TOP BUSINESS DOCUMENTARIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

In spite of layoffs and job losses, the working world has never been more interesting. The days of the cubicle farm are over, for example. The way we work has become more fluid, and there has never been a better time to be an entrepreneur in your chosen field. It’s a great time to change directions professionally or launch a new venture. If you’re an ambitious entrepreneur with a mind full of money-making ideas but without the confidence or drive to make them a reality, we’ve compiled a list of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs to motivate you.

The Netflix era has seen a revival in the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs. Their shows have become huge successes and fan favorites in no time. The top business documentaries for entrepreneurs also provide a unique viewpoint on the individuals and movements that have impacted the society we live in today. These top business documentaries for entrepreneurs cover everything from Microsoft and Space X’s growth to small business owners’ struggles.

Here are top business documentaries for entrepreneurs compiled together to motivate you:

#1. Startup.com

Many promising startups’ initial success was followed by a spectacular failure due to the dot-com boom. A good example is GovWorks. The 2001 documentary Startup.com examines the downfall of an innovative company like GovWorks as a result of incompetent leadership and internal strife. It’s a must-watch for everyone interested in the startup world. It beautifully portrays the highs and lows of founding a startup with friends in these thrilling but volatile times.

The documentary Startup.com is required viewing for anybody interested in learning about the rise and fall of startup companies during the dot-com bubble. This documentary also serves as a warning to business owners about the dangers of internal power battles for the future of their organizations. It was founded by friends who later became bitter rivals. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams. Startup.com gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at all the things that could go wrong at a seemingly successful startup.

#2. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, 2019

The series’ name should give everything away, but in case you missed it, here’s a brief synopsis of the three-part documentary. It also explores the life and thoughts of Mr. Bill Gates, one of the most successful businesspeople in history.

Learning from the successes and failures of a legendary businessperson is the best education for a future business leader. Furthermore, this series delves into Gates’ philanthropic passions while providing a rare look into the early days of Microsoft. It is also one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams. This documentary sheds light on Gates’ charitable altruism and commercial genius, whether it be through his work on the polio vaccination, his efforts to improve sanitation in developing nations, or the co-founding of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

#3. Capital C (2014)

Capital C is a Kickstarter-funded documentary by Timon Birkhofer and Jorg M. Kundinger titled “About the Crowd Revolution” in the business world. In this story, three business owners try to crowdfund their ventures. Jackson Robinson, a graphic designer from Texas making a high-end deck of playing cards; Brian Fargo, a video game designer from California looking for money to make a sequel to his hit game “Wasteland”; and Zach Crain, a designer from Texas making a standard deck of playing cards.

The fundamental ideas behind crowdsourcing are examined, as are the websites where it can be done, such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo. It delves into the human side of crowdfunding as well, looking at the stresses that entrepreneurs endure when trying to win over backers despite the risk of their ventures failing. Also know that there is no assurance that a crowdfunding campaign will be successful, and failure is always a possibility.

#4. Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

It was anticipated that Fyre Festival will be the most spectacular and expensive music festival ever held. Famous people, internet personalities, musicians, and supermodels all shared and promoted it online. All advertisements promised five-star treatment, including meals prepared by renowned chefs and lodgings on a secluded island that had once belonged to Pablo Escobar. What could possibly go wrong with renowned rapper Ja Rule and successful entrepreneur Billy McFarland at the helm? Apparently, all of it. Fyre Festival was actually a fraud and nothing like the promotional materials had led people to believe it would be. Attendees were stranded on an island in disaster-relief tents without food or water when the scheduled performers canceled.

This Netflix documentary also provides an inside look at the scam that was supposed to be a high-end music event. Fyre, a Netflix documentary including stunning confessions from McFarland’s team members and festival guests, is both a fun movie and a warning to entrepreneurs who make big claims without putting in the necessary work. Billy McFarland, who founded Fyre Festival, was found to have a history of fraudulent behavior. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

#5. Print the Legend, 2014

This documentary is an excellent starting point for anyone who wants to build a career as a prosperous technological entrepreneur. The documentary follows MakerBot’s creators as they try to convince the world that 3D printing is the future. The thought that we can build things at home with 3D printers is interesting. It is also one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams. However, you will find that this revolutionary movement is not without its critics.

#6. Generation Startup (2016)

This uplifting documentary on entrepreneurship and its risks and benefits was directed by Cheryl Miller Houser and Cynthia Wade. Generation Startup introduces American entrepreneurship in a genuine, hands-on manner. Six recent college grads with business ideas are the protagonists of this story. Risking everything to launch new firms in Detroit was tracked for 17 months. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

The documentary gives millennials a face by showcasing their struggles, both successful and unsuccessful, along with their fears and concerns. So, believe in yourself and keep going, no matter how hard it becomes.

#7. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

This documentary on the Enron scandal should not be missed if you’re looking for the best business documentaries. This documentary analyzes the fall of Enron Corporation in 2001 and all of the key actors involved, based on the book The Smartest Guys in the Room by investigative reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

This documentary delves into all the evil activities at Enron that ultimately led to its downfall, featuring interviews with the reporters who originally broke the news and former Enron executives and staff. This documentary recounts one of the biggest corporate scandals of the 21st century. From the company’s questionable mark-to-market accounting techniques to its expensive corporate parties and the dishonest actions of its senior executives.

#8. Becoming Warren Buffett, 2017

This is the story of one of the greatest investors of all time. If you don’t shoot for the stars, you might as well not even try, so it’s important for aspiring business owners to study the thought processes of those who have done so. Warren Buffett has achieved as much success as anyone else. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

It’s like listening to Buffett write his own autobiography as he recounts his entire life story, from his early prowess with numbers and his fascination with the principles of investment to his time spent learning from Benjamin Graham (the “father of value investing”) in this documentary. More than anything else, the documentary explains why Buffett is so good at what he does, which is an important lesson for any aspiring businessman to know.

#9. Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)

The documentary Joe Berlinger directed about Tony Robbins’ life is superb. The film depicts motivational speaker Tony Robbins as he prepares for his annual “Date with Destiny” lecture in Boca Raton, Florida, which typically draws over 4,500 attendees. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

Watching the video is like sitting in on one of Robbins’ sessions with visitors that has an interest in self-improvement and transformation. In the course of the story, Robbins employs a variety of techniques, including team-building activities, individual counseling, and inspirational talks, to assist his visitors in achieving their objectives. So, Develop a hopeful and optimistic outlook on life and start trusting in your power to make it happen.

#10. The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley

Every aspiring business owner can learn something from Theranos’ meteoric rise and subsequent fall. Although there has been an abundance of media coverage of the Theranos scandal—from John Carreyrou’s excellent book Bad Blood to the recent limited TV series The Drop Out—The Inventor can serve as a useful entry point for those interested in learning more about what happened there. Theranos, which was once poised to revolutionize the healthcare sector, was one of Silicon Valley’s most talked-about businesses, and its founder Elizabeth Holmes was a media darling and the first self-made female billionaire. The innovative blood testing technology developed by Theranos ultimately failed, bringing the company to its knees. In addition, Holmes and Theranos’ COO Sunny Balwani employed several intimidation methods to silence doubters among the staff and tech journalists.

The video details how Holmes and Balwani lied to their investors and business partners in order to make more money, and how they were more concerned with getting their name out there than with making their technology work. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou is an excellent book to read if you want an outline of what happened to Theranos. Carreyrou was the first journalist to write about problems at Theranos. His 2015 Wall Street Journal story sparked numerous inquiries and legal actions that ultimately put an end to Holmes’ deception and brought down Theranos. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

#11. Banking on Bitcoin, 2016

If you want to be successful as an entrepreneur, you should take a crash course on cryptocurrency. This documentary will serve that purpose admirably. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

You may anticipate diving deep into the history, evolution, and possibilities of this online phenomenon. Bitcoin is as groundbreaking a technological development as it gets, but where is it headed? By focusing on the opinions of individuals who can affect how Bitcoin will affect us all, the video raises questions about both mainstream capitalism and fringe utopia. All businesses require a solid financial foundation, thus this is a must-see for aspiring entrepreneurs.

#12. Betting On Zero (2016)

Ted Braun’s business documentary Betting On Zero promotes government control and consumer education to combat financial fraud. The protagonist, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, invests in Herbalife shares and then goes on the offensive to expose the corporation as a pyramid scheme. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

This documentary discusses the market impact of multi-level marketing (MLM) companies and how government regulation protects customers from fraud. It also draws attention to the high-pressure methods MLM businesses use to attract new distributors, as well as the challenges many distributors encounter while attempting to sell products and turn a profit. It’s important to research the industry and potential partners before starting a business.

#13. Elon Musk: The real-life Iron Man (2018)

Another documentary about Elon Musk, one of the most significant businesspeople of the 21st century, is Elon Musk: The Real-Life Iron Man, directed by Sonia Anderson. The documentary starts by chronicling Musk’s early years in South Africa and his first forays into entrepreneurship, including Zip2 and PayPal. It then moves on to discuss his present-day activities, such as his involvement with SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company, and Neuralink. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

The documentary delves into Elon Musk’s revolutionary vision for transportation technology, which includes electric vehicles, the Hyperloop, and innovative concepts for long-lasting computers and colonizing Mars.

#14. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

This documentary provides a timeless cautionary tale of what can happen when a business puts profit over the health and safety of its consumers, resulting in a hostile work environment that stifles new ideas. The Downfall is a documentary directed by Rory Kennedy that delves into the causes of two significant airline disasters involving Boeing planes and shows how Boeing’s carelessness and culture of secrecy rendered these disasters unavoidable.

And to make matters worse, Boeing also tried to transfer the blame for the crash onto the pilots. When Boeing was at last judged responsible for the disasters, the company was let off with a warning. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

This documentary provides solid evidence that Boeing’s avarice and poisonous work environment resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, based on interviews with former Boeing employees, victims’ family members, and aviation specialists. It also demonstrates how Boeing went from being led by safety-conscious engineers who took pride in their job to being run by selfish incompetents whose only purpose was to maximize shareholder value.

#15. Steve Jobs: One Last Thing

This short documentary was released a few weeks after Steve Jobs’ death in 2011, and it covers the thoughts and memories of Jobs’ friends, colleagues, fans, and adversaries. It also covers Bill Gates’ and Steve Jobs’ reactions to Jobs’s cancer diagnosis and some of their interview together. This documentary definitely won’t teach you anything new about Steve Jobs if you’ve previously read Walter Isaacson’s biography. This documentary may just be an hour long, but it is ideal for those seeking a summary of Jobs’s accomplishments and business ethos. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams.

#16. The Last Dance

Not just Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan fans should watch this 10-part Netflix documentary series. One need not be a follower of basketball or any other sport to recognize the brilliance of this series. For its insightful look into Michael Jordan’s leadership style and the ways in which he inspired his team to win, I have placed this series among the best documentaries for business owners. It also exemplifies Jordan’s peak growth mindset, which enabled him to be such a relentless competitor on the court. Although not everyone will agree with Jordan’s methods of leadership and team motivation, no one can deny the depth of his tenacity, determination, and winner’s attitude.

The Last Dance effectively contrasts Michael Jordan’s first year with the Chicago Bulls with his final season with the team. Jordan’s colleagues Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, as well as Chicago Bulls head coach Phil Jackson, have their careers chronicled as well. It goes without saying that anyone who enjoyed watching Michael Jordan or the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s should check out this documentary. However, as previously stated, even if you are uninterested in basketball, this documentary is worth watching because it contains numerous tips for successful businesspeople and other achievers.

Even though The Last Dance is ostensibly a sports documentary series, there are many lessons that can be applied to business in general inside each episode. It is one of the top business documentaries for entrepreneurs that will motivate you to never give up on your dreams on Netflix.

Who Are the 6 Successful Businessmen?

Andrew Carnegie
Henry Ford
Elon Musk
Oprah Winfrey
Bill Gates
Larry Page

Where Can I Watch Business Documentaries?

Netflix
Amazon Prime
HBO Max
Disney+
YouTube

Where Can I Find the Best Documentaries?

Netflix.
Hulu.
Disney+
Prime Video.
Apple TV+
Favorite Events.

Final thoughts

Business documentaries present the viewer with lesser-known insights into the world of business and entrepreneurship, from the struggles of small enterprises to the inspiring life stories of well-known entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk. All of these videos teach important life lessons, including how to be resilient, how to spot chances, how to deal with setbacks, how to accept change, and the value of forming moral judgments and doing one’s share in society.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your company to the next level, we hope these top business documentaries for entrepreneurs will serve as a source of motivation.

TOP BUSINESS DOCUMENTARIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Table of Contents Hide

What Is a Business Documentary?