“I know a lot of people like to put a dividing line between business and pleasure, but I think it’s really about finding the right balance and doing what you love. It’s not about the money. It’s about the love of the game. You’ve got to have fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re not going to be very successful.”
Mark Cuban
Watching movies can be a great way to learn more about an unfamiliar topic or develop a skill you would like to master. Learning by watching others is often one of the most effective learning methods.
As such, if you’re an entrepreneur looking for business ideas for your first business, there are some great movies you can watch to get some ideas going. We will examine several movies to help aspiring entrepreneurs start their own businesses. These films can help you learn the skills you need to succeed while also supplying you with good ideas for your new start-up.
The Social Network (2010)
The Social Network is arguably one of the best movies for entrepreneurs to watch to help them start their first business. Many entrepreneurial movies tell the tale of an innovative young businessperson going against the establishment to create something new and exciting, thus gaining colossal fame and wealth.
This film is no different, showing the journey of entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg as he struggles to launch his massively popular social network, Facebook. From the very beginnings of his business idea brewed in his dorm room at Harvard to gaining a robust investor and getting Facebook to take off, you’ll watch Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) reach new heights of entrepreneurial success throughout the film. This movie is excellent for getting the juices flowing and giving the viewer a basic understanding of what it’s like to start your own tech business.
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Another tale of the rise of a successful entrepreneur, this film follows the story of a driven young sports agent, namely Jerry Maguire (played by Tom Cruise). His entrepreneurship stems from the idea that as a sports agent, he should enjoy a more personal relationship with fewer clients to better understand them. This methodology change gets him fired from the sports agency he works at, but after starting his own agency on impulse, he soon sees excellent success.
Jerry Maguire shows the audience the amount of work needed to have a successful business when starting a new business idea.
Wall Street (1987)
This film is excellent to watch as a cautionary tale for young entrepreneurs and investors. In it, we see Bud Fox (played by Charlie Sheen) get wrapped up in the greed and glamor of the 1980s stock exchange. His boss repeatedly drives home that “greed is good.”
After watching Wall Street, you’ll better understand corporate finances, investment, and capital markets, while also gaining insight into how dangerous greed can be when running a business.
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)
If you’re going to watch the original Wall Street about Gordon Gekko it is definitely worth your time to watch the remake from 2010. The Shia LaBeouf version doesn’t get enough credit.
The Founder (2016)
The Founder tells the tale of the start of one of the largest fast-food franchises in the world, McDonald’s. This one is great because it gives the viewer insight into how Ray Kroc turned endless ideas and determination into a massive success.
You’ll learn just how much work it takes to create a highly successful business and what lengths an entrepreneur may have to go to to achieve such success.