Movies Every Entrepreneur Should Watch

1. Startup.com is a 2001 documentary film that examines the rise and fall of the real-life start-up GovWorks that raised $60 million from Hearst Interactive Media, KKR, the New York Investment Fund, and Sapient. It’s good viewing to better understand the boom and bust of the dot-com period and serves as a cautionary tale on how friendships can easily be threatened by business partnerships.Topics covered include finance for entrepreneurs, capital raising, growth management, entrepreneurship skills, team building and management skills. 
2. When you hear Catch Me if You Can, you picture the successful con artist Frank Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) deceptively charming just about anyone with his skill mastery. Based on a true story, Catch Me if You Can is a classic film that exemplifies the entrepreneurial journey. It touches upon important themes like creative problem solving, turning something good out of a bad situation, and the good hustle to reach success.Topics covered include entrepreneurship skills, creativity and innovation, perseverance, business vision, personal sales techniques and entrepreneurial funding sources.

If you like dark comedy with a good bit of action, Lord of War is a must-watch. This war-crime film chronicles the life of Yuri Orlov (Nicolas Cage), an immigrant from Ukraine who decides his route to success is through illegal gun trade. Morality aside, Yuri’s ambition, tenacity, and ability to tolerate risk demonstrate the very qualities entrepreneurs need to succeed. Plus, if you want to learn more about growth hacking, building customer loyalty, and negotiation techniques, this film delves deeply into these topics. You’ll probably find yourself incorporating some of the lessons in your own business venture.Topics covered include entrepreneurship skills, emerging markets, creative problem solving, crisis management, negotiation techniques, building customer loyalty, competitive strategies, and geopolitics.

1. Ever find yourself pushed to your limits in the pursuit of power and success? Wall Street unravels this theme through the eyes of Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), an ambitious stockbroker who navigates the economic rollercoaster of Wall Street, adopting the “greed is good” mantra. This movie is a window into corporate finance, portfolio management, investment law principles and capital markets. More telling is the story of a young, susceptible mind, showing how easy it is to get carried away with the glamorous lifestyle that accompanies wealth. Plus, if you thought The Wolf of Wall Street was a bit too much, this movie is a tamer, more socially-critical version.Topics covered include corporate finance, portfolio management, capital markets, investment law principles, mergers and acquisitions, company valuations and business ethics.
2. This 1999 film Rogue Trader is based on a true story of the employee who singles handily brought down the Barings Bank, the largest bank in England. The movie shows how money drives all sorts of maniacal behavior and serves as a cautionary tale about people who falsely assume that power and money make them indispensable.Topics covered include derivatives, corporate valuation, financial reporting, capital markets, emerging markets and business ethics.
3. Possibly my all-time favorite film, Twelve Angry Men is a brilliant courtroom drama that has several layers of insight on leadership, the psychology of group behavior, and conflicting value systems. This is a must watch and will leave you thinking about the way you make important decisions.Topics covered include negotiations techniques, persuasion methods, conflict resolution and consensus building. 
4.  American comedy Office Space satirizes corporate culture of a 1990s software company, touching upon work relationships and office politics. It’s a good laugh and will definitely get you thinking about leadership, team-building techniques, and career development.Topics covered include corporate culture, mentoring, career development, leadership, work-life balance, personnel retention, team-building techniques and management of information technology.