9781422287200

11

A Great Idea

to have because it could be use anywhere in life. Reed earned the Smyth Prize and the Hammond Prize before graduating from Bowdoin in 1983. Reed enrolled in the military halfway through college because, he said later, he was “very interested in serving [his] country.” He began training in the Marine Corps during the summer between semesters, but he did not like it one bit. Being a marine meant obeying orders without question, but Reed was always looking for ways to improve how some- thing was done. Reed also asked a lot of questions. “I found myself questioning how we packed our backpacks and how we made our beds,” he explained in an interview. The Marine Corps was incredibly strict. Reed did not fit in. “My questioning wasn’t particularly encouraged, and I realized I might be better off in the Peace Corps.” Enrolling in the Peace Corps would al- low Reed to help his country in a different way. He would also be free to ask as many questions as he wanted. Reed did not waste any time joining the Peace Corps. He left for training on the day of his graduation from Bowdoin College. The Peace Corps is a volunteer organization that sends members to all areas of the world to help those in need. Peace Corps members can help by building houses, distributing food, or becoming teachers. The organization was a much better fit for Reed because it let him be who he was: a creative, inventive person. Reed was sent to teach mathematics in Swaziland, a small country on the southeast tip of Africa. He lived far out in the country, away from any city. The school he worked in didn’t even have electricity! Working for the Peace Corps taught Reed a lot about the diverse people in the world and their different needs. Everything he learned would prove to be useful later when he was building Netflix. He spent three years in Swaziland before returning home to the United States. Reed’s experience in the Peace Corps completely changed how he thought about the world and business. He didn’t have much money while he was working for the Peace Corps, so he needed to learn how to live