[trvlngwlbry]

I don't think it's fair to use that one small piece of Netflix lore as the counter example to the point of the article. I'd categorize Reed Hastings as having one of the more long-term views/strategies in tech and business in general, and he would be the first to say that Netflix became what it has become not because of the lightbulb moment, but because of the long slog they've endured to get where they are. Using that Netflix example comes across as clickbaity.

Not to mention, that particular Netflix myth has nothing to do with the importance of having a lightbulb moment. The point is to provide a north star for the company about the importance of always keeping the customer/user experience top of mind. By charging late fees that exceeded the value of a video, Blockbuster had lost sight of the customer experience, which contributed to Blockbuster's downfall. Meanwhile, maintaining its intense focus on the customer experience helped Netflix navigate what was an impressive shift from mailing DVDs to streaming video online.

[jsgo]

I could be wrong, but I think the article is saying that the Netflix myth never happened and it is trying to posit that instead of looking at the instance of breakthrough as the beginning, look at the less sexy work and experience that got them to that point.

Granted, while Walton's was certainly successful, I think they'd be better served highlighting someone that had to cut bait on something professionally in the past and succeeded after adjusting because Walton's story reads like "bad thing happened -> keep trudging" infinitely.