Netflix Success Challenge in a Nutshell

In a nutshell, the key challenge for Netflix is to "grow members and revenue faster than content spending," as the latest Netflix shareholder letter mentions. In other words, Netflix has effectively become a programming network, not just a content delivery service.

And as has been true for all programming networks, original and unique content is the growth driver. That doesn't mean every bit of content, or even most content, has to be unique to a particular network. But virtually all popular networks have one or more "signature series" that define the network and pull in viewers.

Netflix will have to invest to do so, and that means there is going to be a tension between doing so and then adding enough additional new subscribers to keep its profit margins intact.