[jrockway]

This is a guy who can't imagine anyone using his product in a way different from the way he uses it.

There is really a different problem here. It's probably true that most people want to see new releases. The problem is that Netflix has new releases and old movies also. So if you go with Blockbuster, you are stuck with only new releases. If you go with Netflix, you get everything. Why bother with Blockbuster?

Also, I guess there is an agile-ish mantra like "design products for yourself first". He is doing this, and is proof that it doesn't work for everyone. :)

[netcan]

"Design Products for Yourself" works in the brave new world of the long tail.

'You' are probably representative of a bunch of consumers worldwide. Enough to make a market.

'He' isn't in that world. He's in the mass market world where you need 'market share' and 'mass appeal.' So being very appealing to some people is no good.

In that world, you needed to be 'good enough' for lots of people. Problem is people will move away from good enough to good when it becomes available. And it almost impossible to be good for everyone.

[cstejerean]

It works well when other people also like what you're designing for yourself. The solution is not for this guy to start doing something he doesn't understand, but for Blockbuster to get a new CEO.