks with a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz about his management philosophies and learnings from managing Netflix through multiple pivots. Because as companies grow and their technologies and customers rapidly evolve, building a resilient culture that can reinvent the product and itself is critical for enduring success.

Episode Notes

In this episode from September 2020, originally recorded for the Commonwealth Club of California, Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hasting talks about his new book "No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention" with a16z co-founder and fellow author Ben Horowitz, who also wrote a bestselling book about culture in 2019. 

During the conversation, Reed tells the story of Netflix's evolution and his management philosophy, including the hard lesson he learned about what happens when you optimize for efficiency at the expense of creative talent. He also explains why sometimes a more narrow market focus is better for growth and shares the tactics that have helped Netflix expand globally and translate a culture of innovation across different countries, from Japan to Brazil to America.