Netflix, Hollywood & Silicon Valley — 2019 (2 weeks)

In 2019, I went on another business trip, this time splitting two weeks between the Netflix offices in Hollywood and Los Gatos. This trip was another great opportunity for collaboration and to experience the unique energy of California's entertainment and tech hubs.

Hollywood

The first part of my trip was in Hollywood. I stayed at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel, right on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Every morning and evening, I walked along the Walk of Fame and Sunset Boulevard to and from the Netflix office. The energy of the city was incredible.

View of the Hollywood sign from the Netflix office — View from the Netflix office

The Office (Hollywood)

Working from the Hollywood office was an experience in itself, with stunning views of the city, including the iconic Hollywood sign right from the office window. The office was located in an impressive building right on Sunset Boulevard.

Netflix LA building from the street — The Netflix building on Sunset Blvd

Vova at the Netflix building entrance at night — Front door at night with the iconic red logo

Inside, the office was designed for both productivity and community. On my final day in the Hollywood office, a colleague even treated me to a whiskey from the office's private stash — a nice way to wrap up a busy week before heading north.

Netflix LA office kitchen — The office kitchen — a great social hub

Last day whiskey treat in the office — Last day whiskey treat from Mykl Rogers

Panorama of the office stairs — The central staircase inside the building

Rooftop Moments

One of the highlights of working at the Netflix Hollywood office was the rooftop access. We had a small but very warm team gathering for the GB team at the end of a productive workday. The views from there were absolutely stunning, especially at sunset.

GB team on the Netflix LA rooftop — The GB team on the rooftop — a warm gathering after a workday

Panorama view from the Netflix LA rooftop — Panoramic city view from the roof

Sunset view from the Netflix LA rooftop — Sunset over Los Angeles

Exploring the City

I also had some time to explore. A visit to Santa Monica Pier was a highlight, as was the trip to the Griffith Observatory, which offered breathtaking panoramic views of the city and another angle of the Hollywood sign.

Vova at Griffith Observatory with the Hollywood sign in the background — Griffith Observatory

View of Los Angeles from Griffith Observatory — Los Angeles view from Griffith Observatory

Silicon Valley (Los Gatos)

The second week of the trip was spent at the Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos. Returning to Building D felt like coming home, where the focus shifted to deep engineering collaboration and strategic planning with the core teams.

Netflix Building D in Los Gatos — Netflix Building D, Los Gatos

Vova with a cup of coffee at the Building D sign — Morning coffee at the Building D entrance

Inside Building D

Building D is the heart of Netflix engineering. The interior is designed to foster both focus and community, with stylish meeting zones and expansive kitchen areas that serve as hubs for the hundreds of engineers working there.

Hall and kitchen zone on the first floor — First floor hall & kitchen

Stylish meeting zone in Building D — Meeting space

Second floor kitchen at a quiet moment — Second floor kitchen — rare quiet

Work & Collaboration

The trip was packed with productive sessions. From relaxed morning coffee breaks with the team to deep-focus coding sessions on the first floor, the environment in Los Gatos is perfectly tuned for high-output engineering.

Coffee break with the team — Arrival coffee break with the team

Coding session on the first floor — Relaxed and productive coding session

The GB Team

Wrapping up an incredible two weeks with the team that makes it all happen. It was a privilege to work alongside Kyle, Tova, Seo-Young, Phuong, Nicole, and Jean.

Kyle, Tova, Seo-Young, Phuong, Vova, Nicole, Jean — From left: Kyle, Tova, Seo-Young, Phuong, Vova, Nicole, and Jean