That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea

by Marc Randolph

It’s common knowledge that things in Silicon Valley are pretty casual. There’s not a lot of room for suits, ties, that sort of thing. People have come to understand that it’s a sign of great respect if I shave for a meeting. I think the reason the Valley is so casual is because, unlike most industries, tech is about as close to a true meritocracy as you can get. In many disciplines, being a smooth talker or a snappy dresser can grease your ascent to the executive suite. But in Silicon Valley the only thing that really matters is the quality of your work. It’s a programmer’s world, with a programmer’s ethos. Every programmer is accustomed to having their code subjected to peer review, in which fellow coders evaluate its brevity, elegance, cleverness, simplicity, and ultimate effectiveness. It’s all there in black and white. It matters not at all what you look or dress like; what you talk or smell like. You don’t need to speak English. If your code is good, you’re in. If your code sucks, it’s immediately apparent to everybody.