Sometimes the biggest gambles lead to the richest wins. Netflix's superb ascent from a humble DVD-by-mail service to a global streaming behemoth did not happen by accident. It took very risky and calculated decisions that broke with traditional corporate caution.
One of the most shocking examples of this came early in Netflix's mission for original content, when co-CEO Ted Sarandos committed $100 million (which is £74 million GBP approx) to produce the political drama House of Cards without first seeking approval from founder and executive chairman Reed Hastings. This daring decision changed the company's trajectory and set a template for how Netflix would compete with legacy Hollywood studios.
