An Interview With Netflix CEO

I'm a fan of the weekly "Lunch with the FT" feature, where a senior journalist from the Financial Times has lunch with an interesting person. In this one, the FT's global media editor, Alex Barker, interviews Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

I do not like the fact that these lunches have all been virtual since March 2020. I mean, really? A chat over a meal is one of the cornerstones of human civilisation. A meal shared over Zoom is, just, something else?

This interview is a good read because Hastings describes his background, including a stint working in Swaziland with the US Peace Corps after his undergrad studies. He got a break after that by being accepted into Stanford's computer science graduate programme.

Hastings is not a hands-on manager. He leaves all the content procurement to his co-CEO Ted Sarandos. His philosophy is to hire smart people and give them lots of space to thrive. Mind you, they throw people out if they "don't fit". I am not sure how they work out that this is the case?

As for their strategy, Hastings notes that Netflix has no ads, and will never carry live sports or news. Their niche is drama and entertainment.

Hastings reckons that Netflix is still a small player outside the US, and has lots of space to grow. Read the full piece here: Reed Hastings: Netflix is still in challenger status.