I can see where they are coming from with this book - it distills the Netflix approach, one which they believe has worked well for them, with some ways of working that defy the norms (for example, they have no detailed expenses policy, merely a broad statement that staff should do what's right for Netflix). Although I did come away with some ideas, I spent most of the book wondering what employment practices were like in America.  The discussions on firing people, and then sharing their shortcomings once they'd gone, would be... let's go with 'interesting' here in the UK. I'm not an employment lawyer or an HR specialist but I would make sure I'd spoken to one before I followed the advice in this book. Indeed, at the very end, the authors do mention that in some countries, for example, what they see as a generous severance package in the US is 'seen as stingy - if not illegal - in some European countries'. 

The other thing that isn't really covered here is luck. They've got good products, an innovative way of working that relies on hiring the very best and now global reach. But every business still needs a dollop of luck from time to time and I couldn't help wondering - what if they got a massive dollop of luck which enabled them to pay big salaries and hire superstars, rather than the hiring being the kernel of the success? 

Proceed with caution. There's lots to digest here but hard to adapt to different cultures and legal frameworks,

An interesting account of how Netflix developed from a mail order DVD company to a world dominating streaming service who now makes shows and films too. It credits its success on employing only the best who it rewards with generous pay. Employees are given freedom and any failures are discussed so improvements can be made. A company operating in a different way- but it works.

I have enjoyed reading this book and have to confess that I have done so with one eye closed because I was scared at the prospect of discovering yet more practices that are absent from so many other companies.

I come from a percentage pay-rise pool environment where being caught talking to recruiters to see what a body is worth was almost a sackable offence and discussing ones salary was a sackable offence. Reading what goes on at Netflix shows that an environment can exist where that does not happen and an employee is encouraged to find out what they are worth out in the marketplace and inside the company.

I spent most of my time reading and nodding at all the things that could be encouraged in what passes for a conventional workplace but are not. Of course, most of their methodology would not be easy to implement perhaps even impossible in many workplaces but, unfortunately, in decades of experience I have yet to find one which is happy to implement anything radical.

This is a great book and should be read by any and everyone as it is a goldmine of information for those who have the wit and the wisdom to see what freedom of thought and action can do to improve their company's environment.

Talk about turn organisational culture on its head. How it works, why it works. Building in cultural and international differences. Why Netflix works. So different to organisations norms but brilliant. Read it and learn.

No Rules Rules is a fascinating account detailing the innovative and unconventional culture of organization that has allowed Netflix to adapt and become the world's most successful and rapidly growing streaming service. Beginning as a small DVD mail order service, Netflix now has 167 million subscribers worldwide, and this number is growing all the time. In addition, it also produces its own TV shows and films, and has won numerous awards.

Reed Hastings, co-founder, and business professor Erin Meyer, detail the Netflix culture that has led to it becoming so successful. Netflix employs only the best talent, and pays them generously. Employees are encouraged to know their worth and to keep the best talent they are rewarded above and beyond any other employer. An atmosphere of candour and transparency is encouraged, from the top down, and this builds up trust and encourages employees to share feedback at all times, all in the interest of improving the business. When you employ the best talent, and reward creativity and responsibility, the need for rules and policies becomes redundant. Netflix does not have a vacation policy, nor a travel or expenses policy. Their only test is - Act In Netflix's Best Interest. And if you abuse the freedom you have been given, you will be fired. Employees are given decision making freedom, and whilst this might lead to failures, it also leads to huge successes. Mistakes are spoken about openly, and lessons are learnt from and shared. 

Netflix does things differently, and its success shows that it is paying off. A truly fascinating insight into the history and ethos of one of the most successful enterprises of the 21st century.