No Rules Rules

Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention

By: Reed Hastings, Erin Meyer

Narrated by: Jason Culp, Allyson Ryan

Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Netflix cofounder Reed Hastings reveals for the first time the unorthodox culture behind one of the world's most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies.

There has never before been a company like Netflix. It has led nothing short of a revolution in the entertainment industries, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue while capturing the imaginations of hundreds of millions of people in more than 190 countries. But to reach these great heights, Netflix, which launched in 1998 as an online DVD rental service, has had to reinvent itself over and over again.

This type of unprecedented flexibility would have been impossible without the counterintuitive and radical management principles that cofounder Reed Hastings established from the very beginning. Hastings rejected the conventional wisdom under which other companies operate and defied tradition to instead build a culture focused on freedom and responsibility, one that has allowed Netflix to adapt and innovate as the needs of its members and the world have simultaneously transformed. Hastings set new standards, valuing people over process, emphasizing innovation over efficiency, and giving employees context, not controls. At Netflix, there are no vacation or expense policies. At Netflix, adequate performance gets a generous severance, and hard work is irrelevant. At Netflix, you don’t try to please your boss, you give candid feedback instead. At Netflix, employees don’t need approval, and the company pays top of market. When Hastings and his team first devised these unorthodox principles, the implications were unknown and untested. But in just a short period, their methods led to unparalleled speed and boldness, as Netflix quickly became one of the most loved brands in the world.

Here for the first time, Hastings and Erin Meyer, best-selling author of The Culture Map and one of the world’s most influential business thinkers, dive deep into the controversial ideologies at the heart of the Netflix psyche, which have generated results that are the envy of the business world. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees from around the globe and never-before-told stories of trial and error from Hastings’s own career, No Rules Rules is the fascinating and untold account of the philosophy behind one of the world’s most innovative, imaginative, and successful companies.

*Includes a PDF containing examples of Netflix Culture Maps from the book.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“Given the current hostility to the technology sector, the rejection of established H.R. wisdom and intensity of the organizational upheaval promoted by No Rules Rules may generate controversy. Mr. Hastings could have remained under the radar during the Silicon Valley’s cultural maelstrom. Instead, he has entered the fray with an important contribution that provides the beginnings of a road map for the sector to regain trust.... No Rules Rules demonstrates that it is not only possible to pursue both freedom and responsibility at the same time, but that for Silicon Valley and the rest of us to thrive together, it is essential.” (The New York Times)

“Hastings, CEO and cofounder of Netflix, and Meyer, a business professor at INSEAD, team up to explore the organizational cultures, successes, and lessons learned within Netflix...taking turns throughout the book to explain a situation or practice. This format feels conversational, and makes the book very easy to follow.... Informative, thought provoking, and down-to-earth.” (Booklist)

"In alternating sections with Meyer, who provides elaboration based on more than 200 Netflix interviews, Hastings details the making of the Netflix way, from hiring the best creative talent at high pay to increasing candor through frequent feedback and gradually removing controls that stifle innovation.... Fascinating story of a counterintuitive approach that apparently works." (Kirkus Reviews)

Fascinating book

This book gave me a lot to think about. I don't know that I believe Netflix got everything right, or that I would even want to work there, but the Netflix way challenges the assumptions of Corporate America and I found it very interesting to reach about.

So interesting and insightful; I loved it!

I am so glad I did not get discouraged by some of the reviews claiming that the book is a huge Netflix advertisement and nothing more. In my opinion, this statement cannot be further from the truth. The book provides great insight in an extremely captivating way; it is full of stories and lessons learned. I also think Reed Hastings pairing up with Erin Meyer to write the book was an excellent move: she had provided the research on why what Netflix does makes sense, and that gives the book even more merit. Highly recommended for people who would like to learn how to turn their process company around and make it an Agile innovation hub.

Insightful book for managers and entrepreneurs

This book was a great. I would recommend that all managers and CEOs read it. However, prior to reading I would recommend Creativity Inc. and Infinite Game. Those two books identify very valuable fundamental principles, where this book explores one particular culture and the necessary components to create that culture. I think it's important for people to have a good foundation prior to exploring this case studies.

A must-listen for every Software Engineer

Made me realize exactly what my last job was missing. Also, a great example of a well functioning meritocracy.

This book Rules!

If you manage people in your work, or even in your own family there is a lot of wisdom on this book. Real eye opener on how to build better teams and thrive in todays ever changing world of business version 2.0.2.1

Extremely insightful

Very enjoyable narration with both female and male voices for the two authors. This book is extremely insightful and a must read for entrepreneurs and managers, particularly in creative or innovation oriented industries

Freedom and Responsibility

If you long for more structure in your workplace, thinking that it will be a panacea for disorganization and disruptions, be careful. Hastings makes a compelling case why operating “on the edge of chaos” is the most effective way to run a company in a creative economy. Tough to argue against his record of success at Netflix.

Balancing culture & hyper performance with candor

Loved the real examples of Hastings quotes from Netflix culture and his past employers. clearly articulates what method works for error prevention vs innovation. Leadership styles to adapt and index on those 2 dimensions for successful culture.

Excellent

Just joined Netflix and this really helped me get up to speed in a way that felt more like the philosophy behind the decisions and the history of how they learned to operate over time.

An Interesting Approach to Corporate Culture

This is a great overview of a very unique way to approach corporate culture in the creative industries of the 21st century. Highly recommended read for all managers and business students.