While AI can deliver efficient results, it lacks the unpredictability and Imagination that make stories memorable:
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, June 10, 2025: The latest People by WTF episode, entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath and Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos shares hard-won insights covering everything from bold leadership and creative risk-taking to AI, streaming economics, and the evolving content landscape. The episode offers a front-row view into Netflix’s approach to storytelling, innovation, and decision- making. It’s packed with valuable takeaways for entrepreneurs looking to build in the content space.
Whether you are a first-time creator, a media startup founder, or a future content mogul, there’s something in it for you. Sarandos shares lessons on staying curious, leading with clarity, and betting on authenticity. Together, these insights form a strategic playbook for succeeding in today’s fast-changing entertainment world.
Leading with Creative Daring:
When Nikhil asked Ted about his leadership style and the lessons he’s gathered over the years, Ted points out that his leadership approach and content instincts are grounded in decades of observation and lived experience. From the video rental days, he learned that dissatisfaction was baked into the traditional model. At Netflix, he helped flip that script by prioritizing availability, choice, and personalization. He believes in taking big creative risks, supported by the culture at Netflix that encourages daring over playing it safe. Ted shares, “I think its about being able to have a little more daring, about not being afraid to fail.”
Further on the topic of content backed by Netflix, Nikhil asks Ted, “Is there a specific kind of content that you think has more tailwind than other kind of content?” To this, Ted shares his one key belief: “Good” storytelling, regardless of language or format, can resonate anywhere. Ted emphasizes the power of honesty, curiosity, and creativity. He credits his success to being curious enough to take leaps and honest enough to know when something isn’t working.
Ted shares that the culture at Netflix, shaped by Reed Hastings, is built on clarity, performance, and talent density.
Building a Career in Content:
Ted offers blunt yet inspiring advice, he says, “You’re going to want to know how to do everything that everyone’s doing. And the best way to do that is to start at the bottom. Put in the time. Work for a company. Be a production assistant on a film. Go get coffee for a writers' room. Do all those kinds of things you didn’t think you wanted to do. But if you want to run a business, you're going to have to learn how all those things
operate—and how all those people work. So don’t be impatient. Take your time. Learn the roles. Learn the jobs. Learn the people who do those jobs. And see if that’s really what you want to do.” He further shares:
Pitching content:
When pitching to Netflix, Ted advises creators not to “reverse engineer” what they think the
platform wants. Instead, he urges them to tell the story they feel has to be told - the one people can’t afford to
miss. He explains that greenlighting decisions are based on the quality of the storytelling, whether the world and
characters are engaging, and confidence in the creator's ability to deliver the vision. His own skill in selecting
content came from watching "almost everything" throughout his career, providing a framework for
understanding how new ideas relate to what has worked or not worked before.
The value of diverse teams:
Ted stated that having a diverse workforce (in terms of race, religion, ethnicity, etc.) is crucial because they are telling stories for a global audience. He says, “We make stories for 700 million people around the world. We need the people who are picking them, making them, and promoting them to be a lot like the audience they're serving. Diversity very much plays into our success. I don’t believe there's any conflict between getting the best person for the job and having a diverse workforce.”
Producing content:
As streaming rapidly overtakes traditional TV, Ted Sarandos believes that the economics of content production have never looked stronger. With delivery and monetization models evolving at an unprecedented pace, producing original programming today offers high returns. What was once seen as a risky bet has now become a viable, even essential, business model. Sarandos points to the accelerating shift away from linear television as a clear signal: audiences are embracing streaming, and content creators stand to benefit from meeting them there.
Local narratives:
Speaking to the global resonance of storytelling, Sarandos highlights how truly local narratives can unlock universal appeal. Using Squid Game as an example, he emphasizes that its distinctively Korean identity wasn’t diluted for global audiences, yet viewers around the world connected with its core themes of class, fairness, and survival. For him, the power of great content lies in its ability to tap into timeless, shared human experiences, regardless of geography or genre. “Producing content today offers incredible returns—because streaming is evolving faster than ever, and so is how we monetize it. Squid Game didn’t become a global hit by playing it safe—it leaned into being unapologetically Korean. The most local stories, when told honestly, can often be the most universal.” says Ted Sarandos
AI and content:
Ted Sarandos sees AI as a profound creative disruption—one that could rival the impact the
internet had on entertainment. But rather than fear it, he urges creators to embrace it as a tool that will reduce
production costs and unlock new storytelling possibilities. From virtual production to real-time rendering and actor de-aging, he believes AI will accelerate what’s creatively possible without replacing the emotional and imaginative
elements that only humans can provide. He draws from past experience, citing The Irishman, where de-aging
technology cost $30 million and disrupted production. Today, those same visual effects are faster, cheaper, and more seamless—an example of how innovation enhances, rather than replaces, creativity. Sarandos cautions that while AI can deliver efficient results, it lacks the unpredictability and imagination that make stories memorable. The true value, he says, lies in how humans guide and shape these tools. “I’m not afraid of AI and I hope creators aren’t either. It’s going to be a powerful tool to tell stories we couldn’t tell before. AI will lower the cost of doing things, but emotion and imagination will always belong to humans.”, says Ted Sarandos.
Advice for young enthusiasts:
Reflecting on his unconventional journey from aspiring journalist to Netflix co-CEO, Ted Sarandos offers candid advice for young people entering the media industry. He strongly recommends starting out at a talent agency like CAA or UTA, where the fast-paced environment and exposure to deal-making offer an unparalleled crash course in how the entertainment business really works. Sarandos believes the breadth of experience gained in such roles helps young professionals understand why things succeed or fail—and provides crucial insight into career paths they might not have previously considered.
For Sarandos, career clarity comes from action, not introspection. He encourages young people to experiment, try different roles, and prioritize discovering what they’re genuinely good at. Passion, he argues, often follows
competence, not the other way around. Rather than chasing early stability, Sarandos urges twenty-somethings to treat their careers like a sandbox: if something doesn’t feel right, leave it and try something else until you find your fit. “You don’t have to have it all figured out in your 20s—your job is to try things. Passion often comes after you realize what you’re good at. Start at a talent agency, get exposed to everything, and don’t be afraid to quit what doesn’t work,”says Ted Sarandos.
