Hey Kids,

Did you know that Netflix was offered to Blockbuster for $50 million dollars?

In the early 2000’s, Netflix hoped to be purchased by industry leader Blockbuster to help take it into the future. Unfortunately for Blockbuster and fortunately for us and Netflix, they passed.

I understand that Blockbuster felt that their data suggested that mail-order video rental was not what the customer wanted, let alone streaming. 56K modems were already as fast as the internet could deliver for most people. Movies online was fanciful. The shopping experience and the chance meeting with friends and neighbors were what that people wanted.

Blockbuster didn’t see the future. They lost. Netflix did once they looked past Blockbuster and they won. At least for longer than Blockbuster. Other challenges and challengers now threaten Netflix.

I doubt that had Blockbuster bought Netflix, Netflix would be the same company as what we see today. If they struggled to decide whether to buy the baby company that when left to its own devices would eat them; then I doubt they would have done the things that made Netflix the industry leader.

We the consumers won because Netflix offers to us a better service than Blockbuster ever would have. I miss the video stores, but then again, I don’t. Picking out movies from the couch is a luxury I would not give up now.

I have my own dinosaur ways of doing things. Some might think a blog is a thing of the past. I constantly ask myself if the things I do is because it’s the best way to do them, or is it just the way I’m doing them.

Do what’s right now and know that right may be different tomorrow.

Or, don’t let the baby grow up and eat you.

Day 194