The Netflix Bestseller written by the CEO of Netflix and Erin Meyer was remarkable in a number of ways.
In my Fast Company column, innovation is a subject I’d written pretty extensively about which I more recently had updated here.
One of the ways the new Netflix book surprised me was discovering the authors had put Steve Jobs and Richard Branson on the same page as me when they wrote about one of my favorite subjects, Innovation. One reason I so love this word goes back to its origins:
ORIGIN mid 16th century: from Latin innovat- ‘renewed, altered,’ from the verb innovare, from in- ‘into’ + novare ‘make new’(from novus ‘new’).
The Netflix Bestseller is All about Innovation and Reinvention
Once I understood the simplicity of innovation, it became uncomplicated: “Making into something new.” That’s what any worthwhile entrepreneur or leader of a business or a movement would call doing business and staying relevant.
In that Fast Company article I’d written, I referenced Steve Jobs in his famous commencement speech:
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something–your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
As well as referencing the mantra used by Sir Richard Branson that runs through the DNA of each of his 500+ companies? That mantra is A-B-C-D. (Always Be Connecting the Dots).
Where Did This All Start?
Worldwide, the video has been viewed over a million times and several high-profile organizations have shown it in conferences and company-wide meetings.
I’d written and created this video (which has now eclipsed over a quarter of a million views on YouTube and another 496K views on Vimeo) for my Fast Company column, and I present it here for your enjoyment.