Roku: Anthony Wood
How I Built This with Guy Raz
How Roku Became the Leader in Streaming TV
Roku's initial business model was to sell a hardware box that could connect the internet and television. The goal was to become the platform for TV, similar to Android for phones and Windows for PCs. While web browsers were viewed as an inefficient way to distribute software, price was crucial in the TV industry, making Roku's affordable hardware more appealing. Initially, Roku focused on streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, but soon added an app store, attracting more companies to publish their content. Internet companies were more willing to join Roku, while traditional media companies viewed streaming as a threat. The strategy was to build scale by getting more Roku devices in consumers' hands, making money on the hardware to finance the business rather than relying on profits from streaming services.
