1997 founded Standing
video · netflix.com
Netflix
the moat is real
28 years 356 days and counting
Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, 29 Aug 1997, DVDs in the mail. The envelope was the original growth hack.
Why it lasted
- It ate the video store, then ate cable, then spent like a studio.
- The recommendation engine plus a catalog nobody else will fully license is still a night-in reflex.
- Password crackdown was ugly and it worked.
Times it almost ended
- The 2011 Qwikster split. A textbook near-death of trust. They reversed and lived.
- Every studio pulling content for their own app. Netflix became a studio back.
What would finish it
- A bundle of studio apps that is cheaper than one Netflix bill, plus a generation that pirates because the UX of six subscriptions is worse.
Questions
Is Netflix still up?
Yes, with a Standing verdict: the moat is real. Founded 1997.
How long has Netflix been around?
Netflix has been up since 1997-08-29.
Why did Netflix survive?
It ate the video store, then ate cable, then spent like a studio.
Could Netflix still die?
A bundle of studio apps that is cheaper than one Netflix bill, plus a generation that pirates because the UX of six subscriptions is worse.