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Culture from Reed Hastings

Super Excited!

My ride at Intuit was a rocketship.  It started with Vanilla Ice and ended with the Super Bowl.  My secret sauce at Intuit was to push the envelope with "NBDs" (never been done) innovation.  And my teams executed on The Tax Rap and now "Small Business Big Game".

For seven years my motto was Go Bold or Go Home. I encouraged my teams and our agencies to strive for break-thru programs.  And like George Costanza, when I pitched something so outlandish in the spirit of breaking barriers so bold with the potential of trying to get fired, I'd often get approval, recognition and even promoted (twice).

I am so happy to say I've left my final mark with what CEO Brad Smith called "Intuit's Camelot". When I pitched "Small Business Big Game" to Brad I could see the excitement on his face and 22 minutes later said "This is the best idea I've heard in my entire career".

Based on an insight that small businesses don't have a voice, the company gave me the green light to produce the biggest social media campaign, a true Cinderella story where hundreds of thousands of small businesses have a platform to share why they get out of bed each day, what drives them and share their mojo with the world.

Hundreds of thousands of entries will get narrowed down via gamification, 8000 Intuit employees will vote for their top 4. The Today Show will showcase the finalists for the world to vote.  The winning small business will have a 30 second commercial produced by RPA (who produced the Ferris Bueller Superbowl spot 2 years ago for Honda).  So you're watching the Superbowl commercials and it's the 3rd quarter... imagine a Paramount Pictures Tom Cruise release, followed by Gatorade, followed by our winner i.e. "Bob's Donut Shop" in SmallTown USA, and then Nike.  The beauty of it is that the first 27 seconds of the spot will be all about the winner, and nothing about Intuit, no product integration.  There will be a tag at the very end that shows how Intuit stands for the little guy and a call to action that kicks off the next big thing (which I won't disclose).

The campaign went live last week and has gotten the amazing buzz and earned media I had hoped and expected.  Already thousands of articles from AdAge to USA Today... And it's literally just the beginning.

I previously posted why I left a great job.  I am rooting my former team on from the sidelines.  I know this ginormous social media campaign will get them all fired...up!

@sethg

Saying goodbye and hello

Today I turned in my badge and drove away from what had been a 7 year rocket ship ride.  I joined Intuit 7/31/2006 with nothing more than instinct and guerilla marketing skills to get me by.  Turns out I also have survival and learning skills as well as along the way my teams and I have had an amazing run.  My colleagues have consistently delivered results and breakthrough programs and campaigns.   7 years later I come out of my Intuit experience so much different from when I started.  I lost a little hair and a little weight but gained a lot of friends and a lot of leadership skills. 

I feel prepared and ready to leave my comfort zone to take on a new experience as CMO of LifeLock.  The opportunity presents a new set of challenges.  I'm looking forward to testing myself and tackling a whole new learning curve once again. 

I've now realized one of my career ambitions and understand the irony that a chief MARKETING officer spends his/her time on many things other than marketing.  I look forward to seeing what kind of a leader I will be.  I have faith my preparation and experience will help keep me calm as the role is more problem solver than marketer.

I look forward to making new connections and meaningful relationships that build on the ones I've made from working with such talented and nice people in this past chapter of my life.

Intuit, I will miss you.  LifeLock, here I come :)

@sethg
7.19.13