As an entrepreneur or startup enthusiast, are you too worked up with the perennial struggle to make it big in the market with established players and relentless competition?
I completely understand the predicaments that a startup founder has to deal with almost daily – the constant need to improve on creativity and innovation, combined with the drive to bring in an increased number of business deals, plus handling a pretty young team and keeping pace with other co-founders or board members.Yes, the challenges are real and stare at your faces, waiting to be solved and trumped.
This is exactly why – startup folks need a steady supply of motivation, to get through the tough days, and get the ‘mojo’ back. And, there is no better way to catch up on some raw inspiration other than the unparalleled visual representation of the cinematic universe.
So, here we present the 5 must watch movies that a startup enthusiast must watch, because these movies are derived from real life journeys of normal people who made it to the big league:-
- The Social Network (2010)
I am sure you must have watched this movie, and if you haven’t yet – well, then what the heck are you doing? Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network traces the college days of Facebook co-creator Mark Zuckerberg, and how he managed to produce such a big technological leap for the internet. Jesse Eisenberg portrays the character of Mark beautifully and does full justice to the role, along with power packed performances from Andrew Garfield, Josh Pence and Justin Timberlake. The movie even managed to win 3 Academy Awards. The challenging and rather controversial journey of Facebook tech tycoon should be the single most important reason for watching this movie, as we all know the colossal thrust that the social networking website had provided to the startup culture, right from its Inception.
- Joy (2015)
Played by Jennifer Lawrence, Joy depicts the true story of Joy Mangano – famous American inventor, businesswoman, and entrepreneur. The movie is a perfect example of a woman getting on top of the world and being at the helm of affairs in business. After a failed job, tremendous tension at home, a divorce, and being almost a single parent, Joy betters all adversities to invent the ‘Miracle Mop’ in the early 1990s. The movie received generally good reviews and also got a nomination at the Oscars, apart from scoring a big win at the Golden Globe.
- Steve Jobs (2015)
If you want to go behind the scenes of the circumstances that created one the biggest names in business, you should totally watch this movie. Steve Jobs takes us the story backstage which shows the three iconic product launches, ending in 1998 with the unravelling of the iMac. With powerful acting from Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, the movie got great critical acclaim, apart from 2 Oscar nominations. The film is arranged into three acts and covers 14 years (1984-1998) of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’s life. This is a must watch for all startup enthusiasts who hope to make it big, someday – in spite of repeated setbacks.
- The Aviator (2004)
What is easily one of the best acting performances by Leonardo Capirio, The Aviator covers the story of Howard Hughes – an aviation pioneer. The movie portrays Hughes’ life between the late 1920s and late 1940s, when he had became a legendary director and an aviation magnate, while simultaneously battling severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The Aviator garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, and won 5 of them, plus raking over $214 million at the box office. You should watch this movie esspecially because of the pure adrenaline rush it provides.
- The Pursuit of Happyness
This movie is no short of a complete brilliance and without a speck of doubt, has inspired and will continue to inspire people from all walks of life. Released in 2006, The Pursuit of Happyness is based on the real life of entrepreneur Chris Gardner, and faultlessly outlines the ‘rags to riches’ story. Played by Will Smith, the movie is all about a struggling, homeless salesman and his five-year old son, and how he lands an unpaid internship at a brokerage firm after a series of traumatic experiences. Thereafter, he becomes a broker, and goes on to build his own firm – Gardner Rich & Co. This movie is a great example of how a simple individual can battle all odds in pursuit for a better life. A quote from the movie that will stir anyone’s soul – “Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something…you want something? Go get it. Period!”
So, was this list comprehensive? If you could, what contemporary movies would you add to inject inspiration among startup enthusiasts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
