Business Books & Co.

No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer goes into the details of Netflix's corporate culture of "Freedom and Responsibility." Hastings and Meyer relate how Netflix achieved this culture, and espouse its many supposed benefits. It includes some controversial policies (or lack thereof) and harsh realities for employees. In this episode we discuss the tenets of Netflix's corporate culture, including talent density, candor, no approvals required, and more. We relate them to our own experiences, and discuss their applicability to businesses other than Netflix. Show Notes No Rules Rules via Amazon Erin Meyer via Wikipedia Reed Hastings via Wikipedia Netflix vs. the World documentary via Amazon David Kopec's Review of No Rules Rules Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Data Domain was an innovator in the data backup market, and Frank Slootman was its CEO from 2003 until its acquisition in 2009 by EMC. Data Domain used a technique known as data deduplication to make hard disks a viable backup medium for replacing traditional tape based backup solutions. Slootman wrote Tape Sucks as a series of short advice vignettes from one successful startup CEO to others managing high growth ventures. In each short chapter Slootman tackles one subject and tries to get his point across with an anecdote from Data Domain. In this episode we discuss Tape Sucks, Data Domain, and Slootman's advice. Show Notes Tape Sucks via Amazon Data Domain via Wikipedia Magnetic tape data storage via Wikipedia Data deduplication via Wikipedia Amp It Up! a blog post on LinkedIn by Frank Slootman mentioned in the episode On Taking Criticism David Kopec's blog post that he plugged in the episode Follow us on Twitter @BusinessBooksCo and join our Amazon book club. Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Stephanie Shirley has been a pioneer all of her life. After coming to England as a child refugee from Nazi Germany, she started one of the first software consulting firms, Freelance Programmers. But it was first in a number of other ways too. It was almost entirely run by women, despite discrimination against women in the technology industry. Its business model, employing women in their free time to do programming tasks, was a predecessor to today's "gig economy." In her memoir, Let It Go, Shirley not only recounts her entrepreneurship journey, but also her concurrent personal struggles including bringing up her child with severe developmental difficulties. Shirley went on to become one of the leading figures in philanthropy in Britain. Shirley concludes her memoir by explaining her philanthropic philosophy and the strategies that have tied her many successes together. In this episode, we discuss this raw, honest, and profound memoir. Show Notes Business Books & Co. on Twitter Business Books & Co. Amazon Book Club Stephanie Shirley via Wikipedia Let It Go on Amazon Stephanie Shirley TED Talk David Kopec's Review of Let It Go Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

This month we read Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace. Ed Catmull was the cofounder and longtime president of Pixar. Part memoir and part advice for managers of creatives, Creativity Inc. tells the story of Pixar from dream to animation powerhouse. Then it gets into Catmull’s strategies for managing Pixar’s creative success. We discuss the history of Pixar, our key takeaways from the book, and instances of its lessons in our own careers. Show Notes Creativity Inc. on Amazon Ed Catmull on Wikipedia Follow us on Twitter Join Our Amazon Book Club Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

Daymond John is best known as an investor on ABC’s Shark Tank, but he is also the award winning fashion designer who founded the multi-billion dollar brand FUBU. In The Power of Broke, Daymond explains the strategies that helped him start FUBU, with almost no resources, out of his mom’s house in Hollis, Queens. He then examines the stories of other entrepreneurs who started from nothing. In our season 2 opener, we welcome our new co-host, Eli. We discuss the key lessons Daymond is trying to impart. Finally, we recall our favorite (and least favorite) entrepreneurship stories from the book. Show Notes The Power of Broke via Amazon Daymond John on Wikipedia Insights from The Power of Broke by David Short Eli's Travel Blog MacHeist on Wikipedia Dart for Absolute Beginners via Amazon Creativity Inc. via Amazon Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

We recap the qualities of some of the books we read over the last year in Season 1 of Business Books & Co. Each of us discuss our favorite and least favorite books. We say goodbye to one of our co-hosts, but we will be back next month to start Season 2! You can find our book list from the last year on our website. Other books we recommended: Made in America recommended by David Short One from Many recommended by David Short Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter recommended by Molson Alchemy recommended by Molson Game Over recommended by David Kopec Creative Selection recommended by David Kopec Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

13. Only the Paranoid Survive This month we read the 1997 book Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove. Grove was the long-time storied CEO of Intel. Only the Paranoid Survive is about strategic inflection points in a business. Grove explains how to detect these events, how to respond to them, and recites some war stories. We discuss the book, some strategic inflection points in our own industries, and the computer business during Grove's tenure at Intel. Show Notes Andy Grove on Wikipedia Only the Paranoid Survive on Amazon The Right to a Nonconsensus Opinion by Molson Hart Products & Payments by David Short Kopec Explains Software by David Kopec Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

12. Zero to One We discuss the 2014 book Zero to One by Peter Thiel. In Zero to One, Thiel, a cofounder of Paypal and Palantir, as well as an early investor in Facebook, describes what conditions make for a great startup. Part history lesson, part economics lesson, and part business advice, Zero to One is a succinct book full of powerful ideas. Show Notes Zero to One via Amazon Peter Thiel via Wikipedia Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

11. Iacocca: An Autobiography Lee Iacocca was responsible for the introduction of iconic Ford products like the Mustang and Thunderbird. He rose in the ranks to become President, second only to Henry Ford II. As CEO of Chrysler during the early 1980s, he saved the company from bankruptcy and introduced the minivan. He was one of the biggest celebrity executives during the Reagan era. We discuss his autobiography, in which he recounts his life’s journey from the son of Italian immigrants to the height of the business world. Show Notes Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca with William Novak (via Amazon) Lee Iacocca (via Wikipedia) Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com

10. The Ride of a Lifetime The Ride of a Lifetime is a 2019 memoir about Bob Iger’s journey at Disney. It begins by relaying Iger’s time climbing the corporate ladder, and then does a deep dive into his fifteen years as the company’s CEO, with a focus on acquisitions and mergers. We discuss Iger’s career, the key lessons he learned, and the mergers of Disney with Pixar, Marvell, Lucasfilm, and Fox. Show Notes The Ride of a Lifetime via Amazon Bob Iger on Twitter Bob Iger on Wikipedia Bob Iger on Bill Simmons Podcast Bob Iger with Oprah Bob Iger on Tim Ferris's Podcast Find out more at http://businessbooksandco.com