Red Pill: The Hard Truth I Learned From “No Rules Rules”

Hard truths. Often unsettling, but always worth knowing in the long run. And, as is often said, it’s only by coming to terms and working with them that we arrive at better outcomes.

I learned one recently.

Earlier this year, I read “No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention” by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer. It provides a thought-provoking glimpse into the unique culture of the world’s biggest subscription-based streaming service.

Given how widely the book has been read and reviewed, I’m not going to summarise or paraphrase it here (see video summary below).

But there was one particular section that left its mark on me. It’s been on my mind ever since I read it.

Here’s a quote (taken from a related Reed Hastings article) that concisely captures it.

“Over the years, I’ve come to see that the best programmer doesn’t add 10 times the value. He or she adds more like a 100 times.”