What are the best movies for entrepreneurs to watch to get motivation, ideas, and insights into growing their businesses? Adam Toren, co-founder of YoungEntrepreneur.com gives us his Top 10 list of movies that every young business owner should go out and see:
1) e-Dreams
An in-depth look at the highs and lows of a dot com. The movie follows the founders of Kozmo.com as they raise money and file for IPO. But no one has predicted the market crash in April 2000.
2) Startup.com
Traces the birth and failure of new media company govWorks.com
3) Triump of the Nerds
It happened more or less by accident; the people who made it happen were amateurs; and for the most part they still are. From his own Silicon Valley garage, author Bob Cringley puts PC bigshots and nerds on the spot, and tells their incredible true stories. Like the industry itself, the series is informative, funny and brash. Some of the episode participants include: Bill Gates (Chairman of Microsoft, the richest man in the world), Steve Jobs (Hippie co-founder of Apple Computer; CEO of NeXT Computer; and the man who wanted to change the world), and Steve Wozniak (Co-founder of Apple Computer; engineering genius, practical joker).
4) Jerry Maguire
When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent with the only athlete who stays with him.
5) Big Night
A failing Italian restaurant run by two brothers gambles on one special night to try to save the business.
6) WallStreet
A young and impatient stockbroker is willing to do anything to get to the top, including trading on illegal inside information taken through a ruthless and greedy corporate raider whom takes the youth under his wing.
7) Boiler Room
A college dropout gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm, which puts him on the fast track to success, but the job might not be as legitimate as it sounds.
Barbarians at the Gate
F. Ross Johnson, the CEO of RJR Nabisco decides that the time is ripe to take over his own company and enlists American Express. This kicks off a tide of other firms swarming in to tender offers. The outline of the film follows the actual takeover of the RJR Nabisco empire in a tongue in cheek way.
9) The Secret of My Succe$s
A talented young man can’t get an executive position without rising through the ranks, so he comes up with a shortcut, which also benefits his love life.
10) Pirates of Silicon Valley
This film is the semi-humorous documentary about the men who made the world of technology what it is today, their struggles during college, the founding of their companies, and the ingenious actions they took to build up the global corporate empires of Apple Computer Corporation and Microsoft Inc..
What are your thoughts on these movies? Are there any others that you would add to the list?
Please make sure to also vote in our YoungEntrepreneur.com poll on who you think are the top celebrity entrepreneurs. The results will be coming out in a couple of weeks!
This is great! Thanks for the suggestions. I will check into these. I don’t think I have seen any of them. A little motivation can go a long way.
I would also add October Sky if you can get past all the language. Very motivational!! I think it changed my husbands life.
What about The Pursuit of Happiness?
Thanks for the two additional suggestions. I have not seen October Sky yet but I have seen Pursuit of Happiness. Great movie!
Adam T.
yup the pursuit of happyness is really great & motivational movie i fully agree with adam toren. as a student of proton business school and a member of movie committe we had a show of this movie in our college. and from my side we saw the artificial inteligence
Evan:
I’ll have to check out a few of these movies, if I can get my hands on them. I linked to your list of 10 movies for Entrepreneurs in my blog post for the Innovators-Network ( http://blog.innovators-network.org ) in hopes that some of my readers will visit YoungEntrepreneur and read your piece in its entirety for themselves. Best wishes for future success.
Anthony Kuhn
Great list, but I really think that the Pursuit of Happiness should be on top of the list… and some how I was hoping ‘Remember the Titans’ can be on the list as well. (okay, it’s just my thoughts)
I love this one
“Pirates of Silicon Valley”
Great list! I still need to see a few of those.
Some more I enjoyed: Trading Places, Office Space, and Thank You For Smoking.
Great selection of titles. I have watched all of them and loved each one. I agree that the Pursuit of Happiness should top the list.
It might not be for young entrepreneurs but it sure is motivational and awe inspiring. And that’s Robert Redford in “The Natural.”
thanks,
I love the “The Secret”
even put the youtube on my blog
Cool List,
I reckon I’m 50/50
I’ve seen half of them (probably the more mainstream popular ones)
But there are certainly some I need to look out for on your list..
Cheers
Randy
http://www.SalesLetterABC.com
Great list! Pirates of Silicon Valley and Triumph of the Nerds are two of my favorites! I also really like Wall Street and Jerry Maguire.
I agree that Pursuit of Happyness should be on the list. And don’t forget about Nerds 2.0.1, the sequel to Triumph of the Nerds! Triumph was about the invention of the PC, and Nerd 2.0.1 is about the invention of the internet!
Antitrust is another good one that is loosely based on Bill Gates and Microsoft.
I also enjoy “The Devil Wears Prada”, but that may be a little bit too “chick flicky” for you. Maybe it’s just because I really love designer garb. LOL
I’ve put Startup.com, e-Dreams, Big Night, and Barbarians at the Gate on my list of movies to see soon. Thanks!
Great list, I would have to add “Glengarry Glen Ross” for a look inside the world of salesmen.
Thank you Matthew and Adam Toren.
This is helpful
Blessings
Gamy
Among all these movies I had just only watched – Jerry Maguire. It is one of my favourite movie.
I think another movie that recommand is “The Secret”
Nice list. “The First $20 million is always the hardest” is another contrived Silicon Valley fantasies.
Check out Bowfinger with Steve Martin. Slightly different take but captures the entrepreneurial spirit of executing a venture (making a movie) with limited resources (no stars).
I’ve talked to many entrepreneurs (tried it myself a couple times). I love Secret of My Success because Michael J Fox rocks! but I have to say Pursuit of Happyness is the best entrepreneurship story (Risked EVERYTHING). Can’t tell you how many have stories I’ve heard of being so low (granted his was rock bottom).
Hi all…
any one know movie about young entrepreneur, which starting from zero.
He/She has a many idea, but doesn’t know how to start.
When was started doesn’t know how to develop and doesn’t know which one the jobs to focus, He/She blank idea.
If someone knows, please let me know, you can email me alfinsi@yahoo.com / chat me via YM.
thanks a lot
Interesting list. A few years ago I came up with another one. We have some overlap.
http://smartstartup.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/06/top_ten_entrepr.html
Every one missed the important movie named GURU the story About Dhirubhai Ambhani Who started his life from 0.00000000000000 to now richest person in the world .
pursuit of happyness should on top
but there is one movie that we forget
door to door, even it story about a salesman, but as enterpreneur we can learn how hard bussiness is..