Hastings's Next Big Idea: Netflix

After his two years in the Peace Corps, Hastings went back to school for a graduate degree in computer science. He wanted to study one area in particular, artificial intelligence. "I thought AI might be a nice blend, not as dry as math, but more intellectual and challenging than being a classroom teacher," he says. In 1999, Hastings took over at Pure Software after Mark Randolph became the company's first CEO. It was that sale that helped him fuel his next big venture, Netflix.