Set in an unnamed city by the sea in mid-1970s India, during a State of Internal Emergency, the novel follows the lives of Dina Dalal, a widowed seamstress; Ishvar and Omprakash Darji, tailors forced from their village; and Maneck Kohlah, a young student from the Himalayas. The story delves into their intertwined lives, their struggles with poverty, violence, and social upheaval, and their efforts to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair. The novel is a sweeping narrative that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and critiques the harsh realities of neoliberal economics and social injustice.
In this memoir, Haruki Murakami reflects on his experiences with long-distance running and how it has influenced his writing. He started running in the early 1980s and has since completed over twenty marathons and an ultramarathon. The book delves into the parallels between running and writing, highlighting the discipline, perseverance, and mental fortitude required for both. Murakami shares his training regimens, memorable races, and the philosophical insights he has gained from his running experiences, which have significantly impacted his creative life.
In this book, Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer explore the counterintuitive management culture that has driven Netflix's success. The authors discuss how Netflix's approach, which includes no vacation or expense policies, generous severance for underperforming employees, and a focus on candid feedback, has led to unparalleled innovation and speed. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees, the book provides actionable lessons for leaders on how to build and maintain a highly innovative and adaptable organizational culture.
Elizabeth Stone is the chief technology officer of Netflix. She previously served as vice president of product data science and engineering, and as vice president of data and insights, at Netflix. Before Netflix, Elizabeth was vice president of science at Lyft, chief operating officer at Nuna, a trader at Merrill Lynch, and an economist at Analysis Group. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Elizabeth’s advice for career advancement
• Netflix’s unique high-performance culture
• How, and why, Netflix maintains a high bar for excellence
• Intentional leadership practices
• How to foster an “open door” culture within your team
• The Keeper Test and how it contributes to maintaining a high bar for excellence
• The power of transparent communication
• Much more
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence
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Where to find Elizabeth Stone:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-stone-608a754/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Elizabeth’s background
(04:36) Life as CTO vs. VP of Data
(05:57) The role of economists in tech companies
(08:32) Using economics to understand incentives
(10:07) Success and career growth
(20:15) Setting expectations
(25:02) Advice for how to avoid burnout
(27:44) Netflix culture: high talent density
(30:31) Netflix culture: candor and directness
(31:45) The Keeper Test
(39:01) Maintaining a high bar for excellence
(43:54) Netflix culture: freedom and responsibility
(46:18) Unconventional processes at Netflix
(47:55) Examples of candor
(51:44) Data and insights team structure
(01:00:12) Staying close to teams
(01:02:31) Advice on being present
(01:07:40) Lightning round
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Referenced:
• What to Know About the Netflix Cup, Today’s First-Ever Live Sports Event: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/netflix-cup-live-event-date-news
• Ann Miura Ko interview | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2GO0Ks_VGg
• Netflix culture: https://jobs.netflix.com/culture
• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860
• Reed Hastings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedhastings/
• Netflix’s “Keeper Test” and Why You Need It | Lorne Rubis: https://www.highlights.lornerubis.com/2015/08/the-netflix-keeper-test-and-the-courage-to-take-it/
• The Hunger Games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games
• Nan Yu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenanyu/
• Work Life Philosophy: https://jobs.netflix.com/work-life-philosophy
• The Scoop: Netflix’s historic introduction of levels for software engineers: https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/netflix-levels/
• Chaos Monkey: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Chaos-Monkey
• Ali Rauh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-rauh/
• Keith Henwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-henwood/
• Jeff Bezos’ Morning Routine of Puttering Around—How It Works: https://medium.com/illumination/jeff-bezos-morning-routine-of-puttering-around-how-it-works-9d73f359ac8d
• What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir: https://www.amazon.com/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0307389839
• A Fine Balance: https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Balance-Rohinton-Mistry/dp/140003065X
• Triangle of Sadness on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/triangle-of-sadness-f60937bd-45f4-469a-938f-db95026953a1
• Beef on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81447461
• Fellow pour-over coffee set: https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-xf-pour-over-set
• Peloton bikes: https://www.onepeloton.com/shop/bike
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
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