Currently: Admiring Ted Sarandos — The Nerdy Video Store Clerk Who Just Bought HBO

Our takes on the moments and moves in culture that reveal the patterns of greatness and what might get in the way.

CURRENTLY…

…admiring the nerdy video store clerk who just bought HBO. The recent news about Netflix winning the bidding war to acquire Warner Bros. is one of the biggest stories entertainment has seen in a very long time. The acquisition would concentrate unprecedented power in a single entertainment company, combining the world’s largest streamer with one of the biggest legacy studios and IP libraries. The implications are massive. And for those who work in entertainment and media – especially those who once wore the iconic red N – it’s a surreal moment in more ways than one.

Netflix was my favorite place I’ve ever worked. It was the company that stretched me the most, changed me the most, and transformed me for the better. It’s also where I had the most fun. When I started, there were maybe twenty Netflix Originals total. And back then, co-CEO Ted Sarandos used to say something that felt bold, almost delusional at the time:

“We want to become HBO faster than HBO can become us.”

And now it’s happening. A historic chess move. And a full-circle moment in the evolution of this industry.

Usually in a moment like this, I would be talking about Netflix’s other co-founder Reed Hastings, one my favorite leaders of all time and former CEO of Netflix. But today, the person I keep thinking about most is Ted — the nerdy video-store clerk from Arizona. The guy who didn’t go to college. The awkward entertainment super-fan who has been recommending what to watch to strangers his entire life, long before anyone called it “content curation.” He wasn’t in it for power or prestige in the beginning. He was in it because helping someone find their next favorite series, comedy, or film genuinely brought him joy. It’s who he was. It’s who he is.

People underestimate how unlikely his story is. To go from recommending DVDs at a local video store to leading the world’s largest streaming platform – and orchestrating an $80 billion acquisition of one of the most iconic studios and television brands, one that existed generations before Netflix was even an idea – is HARD. And it should expand what we believe is possible.

Ted is not perfect. Far from it. He and I disagreed often, and sometimes loudly. But you cannot tell the story of modern entertainment without naming him as one of the most influential executives in Hollywood history. The culture Netflix created. The way we now consume entertainment. The sheer volume of stories told, careers launched, and boundaries shattered. We’re witnessing history in real time.

And for those of us who want to be great — who want to build something meaningful, who want to shift culture in our own way — Ted’s story remains one of the defining and extraordinary examples of what’s possible when someone follows their obsession, commits to their craft and devotes themselves to the pursuit of mastery over decades. – Maya Watson

…checking my boss’ references after watching the Diddy doc. There’s a lot that can be said about Sean Combs: The Reckoning, but what struck me most is how clearly the documentary illustrates this truth: Whoever the founder is, the company becomes.

Across the four-episode docu-series, former Bad Boy artists, staff, and producers recount the many ways they witnessed Puff’s abusive behavior long before it reached them directly. They saw the red flags, justified them in pursuit of opportunity, and ultimately learned how deeply that decision would cost them. Destinies were altered, dreams were deferred or abandoned, and lives were irreparably harmed—people were abused, traumatized, imprisoned, assaulted, and even killed.

For those on the path to greatness, let this documentary be your reminder not to get in business with morally corrupt leaders. Whoever sits at the helm determines the direction of the ship, and whatever drives them—good or bad—will impact your work. No amount of talent or “staying out of the way” protects you from the culture you choose to align with. As Mark Curry shared, it became a constant fight-or-flight reality, and even those who made it out still carry visible scars.

Most of us have to learn under someone else’s leadership before stepping into our own. Don’t let the lure of fame, access, or money blind you to the character of the people you entrust with your purpose. The price of choosing wrong is far too high. – Sylvia Obell

…thanking Brandy and Monica for reminding us that the boy was never the point. Almost 30 years after the song debuted on the charts and became the bestselling song of 1998, The Boy Is Mine — and the cultural moment it created — is still the gift that keeps on giving. With Brandy and Monica wrapping the final stop of their tour inspired by the song this week, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate why this moment landed the way it did.

Despite the controversy that surrounded their staged beef on a song about a boy — a feud that eventually turned real, at least for the people around them, including fans — Brandy and Monica make undeniable magic when they come together. They won their first (and only) Grammy together. They shook the internet when they came together to play their epic catalogues during their 2020 Verzuz, creating a moment so big even Vice President Kamala Harris popped in. And as recently as last year, pop megastar Ariana Grande created a remix of their hit that featured both artists together.

There was a time when people played into feuds for fun, but given how divisive our world has become, it’s no wonder fans are saying this tour has healed them. Seeing both artists on stage, crushing it in their mid-40s after debuting in their teens, says a lot about the reverence we have for both of them — their longevity, the admiration of their peers, and the truth that they really are better together. Their coming together didn’t just bring fans out — it created room for other beloved acts like Kelly Rowland and Mya to share in the moment. And the reach of their impact has been emphasized by the amount of greats who’ve appeared in the audience: Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, and Patti LaBelle all pulled up to witness it. Their reunion isn’t just nostalgic; it’s a reminder of what happens when greatness grows over time.

And maybe that’s why this moment feels so special. They showed us that you can have history, tension, and years of distance, and still find your way back to what makes you powerful. It’s more than nostalgia. It’s proof that greatness lasts even longer when we keep choosing each other. – Kevin Stuckey

…hoping Chris Paul knows his legacy isn’t up for debate. Chris Paul is one of the greatest point guards to ever touch a basketball. A man who spent nineteen years making every team he joined better. He recently announced this season would be his last, his retirement year. And then — in a cold, almost casual transaction — he found out he was waived by the Clippers. He posted on his IG stories, “Just found out I’m going home.”

No one wakes up thinking today is their last day. It’s devastating, and it’s familiar. Moments like this force us to ask: What is legacy, really? Maya Angelou said it best: legacy isn’t what you do, it’s all the lives you touched because you were here.

What makes Chris Paul great is not that he’s a 12-time NBA All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 9-time All-Defensive Team member, Rookie of the Year, two-time Olympic gold medalist, and one of the greatest floor generals in league history.

What makes Chris Paul consequential is what he did for players, for the union, and for the future of the league. As National Basketball Players Association President, he negotiated landmark collective bargaining agreements that expanded revenue share, strengthened pensions, and secured long-term protections while restoring stability and credibility to the union. He fought for retired players by securing healthcare and medical screenings for the generation the league had forgotten. He helped players regain control of licensing and sponsorship rights through THINK450, reshaping how wealth is built in the NBA. He guided the league through the pandemic and the bubble with clarity and calm. And he modeled leadership rooted in service — advocating not just for stars, but for two-way players, journeymen, veterans, and rookies alike.

So yes, the Clippers waived him. But the world cannot waive your legacy. And this is why it matters — for all of us — to keep a record and receipts of what we’ve done. To know the truth of our contribution. To honor our own work even when institutions forget and stop caring.

Well done, Chris. If the league won’t say it loud enough, we will. – MW

…watching Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio conviértete en el nuevo sueño americano. This week, Bad Bunny was announced as the most streamed artist on Spotify, globally. It’s his fourth time topping the list, but this time it hits differently. This year alone, he’s been nominated for six grammys, kicked off the new season of Saturday Night Live, and been named the 2026 Super Bowl headliner during a political moment where legal immigrants are facing constant threats of deportation from the U.S. by government officials. And yet here he is, an unapologetically Spanish-speaking artist, becoming the center of American culture without softening a single part of himself to get there.

Benito’s superpower is making the world come to him. When it was time for his tour this year, instead of taking over the Sphere in Vegas or performing across America in arenas he could have easily sold out, he decided to do a three-month residency at home in Puerto Rico, a place people forget is a U.S. territory. He made the culture orbit his heritage. He showed us that power can also look like staying rooted instead of running toward what looks bigger.

This wasn’t just a branding play. It felt like a refusal to assimilate into a system that expects you to shrink yourself in exchange for visibility. And it was a reminder that becoming doesn’t require abandoning where you’re from, but often returning to it.

Bad Bunny is showing us what it looks like to refuse the authority of compromise and to become the king of your own domain instead. He’s proving that clarity attracts what compromise can’t, and that when you stand fully in who you are, the world eventually tilts in your direction. – KS