Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings, co-founder and former co-CEO of Netflix, is the visionary who executed a series of daring pivots that transformed entertainment. He first disrupted Blockbuster by mailing DVDs, then cannibalized that own business to pioneer internet streaming. Under his leadership, Netflix again pivoted from licensing content to spending billions on original production, becoming a Hollywood studio and global cultural force. Hastings championed a unique and influential corporate culture of 'Freedom and Responsibility,' documented in a famous culture memo that emphasized high performance, candid feedback, and employee autonomy.

While he stepped down as co-CEO in 2023, remaining Executive Chairman, his legacy is the complete re-architecting of how the world consumes film and television, forcing every major media conglomerate and tech giant to follow his subscription streaming model. His influence is a masterclass in strategic foresight and willingness to disrupt one's own successful business to capture the next wave.