A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ... I remember when my family first got a color TV. Meanwhile, programming was mostly black and white, and the Flintstones sold us cigarettes.
I also remember when cable TV started to get popular (and I couldn't believe there was a channel to watch sports all day long).
As big as cable got, we are seeing a tectonic industry shift.
Below is a chart of Netflix vs Cable based on subscriptions.
via SamuelWBennett.
As we start 2017, domestic Netflix subscriber volume is expected to surpass cable volume.
Cable has been attached to their medium – and not their audience.
In contrast, Netflix has had many opportunities to die, but continues to re-invent itself.
Netflix started as a mail-order delivery system for DVDs (that competed with Blockbuster). It appealed to it's audience by letting them stay at home and keep a DVD as long as they wanted.
As Blockbuster caught up, Netflix responded by creating a streaming service.
You know the story, the networks created Hulu, Amazon introduced Prime. Even the Internet, itself, was a competitor that stole eyeballs.
So, what happened?
Netflix responded by creating it's own shows, reviving old fan-favorites, and flipping the model on it's head again.
Netflix has built its success on its willingness to leave its corpse behind without looking back – Creative Destruction.
It's a lesson that becomes more important as technology improves and attention spans get shorter.
Your "Not To Do" list is often more important than your "To Do" list.
What dead weight is holding you back?
It is the New Year ... Time to look at what to start, what to stop, and what to do more of.
