Ask HN: Movies every aspiring entrepreneur should watch?

by citizenkeys on 4/27/2011, 4:50 AM with 14 comments

What movies should every aspiring entrepreneur watch? List your picks and reasons why. Here's mine:

* The Player ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105151/ ) - Silicon Valley these days isn't much different than Hollywood. In Hollywood, writers pitch potential hit movies to producers. In Silicon Valley, entrepreneurs pitch potential hit websites and apps to VC's. When Paul Graham talks about "x meets y" ( http://www.paulgraham.com/investors.html ), this is the movie he's probably thinking about.

* Ed Wood ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109707/ ) - Ed Wood made bad movies. But God love him. He had a passion for making bad movies, had fun making them, and somehow managed to talk people into investing in those movies.

* The Hustler ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054997/ ) - "Fast Eddie" doesn't lose because of his lack of talent but rather his lack of character.

* Almost Famous ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181875/ ) - People that get ahead don't usually get there by clawing their way to the top. They get ahead by the assistance of people that helped them pretty much just because they felt like it.

  • by maze on 4/27/2011, 3:13 PM

    The pursuit of Happyness. - Based on a true story - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pursuit_of_Happyness

    How one man had nothing and today is a multi-millionire.

  • by JoeCortopassi on 4/27/2011, 7:12 PM

    Wow, this went from inspiration for entrepenuers, to 'my favorite movies' list real fast...

  • by michaeldhopkins on 4/27/2011, 1:42 PM

    Citizen Kane

    City of God

    Jerry Maguire

    The Godfather

    Jurassic Park

    Requiem for a Dream

    Giant

    Midnight Cowboy

    It's a Wonderful Life

    et cetera

  • by mikecane on 4/27/2011, 10:08 AM
  • by abbasmehdi on 4/28/2011, 12:51 AM

    There is a song "Shut up and drive". Thats all we have to do, just shut up and do it! :-)

  • by pclark on 4/28/2011, 7:26 AM

    * Boiler Room

    * Layer Cake (for the speech at the end amongst other things)

    * Wall Street

    * Glengarry Glen Ross

  • by triviatise on 4/28/2011, 2:04 AM

    startup.com The Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires Nerds 2.0.1: A Brief History of the Internet

  • by sahillavingia on 4/27/2011, 5:03 AM

    The Man From Earth. WALL•E. Yes Man.

  • by roberte3 on 4/27/2011, 3:58 PM

    Tucker the man and his dream.

  • by dstein on 4/27/2011, 6:20 PM

    Brewster's Millions

  • by keiferski on 4/27/2011, 2:05 PM

    Gattaca

  • by audyyy on 4/27/2011, 7:21 PM

    Primer

  • by Mz on 4/28/2011, 2:07 AM

    "Cool Runnings". Not about business, but based on a true story about the first Jamaican bobsled team. About pursuing your dreams against all odds, about "showing up" ("80% of success is showing up" -- Woody Allen), and about keeping your priorities straight. One of my favorite movies, for a great many reasons.

  • by schraeds on 4/27/2011, 4:57 AM

    The Social Network, Pirates of Silicon Valley, Sneakers.

  • by gettinstarted on 4/27/2011, 4:53 AM

    Glengarry Glen Ross - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WCcKIkMp8Y - What it takes to get the job done in sales.

  • by on 4/27/2011, 7:21 PM

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