The longer people watch Netflix and the longer they stay members

The words of Ted Sarandos, chief of a great empire of stories, ring with a clarity that reveals the soul of modern ambition: “The longer people watch Netflix and the longer they stay members—they’re the criteria of success for us.” Though simple in form, these words conceal an ancient truth: that success is measured not in fleeting applause, but in endurance; not in the sudden spark, but in the flame that continues to burn. For in the realm of art, commerce, or even kingdoms, the truest test is not how many gather at the beginning, but how many remain through the long passage of time.

The ancients themselves knew this. When they built temples, they built them not of straw or timber, but of stone, that they might endure centuries of wind and rain. They measured their triumph not by the day of consecration, but by the generations who would still kneel within those halls. So too, Sarandos reveals that for a modern kingdom of entertainment, the mark of greatness is not a single triumph, nor a single hit, but loyalty sustained—the continued presence of those who return again and again to dwell within its walls.

Consider the tale of the Roman Empire. At its height, it stretched across the known world, its armies invincible, its victories countless. Yet what defined Rome’s true success was not one battle or one emperor, but its ability to hold its people, to keep them bound by roads, laws, bread, and games. As long as the citizens believed in Rome, the empire stood. But when loyalty crumbled—when corruption and excess bred distrust—its greatness collapsed, and the eternal city itself fell to ruin. The empire’s lesson is the same: true success is measured not in conquest, but in the endurance of allegiance.

So too in the story of Netflix. It began as a humble challenger, sending discs by mail. Yet it did not remain there. It transformed, streamed, and expanded until it became a colossus bestriding the world of stories. But Sarandos reminds us: the heart of its vision lies not in fleeting numbers, but in the time people give, in the loyalty they maintain. For time is the greatest treasure of humanity, and when people give their hours and years, they bestow something more sacred than gold.

Yet there is danger here, and wisdom also. For just as empires can fall when they lose the trust of their people, so too can great enterprises falter when they forget that loyalty must be earned, not demanded. The lesson of Sarandos’s words is not only about business, but about all human endeavor: if you would measure success, do not count only beginnings—count endurance, count faithfulness, count the staying power of what you have built.

O listener, take this lesson into your own life. Ask not only, Can I start this? but Can I sustain this? When you build friendships, nurture them so they last. When you labor at your craft, pursue not a single moment of brilliance, but a lifetime of mastery. When you seek to lead, do not hunger only for followers who gather today, but for companions who remain with you tomorrow. In this lies the true art of success.

Practical action follows: tend carefully to the bonds you create. Whether in work, in art, or in love, remember that loyalty is the true wealth. Give value again and again, so that others will remain with you not out of habit, but out of devotion. Celebrate not only the spark of the beginning, but the quiet fire that burns steady through the years.

Thus, let Sarandos’s words be remembered: success is not in the sudden roar, but in the lasting echo. The measure of greatness is not the crowd that gathers once, but the companions who remain, who walk with you, who give you their time again and again. Guard their loyalty, and your work, like the temples of old, will endure beyond the passing of generations.