That Will Never Work

In the tradition of Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog comes the incredible untold story of how Netflix went from concept to company – all revealed by co-founder and first CEO Marc Randolph.

“Engaging and insightful.” –Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix

“As the founding CEO, Marc Randolph’s leadership defined the culture of Netflix and laid the groundwork for successive, global revolutions in how we make and consume entertainment.” –Gina Keating, author of Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs

“Charming, fascinating and very funny. If you’ve ever wondered how to turn an idea into a global household name, Marc Randolph will demystify the world of Silicon Valley start-ups, and make you laugh a lot along the way.” –Decca Aitkenhead, The Sunday Times

“A charming first-person account of the early days of one of the most successful tech start-ups ever. An engaging read that will engross any would-be entrepreneur.” —The Washington Post

Once upon a time, brick-and-mortar video stores were king. Late fees were ubiquitous, video-streaming unheard of, and widespread DVD adoption seemed about as imminent as flying cars. These were the widely accepted laws of the land in 1997 when Marc Randolph had an idea.

It was a simple thought – leveraging the internet to rent movies – and was just one of many more proposals, like personalised baseball bats and a shampoo delivery service, that Randolph would pitch to his business partner, Reed Hastings, on their commute to work each morning.

But Hastings was intrigued, and the pair – with Hastings as the primary investor and Randolph as the CEO – founded a company.

Now with over 150 million subscribers, Netflix’s triumph feels inevitable but the twenty-first century’s most disruptive start-up began with few believers and calamity at every turn. From having to pitch his own mother on being an early investor, to the motel conference room that served as a first office, to server crashes on launch day, to the now-infamous meeting when they pitched Blockbuster to acquire them, Marc Randolph’s transformational journey exemplifies how anyone with grit, gut instincts and determination can change the world – even with an idea that many think will never work.

What emerges, however, isn’t just the inside story of one of the world’s most iconic companies. Full of counter-intuitive concepts and written in binge-worthy prose, it answers our most fundamental questions about taking that leap of faith in business or in life: How do you begin? How do you weather disappointment and failure? How do you deal with success? What even is success?

From idea generation to team building to knowing when it’s time to let go, That Will Never Work is not only the ultimate follow-your-dreams parable but also one of the most dramatic and insightful entrepreneurial stories of our time.

“Marc wastes no time cutting through the noise. He understands what is important whether it is your product, your marketing, or your business plan. A remarkable and one of a kind visionary.” –Mitch Lowe, founder of RedBox and CEO of MoviePass

“An entertaining chronicle of creativity, luck, and unflagging perseverance.” —Kirkus