Which movies about foundership & business do you recommend as the best?
Slowly but surely, the Christmas holidays are approaching, which usually means more time at home with family… and more movie binge-watching.
Yesterday I watched TV for the first time in a while, and they were playing Bezos: The Beginning (2023). A decent movie overall, even though it could’ve been longer or had a sequel.
But there are still many other inspiring movies about business and entrepreneurship that hit even harder, for example:
– The Social Network (2010)
– The Big Short (2015)
– Face to Face (Jobs vs. Gates) (2015) – a documentary from the French original Duels
Which movies about entrepreneurs have inspired you and are worth watching?
I’m sure the film industry has produced some real gems, and I would need some sort of inspiration/encouragement.
Replies
I think it's essential to watch The Founder McDonald's narrative. It demonstrates how clumsy, resourceful, and occasionally brutal starting a business can be. @busmark_w_nika
MultiDrive
@busmark_w_nika @kashmeer_rathour that's a really nice movie. Support it.
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@kashmeer_rathour I watched this one too. It revealed those "cost-saving practices" and also how you change the partner that is aligned with your entrepreneurial journey.
Pirates of Silicon Valley is a great watch.
It’s basically early Apple vs Microsoft, before they were giants. Super scrappy, lots of ego, copying ideas, racing for control.
Not motivational, not polished, but very real. After watching it, you stop romanticizing startups a bit - in a good way.
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@new_user___345202572ef79d3e3b89313 I haven't watched it yet, but more people started talking about it. I should definitely give it a try. :D
@new_user___345202572ef79d3e3b89313 @busmark_w_nika Yeah, it’s been getting rediscovered lately.
It’s a bit old-school, but the ideas feel surprisingly current.
Not a “startup hype” movie - more like a reality check.
Hope you enjoy it 🙂
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@new_user___345202572ef79d3e3b89313 @panichev_tihon Will try to have a look (probably in the next year it is more doable for me) :) Thank you
Loki.Build
If you’re open to animated films/series, I’d actually recommend My Hero Academia.
It’s not directly about business, but it’s an amazing metaphor for entrepreneurship: how shared effort, mentorship, and leading by example can help you overcome any obstacle and reach your goals. Super inspiring, especially when building something from scratch.
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@nikita_40in Can you share the link, Nikita? :)
Loki.Build
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@nikita_40in Thank you! :)
Loki.Build
Great picks! The Social Network is brilliant.
A few more worth watching:
• The Founder (2016) – McDonald's story, fascinating look at ambition
• Moneyball (2011) – Innovation and challenging the status quo
• Steve Jobs (2015) – Intense character study
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@vein Thank you. I watched The Founder, but rest not – it is on my list! :D
Loki.Build
I really love the movie The Intern with Robert De Niro. It’s about a 70-year-old widower, who realizes that retirement isn’t the end. He seizes the opportunity to become a senior intern at a fast-growing company. Ben starts out as an assistant to the founder and owner, Jules (Anne Hathaway), which adds a great entrepreneurial angle to the story. It’s a very funny and heartwarming film — it really hits you in the feels 💔
Highly recommend!
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@annet_sukhareva Hey Annet! I watched that one and really enjoyed it. It also captures the technological progress and how elderly people can adjust their life. + Also loved Inters with Owen Wilson (that one how he goes to Google with his friend) :)
Loki.Build
@busmark_w_nika Honestly I am obsessed with Owen Wilson, so thank you for sharing 🙏🏻
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@annet_sukhareva Do you know that MEME where he says amazed "Wouw"? :DDDD
Loki.Build
@busmark_w_nika I just watched the video with moments from movies where he says “Wow,” and it made my day 😂 I also found this funny stat: Owen Wilson has said “wow” 81 times in 27 movies. Thanks for sharing! 😅
Great topic, Nika!
Since I really love watching movies, series, and reality shows, here are some of my favorites:
When it comes to movies, I’d recommend Moneyball. It’s mainly about sports, but it offers invaluable lessons about how a data-driven approach, system change, and visionary thinking can turn the weakest team in the league into a title contender. Brad Pitt delivers an amazing performance.
As for a startup-themed series, I’d go straight for Silicon Valley! Тhe greatest startup show ever made. Especially the character of Erlich Bachman . Аbsolutely iconic. There are so many concepts, jokes, and tech references that you just can’t help but burst out laughing. Of course, it helps if you’re a bit of a nerd and interested in programming, startups, and the whole tech culture.
For entrepreneurship, I’d recommend Undercover Billionaire! А truly unique Discovery show. It has two seasons. The idea is this: an entrepreneur goes to a completely new (and relatively small) city in the U.S., gets $100 and a car (no place to sleep as well), and isn’t allowed to contact anyone they know. Oh, and they have to use a fake name. Within 100 days, they must build a business valued at $1 million. In the first season, there’s one entrepreneur; in the second, there are three, one of them is Grant Cardone. It’s fascinating to see what strategies they use. Some work regular jobs (gigs), others flip things, and some rely entirely on networking. Truly a super interesting and motivating reality show. Both seasons are definitely worth watching.
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@byalexai Thank you, Alex, for the list :D I am afraid that I will not watch series, because I will end up with binge-watching and will accomplish nothing at work :DD
But Undercover billionaire only with 2 series sounds doable lol :D
Triforce Todos
Moneyball’ isn’t a traditional business movie, but the innovation mindset is insanely inspiring.
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@abod_rehman I haven't seen this one yet. But it is on my watch list :)
I know you asked for movies but there is a fantastic podcast series "Acquired" (Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal) that focuses on CEOs, companies and organizations. They're not limited to hi-tech. Each podcast focuses on a specific company or CEO and between 3 and 4 hours long. They've featured Alphabet, Microsoft, Google Search, recently. Also notable figures such as Charlie Munger, Mark Zuckerberg.
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@jayhemmady Which episode was the best, according to you? I would start with that one and decide whether I will be continuing :)
@busmark_w_nika I liked Meta. Would love to hear what you think. But I also think they did a great job by covering Google in multiple episodes. Each is longer than typical long movies and a very deep dive.
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@jayhemmady I will try to listen to it. But 4 hours is way too long :D
you may need to add Steve Jobs (2015) to the list. @busmark_w_nika
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@monagjr TBH, I have to watch that one. 😅
@busmark_w_nika happy you liked the suggestion and hope you will enjoy it :)
let me know what you think after watching it
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@luke_glover I know about the WeWork story but didn't know there is a movie. Will add it to the list :) TY!