Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth
01:03:54 · Lenny Rachitsky, Elizabeth Stone
[01:03:54] S0: I think people are going to be surprised by just how good AI content is. Spencer Pratt's videos are just like... everyone's like, wow, this is entertaining. Obviously, AI, but it's so interesting. Do you think we'll get to a place where just whole TV shows are AI and people love it? [01:04:09] S1: I have a hard time picturing entertainment that doesn't have humans at the heart of it. So, that's humans in the creation of the storytelling, which I think is a scarce and valuable skill. Storytelling is one and the same with humanity and knowing what connects with people. So, I think humans will always be a core part or a critical part of the story. And I think watching characters on screen who don't have that humanity feels less compelling to me. And what the power of storytelling really is, to see another human and to watch how they perform a role or bring an emotion to life, that's such a human element. Will AI help to bring that to life? Will it play a material part in some of those productions or how we get them to look and feel a certain way? Yeah, definitely. But I don't see the version of it that doesn't have the human as the backbone. [01:05:13] S0: There's a quote that I think is misattributed to Salman Rushdie, which is, "When a child is born, they first ask for food and water and protection and then they ask for, tell me a story."
01:05:13 · Lenny Rachitsky, Elizabeth Stone
[01:05:13] S0: There's a quote that I think is misattributed to Salman Rushdie, which is, "When a child is born, they first ask for food and water and protection and then they ask for, tell me a story." [01:05:27] S1: It's a thing going back since the beginning of time, that storytelling has been a key part of community, and social networks, and human feeling and connection. So, I love the idea that technology can amplify that and can bring that to life in very new, novel, exciting ways. But to say storytelling wouldn't have that humanity at the center feels like something would be missing. [01:05:57] S0: We're going to see some wild shit over the years coming out of all this. [01:06:00] S1: Oh, there's no question about that. And a lot of it could be very entertaining. I don't debate that either. But I think there's going to be a broad range and I think Netflix needs to be at the center of shaping that and bringing that to life, which is our plan. [01:06:15] S0: Amazing. Well, we covered a lot of ground, Elizabeth. Before we get to our very exciting lightning round, is there anything else that you wanted to share, leave listeners with, maybe double down on some things we've talked about?
01:06:15 · Lenny Rachitsky, Elizabeth Stone
[01:06:15] S0: Amazing. Well, we covered a lot of ground, Elizabeth. Before we get to our very exciting lightning round, is there anything else that you wanted to share, leave listeners with, maybe double down on some things we've talked about? [01:06:27] S1: It probably came across throughout, but I would underscore that this is a really exciting time to be building products in entertainment. Everything we talked about of what's changing in the tech and consumers and what is entertainment. We're at this unbelievable high velocity innovation period, so it's what keeps me at Netflix. I think it's a fun place to be. I would be missing something if I didn't reinforce that I think that's true. I also think that as an industry, we spend a lot of time sometimes talking about the pure tech or the capability and we sort of lose the forest for the trees. We're trying to build great consumer products that people love. We're trying to make great entertainment that people love and it's their favorite thing, that I don't want that to be lost in. Of course, there's amazing tech and product stuff that sits underneath, but in the end, the thing that's most inspirational is what do we bring to people around the world.
01:06:27 · Elizabeth Stone, Lenny Rachitsky
[01:06:27] S1: It probably came across throughout, but I would underscore that this is a really exciting time to be building products in entertainment. Everything we talked about of what's changing in the tech and consumers and what is entertainment. We're at this unbelievable high velocity innovation period, so it's what keeps me at Netflix. I think it's a fun place to be. I would be missing something if I didn't reinforce that I think that's true. I also think that as an industry, we spend a lot of time sometimes talking about the pure tech or the capability and we sort of lose the forest for the trees. We're trying to build great consumer products that people love. We're trying to make great entertainment that people love and it's their favorite thing, that I don't want that to be lost in. Of course, there's amazing tech and product stuff that sits underneath, but in the end, the thing that's most inspirational is what do we bring to people around the world. [01:07:23] S0: And along those lines, there's been such a... the opposite of glut and drought of a consumer, new consumer products, consumer experiences. There's very few success. Almost no consumer startup works and AI feels like an opportunity for something else to work. And I feel like Netflix is one of the rare companies and brands that continues to deliver an awesome consumer product and business. There's just not that many of them. So, good job. [01:07:48] S1: We're going to keep that up.
01:07:48 · Elizabeth Stone, Lenny Rachitsky
[01:07:48] S1: We're going to keep that up. [01:07:49] S0: Well, with that, we've reached our very exciting lightning round. I've got five questions for you. Are you ready? [01:07:54] S1: Okay, I'm ready. [01:07:56] S0: All right. What are two or three books that you find yourself recommending most to other people? [01:08:02] S1: I have to come up with different books than I said last time. [01:08:04] S0: I don't remember what they were, but that sounds great. [01:08:06] S1: I still like a good throwback. So, two that are coming to my mind, Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer and Liar's Poker, Michael Lewis. So, I worked on Wall Street and I like reminding people what it was like in the way back time. [01:08:23] S0: Favorite recent movie or TV show you really enjoyed? Which is maybe too hard for someone working at Netflix, but just what comes up. [01:08:29] S1: The list is very long. The most recent I watched, Remarkably Bright Creatures, after a recommendation from my mom. It's a tear-jerker. Talk about the human part of storytelling. [01:08:41] S0: Favorite product you've recently discovered that you really love? [01:08:44] S1: Critical for my health and wellbeing, Eight Sleep. [01:08:48] S0: Do you have a favorite life motto that you often come back to in work or in life? [01:08:53] S1: I often go back to the things that my parents instilled in me in very early times. So, the risk of repeating, maybe. First, something good happens every day. Watch for it, even in the most stressful times. And second, that the last 5% of effort usually makes all the difference.
01:08:53 · Elizabeth Stone, Lenny Rachitsky
[01:08:53] S1: I often go back to the things that my parents instilled in me in very early times. So, the risk of repeating, maybe. First, something good happens every day. Watch for it, even in the most stressful times. And second, that the last 5% of effort usually makes all the difference. [01:09:17] S0: These are awesome. They hit me. Final question. I don't know anything about this, but you mentioned you're doing some kind of cycling event. [01:09:26] S1: Oh, yeah. [01:09:28] S0: Tell us what's going on. What are you doing here? [01:09:30] S1: So, my husband and I are doing a trip where we ride alongside the Tour de France for the last week of the race. So, the tour is three weeks. The last week has a lot of mountain stages. So, we get to ride part of the route each morning and then watch the race in the afternoon. Not for the faint of heart, so I'm trying to train up so I can enjoy those rides. It's supposed to be a vacation after all. [01:09:57] S0: My God, I love this vacation. We're just going to race. So, is it like a race? [01:10:02] S1: I love cycling. I love professional sports. It's fun to be able to participate in it. [01:10:06] S0: So, is this like racing or you just kind of try to go as nonchalantly through the course? [01:10:11] S1: You go nonchalantly. [01:10:12] S0: But still there [inaudible 01:10:13]? [01:10:12] S1: I think I mentioned... Yeah. [01:10:12] S0: Other hills. [01:10:15] S1: It's physically and mentally challenging. And it's not a race, but I don't want to be at the back of the pack. So, I got to be comfortable enough to hold my own.