Netflix co-founder speaks on success to HPU students
Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph speaks with HPU President Dr. Nido Qubein. Photo by: highpoint.edu.
By Ann Shelley // Staff Writer
During his visit to High Point University on Nov. 2, Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix, spoke on the key to success and offered his advice on entrepreneurship.
“In many ways, success is not the quality of the idea, but your ability to keep trying new things and twist and turn,” Randolph said. “That is really what makes success happen.”
Randolph also met with HPU student entrepreneurs to give them guidance on their ideas.
“He told me exactly what I have been thinking for a while. Do I stick to being super blogger, or do I focus on the greater picture – uniting one with the inner confidence?” Mandy Engleman, freshman, said. “He suggested that I decide if I would rather go where the money is or take a risk and follow my true passion.”
Randolph is also a veteran of Silicon Valley, entrepreneur, advisor and investor and has been part of a dozen successful company start-ups as well as a mentor to hundreds of others.
Other companies he has founded or co-founded include Looker Data Science, IntegrityQA, MicroWarehouse, MacWarehouse and MacUser. He is currently working with the analytics software company Looker Data Sciences.
During his two presentations at HPU, one with Dr. Qubein , president, and the other a presentation to the entrepreneur students, he was able to give a great deal of helpful advice.
“One of the reasons I’m so happy to be here is that something really special happened to me at college very similar to this one. A speaker came and talked to us and told us how our ideas can be turned into a reality,” Randolph said.
That speaker was what made him want to be an entrepreneur what inspired him to be more creative with his ideas.
Randolph emphasized the importance of making ideas into a reality. He compared himself to “a dog with a bone” with a new idea, in that he must perfect it and make it come to life.
“Netflix was one of those ideas that became a reality,” he said.
“Anyone can do it,” Randolph said. “You don’t need to have some special education, go to an ivy league or get a special start-up degree.”
Randolph went on to assert that entrepreneurs can be anyone who has the confidence and is not afraid to take a risk.
As for HPU, Randolph was, very impressed with our students and the facilities we have on campus.
For an exclusive video interview with March Randolph and Ann Shelley please visit campuschron.com.