Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos credits the 1902 novel "Typhoon" by Joseph Conrad as his primary source for leadership philosophy rather than business textbooks. He interprets the story of a ship captain navigating a typhoon as a metaphor for leading through crisis, uncertainty, and difficult decisions. Sarandos applied this principle at Netflix, notably approving a $100 million investment in two seasons of "House of Cards" without seeing the script—a decisive move that exemplified crisis leadership and willingness to embrace risk in an evolving business landscape.