Entrepreneurs Being Entrepreneurs. on Instagram: "About 20 years ago (around 2005), Netflix was primarily a DVD-by-mail rental company led by CEO Reed Hastings. Under Hastings’ leadership, Netflix focused on mailing DVDs directly to customers, offering a subscription model with no late fees, and building a strong recommendation system to personalize movie choices. Streaming was not yet part of the business, but Hastings and the company were already experimenting with digital delivery and positio