While I work in tech, I have no desire to work for one of the prestigious FAANG companies, and after this book I know for certain I do not want to work at Netflix. This is a book about how Netflix creates and maintains a culture of high-performing employees who have the autonomy to make decisions without the need for oversight. It’s an interesting look at how to create a culture that thrives on innovation and easily trims out those who are not performing as highly as the company needs.
There’s also a few uncomfortable things that happen in the book. The radical candour they talk about and the constant feedback appear to be entirely negative and involve calling people out in public settings, sometimes being placed in a room so that you and your coworkers can all do that to each other. There’s a part where a woman gets feedback from a man that she’s been talking too much. If you are a woman in tech, you know why that bothered me. There’s also the insistence that they are culturally sensitive, but then insist that other cultures bend to their way of doing things.
If you’re curious about what tech is like, the attitudes expressed by the voice of this book are not uncommon. The “We are doing everything right, if it’s not working for you then you are the problem, the people who left just couldn’t handle us or weren’t good enough for us” is what you’re walking into with the many companies.
I’m certain this book is full of embellishments and exaggerations to make Netflix sound more interesting and innovative, but there are a few interesting ideas. If you are in tech, it is an interesting read. If you think this is a book to live by, however, please lose my number.