Movies for Founders
Get ready to grab some popcorn and be entertained and inspired with some top entrepreneurial movie picks.
I reached out to several Minnesota venture capitalists, angel investors and founders with the following question: what is your favorite entrepreneurial movie and why? The answers crossed a variety of movie genres from romantic comedy to documentary to musical and spanned decades of movie history. Each choice depicts a unique perspective of the entrepreneurial journey. Happy watching!
The Greatest Showman
Not only is this my favorite entrepreneurial movie, but it came up as a favorite for many investors and entrepreneurs I polled. The musical is a theatrical peek behind the scenes of P.T. Barnum’s life as he built the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Throughout the movie, Barnum experiences the highest highs and lowest lows of building a company. It’s insightful for entrepreneurship because it shows how massive ambition, salesmanship, hiring and general business execution ebb and flow with the ups and downs founders feel in their business life and in their personal life.
A recruiting lesson from the movie seems to particularly resonate with. A song in the movie between Barnum (Hugh Jackman) and Phillip Carlyle (Zac Efron) called “The Other Side” is like a mini masterclass in influencing someone to join a young startup team. Barnum’s persistence is apparent as he paints a picture for his recruit of the better life that would unfold by taking the position. Ultimately, the two men negotiate and close the deal, representing a turning point in Barnum’s company.
You’ve Got Mail
Reaching way back in the movie archives is a classic story of a big box store coming into town and squeezing the local shop out of business. In this case, the large bookstore conglomerate is owned by Tom Hanks and the viewer is taken on a journey watching Meg Ryan, the owner of a charming specialty children’s bookstore lose market traction and eventually shut down her business.
Lessons for entrepreneurs abound in the movie as Meg Ryan wrestles with the idea of whether or not to ask for help to save her business (do you let your customers know you’re struggling?) and there’s a poignant scene where the two founders discuss the old trope “it’s not personal, it’s business.”
While the technology is certainly out of date (the entire plot revolves around AOL’s email and Instant Messenger), the themes of competitive pressure and changing customer demands is timeless.
The Pursuit of Happyness
Chosen by Precious Drew, a Minnesota native investing in Black entrepreneurs through the Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator, The Pursuit of Happyness is a film that depicts the ugly reality of an entrepreneur’s journey to reach success when all odds are against them.
Precious says The Pursuit of Happyness is her favorite movie in this category because it encompasses a wholesome view of the entrepreneurship journey. There are peaks and valleys and times when things are stagnant. During the lows, the lead actor exudes five key traits that are necessities for any entrepreneur: tenacity, self-awareness, time management, persuasiveness, and a willingness to take risks.
The Pursuit of Happyness will bring to light a new lesson about entrepreneurship, sacrifice and resilience each time you watch it. Despite the difficulties of entrepreneurship, the film serves as a reminder that bad things don’t last forever and we, as entrepreneurs, are the authors of our own stories.
More to Watch
A number of other movies were shared for their depictions of true entrepreneurial stories, some fictionalized/dramatized and others documentary-style films. What do you think of this list? What would you add?
Joy: Follows the journey of an inventor and consumer product pioneer.
Something Ventured: A documentary diving into the early venture capital investments of several iconic companies such as Cisco, Intel, and Atari.
Social Network: Based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, this movie shares the origin of Facebook.
Molly’s Game: Details the life of a world-class skier who uses her network to build a poker empire.
The Founder: Portrays the story of McDonald’s.
Steve Jobs: A film covering 14 years of the life of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple.
