In a candid Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on X, Netflix co-founder and its first CEO, Marc Randolph, reflected on a pivotal moment in the company’s history, his decision to step down.

When a user asked him to name the single decision that could have derailed Netflix but instead helped shape its future, Randolph didn’t hesitate.

Marc Randolph wrote on X, “Hi. I’m Marc Randolph, co-founder and first CEO of Netflix. Ask me anything.”

To which one user asked, “what was the single decision you made at Netflix that could have tanked everything but ended up defining the company?”

He recalled the difficult conversation with co-founder Reed Hastings, who expressed concern about Randolph’s judgment and the company’s direction. “Handing over the reins hurt my ego (for a moment), but it saved the company,” Randolph admitted, adding that Hastings’ structured leadership was exactly what Netflix needed to grow beyond its chaotic startup phase.