1. Satisfy important unmet needs
2. Convince people that they are doing #1 (whether or not they actually are)
3. Exploit a human weakness
4. Exploit cracks in the system (creating them if necessary)

You might want to think about this a bit.  What types of companies epitomize each?

The focus of this blog and my company is succeeding on the basis of method #1, satisfying important unmet needs.  It’s the sustainable, no-BS way to go about it.

But we must acknowledge that companies can and do succeed — at least from a financial standpoint — without actually having to do so.  You can, in fact, make a good living selling snake oil.

How about you?  How does your company succeed?  What type of business do you, personally, like to be involved in?  Which of the four are you personally driven to, and which are you repulsed by?

This remarkable deck on Netflix corporate culture reflects what he figured out in those two years.  It’s longish, but worth grabbing a cup of tea, closing your door, and taking time to reflect upon each slide and what it says about your company.

Reed Hastings has been added to my list of heroes.