But, I predict that once Reed Hastings leaves Netflix, the company will begin to decline.
Chesky's experience instead says to me that as managers we should be be wary of all advice and management styles and playbooks. For sure it's good to listen to advice and learn about management but life and managing a business are so much more complex than any set of rules or observations can describe.
In fact, since every organization's situation is unique, then managers should take all advice and accepted wisdom with a pinch of salt and forge ahead with their own unique set of principles for their own unique set of challenges. This is what Chesky deduced.
I would also go one step further and assert that it's a positive sign if a founder goes against the grain and breaks the rules - success is more likely than if they follow the established way of doing things. This is innovation.
Perhaps this is the 'founder mode' that PG is trying to uncover: think different.
We're at covid peak ATH again. Anyone who bought the dip in 2022, is looking like a genius with fantastic gains.
The more money Netflix has, the more they invest into better content. People look at the base metrics, which is why they are investing... along with a healthy dose of dump money into stonks that are earning more than interest rates. Once the fed starts to cut rates, things go even higher.
_But_ the stock is way up and their subscriber count keeps increasing. They have obviously found a formula that keeps the masses happy. And they are succeeding despite heavy competition. Can't argue with the facts.