A European TV operator noticed that when they increased the size of their video-on-demand (VOD) catalogue, usage went down.  They slowly reduced the number of the titles – and usage went up.  It’s not just the Europeans. “Less is more” is a well-known marketing concept. For an elegant explanation, I recommend the book The Paradox of Choice.

Of course, slashing the catalogue isn’t the only option. If the titles are easy to navigate and the recommendations are reliable, people can find what they want to watch without all having to watch the same thing. That’s our philosophy at Jinni.

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Jinni is an alternative spelling of genie, which puts us in pretty distinguished company, cinematically speaking. Here’s a rundown of genies through the ages, with the help of four favorite and one not-so-favorite films.

1. Aladdin (1992)

Probably the best-known genie movie nowadays, Aladdin is a classic Disney fairytale about a young street urchin who falls in love with the princess - and finds a Genie who makes his dreams come true. Genie, mighty but kind (and fond of singing) at last gains freedom from the lamp.

2. I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970)

Who can forget the favorite 60s TV series I Dream of Jeannie? Starring Barbara Eden as a genie found in space by an astronaut, the show was so successful that more than 20 years later a direct to TV film was made. A modern version of the series is supposed to be released in 2010.

3. The Thief of Baghdad (1940)

Genies are not always nice! This fantasy adventure movie is a combination of several middle-eastern folktales from the book One Thousand and One Nights. Ali Baba, Aladdin and Sinbad all mix here into one story, where the hero has to outwit the genie to get his wishes.

4. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

Kids, you can be a genie too! Sinbad and his men set out to retrieve a lost genie lamp. The genie is a young boy who reluctantly helps an evil wizard. An interesting historical note: this was the first full-color film to use stop motion animation effects.

5. Kazaam (1996)

Beware, not all genie movies are fun to watch! This one was rated 94 in IMDb’s Bottom 100 with a terrible score of 2.3/10. It features legendary basketball player Shaquille O’Neal as a genie helping a young boy avoid the local neighborhood gang. But even Shaq and his skills couldn’t save this flick.

Inspired? Search on Jinni for -
Genies * Curses, spells and rituals * Wizard * Classic fairytales * Young hero * Falling in love * Wish come true * Based on a folktale * Stop motion * (or any combination)

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The point of our blog is pretty simple. To talk about movies, TV, and video. How we choose, what we watch, and related technologies. What’s changing, who’s innovating, and the ways that we at Jinni aim to improve the user experience. We’ll try for a good mix of practical and theoretical. And we promise to keep the blog short and free of tongue-tangling jargon.

As an entrepreneur, I notice that whenever I tell my story, people start a guessing game. I call it, “Can he do it?” The most common question is, “But can’t Google do it too?”

I am of the opinion that big companies buy innovation. Executives are paid to create revenue, not risks on new internal ventures.

I’ve also noticed that most people ignore how companies structure Internet business around existing products, services, and employee skill sets. Companies do what they know best, and it’s not always a question of what makes money or sense.

So, can he do it? Entrepreneurs are addicted to the new idea, and the flexibility to build the products, services, skill sets – and risks – around it.

Besides, Jinni is like working in a chocolate factory: Part of my job is to watch as many movies as possible!

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