Netflix’s Culture, Core Principles, and Values (New in 2024)
Netflix’s Company Culture
Netflix aspires to entertain the world, thrilling audiences everywhere.
To do that, they’ve developed an unusual company culture focused on excellence, and creating an environment where talented people can thrive — lifting ourselves, each other and our audiences higher and higher.
Here are their four core principles and eight values that define their culture.
Four core principles
1. The Dream Team
We aim only to have high performers at Netflix — people who are great at what they do, and even better at working together.
We model ourselves on a professional sports team, not a family.
Families are about unconditional love. They can also be dysfunctional.
Professional sports teams, on the other hand, focus on performance and picking the right person for every position, even when that means swapping out someone they love for a better player.
The “keeper test”: asking “if X wanted to leave, would I fight to keep them?” Or “knowing everything I know today, would I hire X again?” If the answer is no, we believe it’s fairer to everyone to part ways quickly.
2. People over Process
You get better outcomes when employees have the information and freedom to make decisions for themselves.
We hire unusually responsible people who thrive on this openness and freedom.
Our vacation policy, for example, is two words: “Take vacation.” And our expenses policy is just five words: “Act in Netflix’s best interests.”
3. Uncomfortably Exciting
To entertain the world, we need to be bold and ambitious.
That means embracing the thrill of what’s next — even when it’s uncomfortable.
Netflix works best if you value experimentation, enjoy the uncomfortable excitement of a new or challenging project and have the resilience to thrive in this environment.
4. Great and Always Better
We often say Netflix sucks today compared to where we can be tomorrow.
We need the self-awareness to understand what should be better, and the discipline and resilience to get there.
We constantly seek to improve our culture, not preserve it. Every new employee helps shape how we work — finding new ways to accomplish more together.
Eight values
1. Selflessness
You are humble when searching for the best ideas.
You seek what’s best for Netflix, not yourself or your team.
You take time to help others succeed.
2. Judgment
You look beyond short term fixes in favor of long term solutions.
You make wise decisions despite ambiguity.
You use data to inform your intuition.
3. Candor
You willingly receive and give feedback.
You are open about what’s working and what needs to improve.
You admit mistakes openly and share learnings widely.
4. Creativity
You welcome new ideas.
You are passionate and persistent in pursuit of more innovative solutions.
You value artistic expression.
5. Courage
You are vulnerable in search for the truth.
You are willing to risk failure, or challenge the status quo, in the pursuit of excellence.
6. Inclusion
You recognize your biases and work to counteract them.
You work to ensure everyone at Netflix can do their best work, whatever their culture, identity or background.
7. Curiosity
You learn rapidly and eagerly.
You are as interested in other people’s ideas as your own.
You’re humble about what you don’t yet know.
8. Resilience
You quickly adapt to changing circumstances.
You make tough decisions without agonizing or long delay.
You embrace a hard challenge.
“If you want to build a ship,
don’t drum up the people
to gather wood, divide the
work, and give orders.Instead, teach them to yearn
for the vast and endless sea.” — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of The Little Prince
This is an updated version of their culture which originated in 2009.
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Save Netflix’s 2009 culture in Twos ⬇️
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