Marc Randolph facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Randolph
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Randolph in April 2017
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| Born |
Marc Bernays Randolph
April 29, 1958 (age 67) Chappaqua, New York, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Hamilton College (BS) |
| Occupation | Co-founder and former CEO of Netflix |
| Spouse(s) |
Lorraine Kiernan
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Family | Bernays family |
Marc Randolph is an American entrepreneur, speaker, and advisor. He is best known as the co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. He was born on April 29, 1958.
Marc has helped start many companies. These include the U.S. version of Macworld magazine and computer mail-order businesses like MacWarehouse. Today, he helps guide companies like Looker Data Sciences. He also serves on the board of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). This school teaches outdoor skills. He is also part of 1% for the Planet, an environmental group.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Marc Randolph grew up in Chappaqua, New York. His father was a nuclear engineer who later became a financial advisor. His mother ran her own real estate business. Marc's family has some famous relatives. One of his great-uncles was Sigmund Freud, a pioneer in psychology. Another great-uncle, Edward Bernays, helped create the field of public relations.
During his high school and college summers, Marc worked for the National Outdoor Leadership School. He became one of their youngest instructors. He later graduated from Hamilton College with a degree in geology.
Marc's Career Journey
Starting Out in Business
Marc's first job after college was in 1981 at Cherry Lane Music Company in New York. He was in charge of their small mail-order business. He learned how to sell music directly to customers. He also became very interested in using computers to understand what customers liked to buy. This idea later helped him design Netflix.
In 1984, Marc helped start the U.S. version of MacUser magazine. He continued to learn about direct marketing. A year later, he co-founded computer mail-order companies like MacWarehouse. He realized that fast, overnight delivery made customers happier. This discovery was very important for Netflix later on.
Working in Tech
In 1988, Marc started working at Borland International, a software company. He built direct-to-customer sales programs there. In 1995, he moved to Silicon Valley. He worked at several new companies. One of these was Visioneer, which made desktop scanners. He also joined Integrity QA, a company that tested software.
In 1996, a company called Pure Atria bought Integrity QA. Pure Atria's founder was Reed Hastings. He kept Marc Randolph as a vice president. Marc and Reed often drove to work together. During these drives, they came up with the idea for Netflix.
Creating Netflix
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Marc wanted to create an online store like Amazon.com. He heard about new digital discs called DVDs. He thought about selling these new discs online. He and Reed couldn't find a DVD, so they tried mailing a music CD.
Marc explained, "Reed and I were in downtown Santa Cruz. We wondered if we could mail these things. We bought a music CD and put it in an envelope. We mailed it to Reed's house. The next day, he said, 'It came. It's fine.' That was the 'aha!' moment."
Reed Hastings, Marc's mother, and Steve Kahn were the first investors in Netflix. Marc named the company. He also designed its first website and logo. He was the CEO for the first year while Reed went to graduate school. Netflix officially started on April 14, 1998, in Scotts Valley, California.
Marc designed the website to be both a movie catalog and a way to learn about customers. He constantly tested different versions to make it better. This testing led to three key ideas in 1999 that made Netflix successful:
- A subscription service with no late fees.
- A "Queue" where members could choose the order of their DVDs.
- A system that mailed a new DVD as soon as the old one was returned.
The customer information collected by the website also helped create Cinematch. This system recommended movies and TV shows to members. It also helped manage the company's DVD supply.
Marc stepped down as CEO in 1999. Reed Hastings took over. Marc then focused on developing new products. He and Mitch Lowe, another team member, tested a movie rental kiosk idea. This idea later became Redbox. Marc left Netflix in 2002. He had helped the company go public two years earlier. He said he preferred the early stages of a company. He felt Reed was better at growing a large company.
After Netflix
Since leaving Netflix, Marc Randolph has been a mentor and advisor. He serves on the board of Looker Data Sciences. He is also an Entrepreneur in Residence at High Point University. This means he helps students learn about starting businesses.
Marc is also a popular speaker. He travels the world sharing his experiences with Netflix. He talks about leadership and innovation.
In September 2019, Marc published his book, That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea. He also hosts a podcast with the same name.
Personal Life
Marc Randolph has been married to Lorraine Kiernan since 1987. They have three children. He lives in Santa Cruz, California.
See also
In Spanish: Marc Randolph para niños
