What the founder of Netflix taught me about life

Last week, I listened to a fireside chat with Marc Randolph — the co-founder of Netflix — at an event in Stockholm.

From his talk, there was one idea that stuck with me above all, and it was something I really needed to hear:

Don't try so hard to anticipate outcomes. Focus on following your genuine curiosity. That's when most wonderful things happen in life.

For the last couple of months, I've felt stuck in a loop trying to force startup ideas. I've become distant and distracted in everyday life, where all I can think of is "what should I build?". It has become almost like an obsession.

I know good ideas don't just reveal themselves like this, but even so, I can't let go of this thought.

Digging deeper, I realize it is rooted in this feeling of wasted potential. Even though my design agency is doing well, I keep thinking that I can build something better, smarter. A product that would increase in value the more I work on it.

The way I’ve evaluated my business ideas thus far has largely been driven by their potential to generate money — and, being honest, by wanting to impress others with my ambition. This mindset led me to launch a climate tech startup last year. I took part in pitch competitions, even winning some.

And then I failed pretty fast.

I tried to tell myself, "Look, you're working on solving these massive important problems, climate tech is so cool. Keep going." But I couldn't.

The problem was that I had this big vision, but I wasn't excited when I sat down to work. I romanticized the idea of running a startup, but didn’t actually want to spend every waking hour solving climate tech problems. I didn't even try.

After listening to Marc last week, I understand where I went wrong.

Even though it was something I knew in the bottom of my heart, hearing it from a millionaire founder of a world-changing company was somehow different:

Success comes from doing things you genuinely love — even if it doesn't make you a millionaire, impact the world, or make everyone think you're cool by putting "climate tech startup founder" in your LinkedIn bio right from the start.

Hearing Marc, it's like he gave me permission to think differently about my work. Instead of trying to anticipate outcomes — trying to find "the perfect idea" that would lead to success — I got a new mindset just to seek things I'm truly passionate about and see where they lead me.

And I realized that my design agency gives me the freedom to do exactly this. To work on any project I want. I felt a new sense of gratitude for it.

Since the talk, I've started a new project that I feel truly interested in pursuing. Maybe it will generate money, maybe it won't. Right now I don't really care. I'm just doing it because it's fun.

So, if you’re like me and have been stuck in the same "what should I build?" loop, this is a reminder for you. It's the reminder I needed:

Forget about the idea of success in your mind. Follow your genuine curiosity. Work on what actually excites you. Then see what happens.