10 Must-Watch Films & Series for Entrepreneurs Who Will Conquer (2015–2024)
These sagas of raw ambition, catastrophic failures, and unbreakable resolve forge warriors of industry. They’ll sharpen your edge and arm you with battle-tested truths from the front lines of creation. Dive in to fuel your fire and crush the competition.
Why This Is Worth Reading - Entrepreneurship isn’t a game—it’s a war for legacy, demanding wisdom carved from chaos. These films and series rip open the gritty realities of building empires, delivering hard-earned lessons from visionaries and wreckage from the reckless. They’re not entertainment; they’re your arsenal for mastering the battlefield of innovation.
The entrepreneurial arena is a brutal coliseum of audacious gambles and merciless setbacks. In 2024, global startup funding surged to $600 billion, with 305 million ventures clawing for dominance. Every choice is a potential empire-maker or dream-killer. The following 10 films and series—spanning 2015 to 2024—are not mere stories; they’re war cries, dissecting the victories and ruins of those who dared to reshape the world. From Nike’s world-altering bet to WeWork’s fiery collapse, these narratives forge ironclad principles for anyone building something unstoppable.
1. Air
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
IMDb: Air (2023)
Nike’s 1984 gamble on Michael Jordan wasn’t a deal—it was a revolution that rewrote branding. Air tracks Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) as he stakes Nike’s future on a rookie, outfoxing Adidas and Converse with unrelenting conviction. This is a masterclass in high-stakes persuasion, visionary marketing, and seizing untapped potential.
Key Lesson: Strike with fearless conviction, or watch your empire crumble. Nike’s $250,000 bet on Jordan now fuels a $5 billion annual juggernaut, proving one bold move can redefine history. Elon Musk’s $1.5 billion Bitcoin plunge for Tesla in 2021 ignited a crypto frenzy, cementing his brand as untouchable. You must hunt for your “Jordan moment”—a game-changing opportunity others ignore—and attack it with ruthless precision. This week, identify one high-impact risk in your business. Run the numbers, rally your team, and execute like your legacy hangs in the balance. Cowardice breeds mediocrity; strike now, and own the future.
2. WeCrashed (Series)
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
IMDb: WeCrashed (2022)
WeWork’s $47 billion valuation was a testament to Adam Neumann’s hypnotic charisma, but its implosion was a brutal lesson in hubris. Jared Leto’s portrayal in WeCrashed reveals a founder who sold a utopian vision but built on quicksand. This series is a war cry: charisma seduces, but only iron discipline builds empires.
Key Lesson: Lead with fire, but anchor it with unbreakable systems—or burn to ash. WeWork’s $40 billion collapse in 2019 was a masterclass in hype outrunning reality, squandering $10 billion in investor cash. Satya Nadella, by contrast, fused bold vision with relentless execution at Microsoft, skyrocketing its market cap from $300 billion in 2014 to $3 trillion by 2024. You must weld your storytelling to bulletproof operations. Today, audit your business plan: Are your projections ironclad? Are your processes scalable? Build a fortress before you sell the dream, or you’ll be a cautionary tale.
3. Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (Series)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
IMDb: Super Pumped (2022)
Uber’s savage rise redefined mobility, but its scandals nearly razed it. Super Pumped follows Travis Kalanick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he bulldozes competitors and regulators to scale a titan. This series is a gut punch: disruption demands ferocity, but unchecked ambition is a death sentence.
Key Lesson: Disrupt like a warrior, but guard your soul with ethics—or lose everything. Uber’s $120 billion peak in 2019 crashed to half after scandals of toxicity and law-dodging. Indra Nooyi, however, led PepsiCo to $80 billion in revenue by blending bold innovation with principled governance, earning global respect. You must conquer markets without torching your integrity. This week, interrogate your culture: Are you inspiring loyalty or breeding chaos? Set one unyielding ethical standard and enforce it like law. True dominance demands trust, not just blood.
4. The Dropout (Series)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89%
IMDb: The Dropout (2022)
Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos promised to revolutionize healthcare but became a $9 billion lie. Amanda Seyfried’s chilling performance in The Dropout exposes how ambition can metastasize into deceit under pressure. This is your wake-up call: “fake it till you make it” is a trap that buries the weak.
Key Lesson: Integrity is your bedrock—betray it, and you’re already dead. Theranos’ collapse, ending in Holmes’ 11-year prison sentence in 2023, obliterated a $9 billion valuation because lies can’t outrun truth. Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard, by contrast, built a $1.5 billion empire on transparency, earning fanatical loyalty. You must forge a business that stands up to scrutiny. Today, stress-test your claims: Can you deliver what you promise? Eliminate half-truths and double down on reality. Deception is a coward’s game; build on truth, and you’ll be unshakable.
5. BlackBerry
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
IMDb: BlackBerry (2023)
BlackBerry ruled smartphones until Apple’s iPhone crushed it. BlackBerry tracks co-founders Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as they soar, then plummet through arrogance and stagnation. This film is a brutal truth: innovation without evolution is suicide.
Key Lesson: Adapt or be annihilated—stagnation is betrayal of your vision. BlackBerry’s market share vaporized from 20% in 2009 to under 1% by 2016, erasing a $70 billion empire. Nokia’s 90% value loss from 2007 to 2012 echoes the same failure. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos pivoted from books to AWS, now a $100 billion juggernaut, by obsessing over evolution. You must hunt for threats and reinvent relentlessly. This week, scan your industry for disruptive trends—AI, sustainability, anything. Integrate one into your strategy, or you’re already obsolete. Stand still, and the world will bury you.
6. Tetris
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
IMDb: Tetris (2023)
Tetris chronicles Henk Rogers’ relentless quest to secure a game’s rights amid Cold War chaos, birthing a global phenomenon. This thriller is a masterclass in deal-making under fire and the iron will to turn a small idea into a titan.
Key Lesson: Own your empire, or others will steal your throne. Tetris’ 500 million copies sold since 1984, generating billions, exist because Rogers locked in global rights. Spotify’s Daniel Ek secured music licenses to build a $70 billion platform, crushing piracy. You must armor your assets with ferocity. Today, review your intellectual property: Are your trademarks, patents, contracts ironclad? If not, hire a lawyer. Then, pinpoint one undervalued asset—a product, idea, relationship—and weaponize its value. Control your destiny, or giants will claim your crown.
7. Dumb Money
Rotten Tomatoes: 84%
IMDb: Dumb Money (2023)
The 2021 GameStop stock rebellion, led by Keith Gill (Paul Dano), saw Reddit traders crush Wall Street hedge funds. Dumb Money is a battle hymn for underdogs, proving collective power can topple titans. It’s your call to harness crowds and rewrite the rules.
Key Lesson: Forge a tribe, and you’ll wield unstoppable force. GameStop’s 1,600% stock surge in January 2021, costing hedge funds $20 billion, was fueled by Reddit’s united front. Tesla’s Elon Musk turned a 10-million-strong X following into a $1 trillion valuation by amplifying demand. You must build a fanatical community. This week, launch one tribe-building move: a newsletter, X campaign, or customer forum. Deliver relentless value, and watch your influence explode. Alone, you’re weak; with a legion, you’re invincible.
8. Silicon Cowboys (Documentary)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
IMDb: Silicon Cowboys (2016)
Compaq’s 1980s war against IBM is a saga of scrappy brilliance. Silicon Cowboys shows three outsiders building a $15 billion empire by outsmarting a tech colossus through reverse-engineering and raw ingenuity. This is your blueprint for slaying giants.
Key Lesson: Outthink your enemies, and size means nothing—ingenuity is your blade. Compaq’s $3 billion revenue by 1992 eclipsed IBM’s PC division because it solved problems faster. Airbnb’s Brian Chesky disrupted hospitality without owning a hotel, hitting a $100 billion valuation through sheer creativity. You must outmaneuver, not outspend. Today, identify one industry inefficiency. Prototype a lean solution, test it with customers, and iterate like your life depends on it. Giants fall when you’re smarter, not richer.
9. General Magic (Documentary)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
IMDb: General Magic (2018)
General Magic, an Apple spinoff, invented the smartphone in the 1990s—decades too early. This documentary is a raw lesson in timing, courage, and the grit to pivot when the world isn’t ready. It’s your call to master the clock or lose your shot at greatness.
Key Lesson: Time your strike, or your genius is dust. General Magic’s $500 million failure birthed Apple’s iPhone, now a $2 trillion empire, because timing trumped vision. Friendster pioneered social media but collapsed, while Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg nailed the moment, hitting 3 billion users. You must align your moves with the market’s pulse. Today, study your customers: Are they ready for your solution? If not, pivot to a bridge market or refine your approach. Mistime your shot, and you’re a footnote; nail it, and you’re a legend.
10. The Billion Dollar Code (Series)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
IMDb: The Billion Dollar Code (2021)
This German series tracks Terravision’s creators, pioneers of a Google Earth precursor, and their doomed fight against Google. It’s a brutal saga of intellectual property and the cost of losing your creation to giants. This is your mandate to protect what you build.
Key Lesson: Guard your ideas like a fortress, or titans will plunder your legacy. Google Earth’s $5 billion annual revenue for Alphabet exists because Terravision’s creators failed to defend their innovation. Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel, however, fought Instagram’s copycats to preserve Stories, securing a $20 billion valuation. You must fortify your innovations. Today, map your industry’s IP landscape: Are competitors circling? Lock down patents, trademarks, and NDAs. Document every idea, iteration, and contract. Let giants steal from the weak; you’ll be untouchable.
Call to Action: Forge Your Empire with Unrelenting Force
These stories aren’t entertainment—they’re your crucible, forging an unbreakable entrepreneurial spirit. They scream one truth: empires rise from decisive action, relentless learning, and fearless adaptation. To dominate in 2025 and beyond, you must move with purpose. Here’s your battle plan:
Watch with Hunger: Schedule one film or series weekly. Dissect every decision, failure, and pivot. Ask: How would I conquer this?
Mine for Gold: Post-viewing, extract one ironclad principle. From Air, make a bold pitch this week. From The Dropout, purge ethical weaknesses now.
Strike Fast: Apply one lesson today. If Dumb Money ignites you, start a community campaign. If Tetris roars, secure your IP this afternoon.
Sharpen Your Blade: End each month reviewing your moves. What won? What bled? Amplify what works, slaughter what doesn’t.
The world bows to the fearless. These stories prove that legends are forged by those who act with iron resolve, learn from every scar, and evolve without mercy. Start watching, start building, start dominating—now.