I'd say Netflix has a pretty good external reputation. They do good by their customers and don't sell them out. They take your money and show your videos and don't share your data. They have hits and misses on their original content, but they don't actually make that stuff, they just compete with all the other big entertainment outlets to distribute what production companies make.
There is of course strong opinions about their internal culture, but as I described it to someone recently, it's an environment where you have to choose what to work on and then make it successful without a lot of help and guidance. If that's the kind of place that you thrive, then you'll love working at Netflix.
That's the internal reputation, not external. And as I said, many of us liked that culture. I liked that fact that I didn't have to deal with people who were clearly there just to collect a paycheck. Those folks didn't last long. Like I said, you had to take control of your own destiny with little guidance. If you like that kind of thing, Netflix is a great place.
I have worked in places that refuse to fire anyone and it's not fun. The cruft just builds up.
But, plenty of places are willing to fire people who have given up or completely check out and nobody is really has that aspect of their company culture talked about as much as Netflix's.
I'm not really trying to imply what Netflix does is wrong if it works for them, but it could definitely be interpreted as unethical and sounds like it could be toxic. I'm just trying to play devil's advocate and saying that every company has their skeletons, even respectable companies like Netflix.
Netflix does as a company to consumers, though among workers their cutthroat culture has been infamous even before the recent NYT profile, though so is their high compensation.
I don’t agree with lumping them in with the tech giants though. Why them and not Tesla, Uber, AirBnB, Dropbox, etc.?
He said "top 50" and by most measures Netflix would be "top 50". That's why I chose it (plus familiarity with it personally). All those other ones you mentioned could be "top 50" as well. In which case, I think the general feeling of external perception is negative for all of them except Dropbox.
Op asked "I have to wonder how many of the top 50 or so tech companies have really sterling reputations for warm-hearted goodness." and I threw Netflix out there as a "top 50" that has a warm-hearted (external) reputation.
There is of course strong opinions about their internal culture, but as I described it to someone recently, it's an environment where you have to choose what to work on and then make it successful without a lot of help and guidance. If that's the kind of place that you thrive, then you'll love working at Netflix.