All entrepreneurs should have a daily dose of inspiration and passion in their life. These moments are necessary since they are what keeps us going when we’re going through the hard times of building a business. Movies are great sources of inspiration and the stories of those who succeed are great examples of passion and determination.
With this in mind, we’ve made a list of the 10 movies you should watch this summer as an entrepreneur. Forget about Game of Thrones for a second and watch these 10 movies that will inspire your life.
(this list is in no particular order)
1.Pirates of Silicon Valley
Pirates of Silicon Valley is the (often historically inaccurate) portrait of one of the two most influential minds of the century: Steves Jobs and Bill Gates.This movie brings us back to the 70s all the way to the 90s and it shows us how these two men built their tech empires and how their rivalry developed throughout the years. This movie can teach you not only to pursue your dreams and to follow through but it also gives you an important look on the value of competition.
2.The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness shows Will Smith, in one of his most brilliant performances, portraying a salesman that after losing everything (wife, house and job), instead of giving up, works hard to follow his dreams and provide for his son. It’s a heartwarming tale (based on a true story) of hard-work, sacrifice, and passion that should inspire every entrepreneur.
3.Moneyball
Moneyball, also based on a true story and with Brad Pitt on the leading role, has many lessons that an entrepreneur would find valuable. It tells the story of Billy Beane and how he, with limited funds, was able to successfully assemble a baseball team using statistics and data. It’s an important movie to watch because it shows the power of innovation and creative thinking (two key traits to build a successful business) and also it teaches you to trust your gut, Beane never listened to those who doubted him and stayed focus on his vision.
4.The Godfather
The Godfather needs no introduction since it is a well-established masterpiece. It’s considered one of the best movie of all times. The family story of a mafia dynasty has many lessons to teach to the ones who want to be successful in business. It shows what it takes to go to the top and more precisely what it takes to stay there, how relationships and networking can help your business, how helping people only benefits your deals and why understanding the competition is so important. It’s full of powerful scenes that will have a lasting impact on you and will change the way you think about business. Although the techniques used in this movies are often times very illegal, the principals of these could be very well applied to the business world. Definitely a must-watch.
5.Wall Street
Known for the phrase “Greed is good”, Wall Street is the story of a young stockbroker who does anything to succeed, even taking part in highly illegal and moral reprehensible business. This movie will make you rethink your values when doing business since it shows that being an entrepreneur is not only about getting the money and high quality of life that many wish for, but it also should come with responsibilities and ethical values.This movie takes a deep critical look into what excessive ambition can do to an entrepreneur.
6.Catch Me If You Can
With one of the most memorable Leonardo Dicaprio performances, Catch Me If You Can, is the surprisingly true story of a teenage con artist who forged millions of dollars worth of checks and the F.B.I agent who becomes obsessed with catching him. This movie has many things to teach to an entrepreneur such as: showing the power of confidence, and the need for creative thinking and out of the box solutions.
7.Office Space
Office space is a comedy that portrays the monotonous and mind-numbing routine of the typical office job and the drive of a man to break it. This hilarious movie will definitely inspire you to get out of your boring repetitive job that you don’t enjoy and start looking for a job that will provide meaning to your life, while also giving you a refreshing perspective on what work should be about. It also provides helpful insights on leadership, office relationships and career development.
8.Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire, with Tom Cruise as the leading role, follows a sports agent, that after writing a polemic article about the lack of morality in the sport’s world, is fired and is left with only one client and a former secretary. Jerry becomes committed to succeeding as an independent sports agent by applying his new found philosophy. This movie will not only teach you the power of persistence and of staying true to what you believe, but it’s also a great testimony of the coexistence of competitiveness and the desire to succeed with friendship and generosity.
9.Glengarry Glen Ross
Glengarry Glen Ross, starring Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Alan Arkin, Ed Harris, Kevin Spacey… is a careful examination of the tough environment of the real estate business in the 80s. It shows what happens when money and sales are validated above everything else and workers are not given the right conditions to work in. It is also a great showcase of the unexpected effects that intimidation and manipulation tactics can have on workers.
10.Joy
Joy is, in my opinion, a highly underrated film. It tells the inspiring true story of Joy Mangano, a young woman who revolutionized the mop business and created her own business empire. The movie shows the MANY setbacks that Joy has to face in her rise to success. With captivating performances from Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, Joy can be a great teacher in perseverance and the capacity of not giving up even when everything and everybody is getting you down. It is also a great demonstration of the numerous task that an entrepreneur has to do (leadership, marketing, sales, customer support…). It’s also the only movie in this list lead by a woman, which clearly shows the need of telling more stories about women succeeding in business, which I am sure there are many.
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