"The Founder" teaches us 4 principles of entrepreneurship

The history of McDonald's is one of the most compelling and the movie The Founder proves it. The biopic shows how one of the biggest franchises of all time was appropriated and expanded.

One thing about movies inspired by real events is that they make you feel more empathy with the characters by having in mind that someone really went through and lived all that (or very similar) that you are watching on a screen. That's what happened to me with the movie The Founder.

I started watching The Founder because I was curious to know how the creators of McDonalds turned it into the largest and most famous fast food empire it is today. What I didn't know and made me almost fall out of my seat was to learn that the person who accomplished this was not exactly the one who had the initial idea. The person responsible for this fast food giant was Ray Kroc, played masterfully by seasoned actor Michael Keaton.

The movie is full of surprises and despite its length, it is almost impossible to get bored with everything that happens. Below, you will find out what were those principles that led Ray Kroc to become one of the most legendary entrepreneurs of all time.

Not giving up

At the beginning of the film, Ray Kroc is a relatively mediocre salesman who makes a living selling industrial mixers or, failing that, the appliance of the day that caught his eye. Thanks to this he had achieved a certain economic stability.

Ray was a determined, hard-working guy who did not allow himself to be overwhelmed by adverse circumstances. You can see throughout the beginning of the film that he was rejected, even mistreated by his prospective clients, and yet he remained firm, with a good attitude and motivated to face the day to day. If you are going through something like this and have thought about giving up, here are some reasons to keep going.

Be ready to seize opportunities

The second principle we can take away from this movie is that Ray had an incredible nose for a business opportunity. In fact, he tells the McDonald's brothers that he wants to be part of their project because he took the long view instead of just settling for what was right under his nose.

The founders of the first McDonald's restaurant could have done what Ray proposed themselves, but they lacked vision and the courage to take risks. These elements Ray did possess and as soon as he saw the opportunity, he was prepared to take it and did so without hesitation.

Believe in yourself

You can have all the qualities in the world, but if you don't have self-confidence, the others are useless. Ray proved to be a confident leader when he presented his idea to the McDonald brothers, who could have plagiarized it and done it themselves, but they knew they needed Kroc's energy.

He knew how to sell himself, first to the McDonald brothers, and from then on, even though many people didn't believe or trust what he had to tell them, he didn't let that stop him, but used that as a motivation to prove to those people that he was right.

Don't be afraid to innovate

We must take into account that Ray Kroc had the idea and started the restaurant franchising business in the late 50's, where nothing like it existed yet. He was not afraid to try new things, to include technology to save production costs and time. This annoyed the founders of the first restaurant, who were more traditional, but despite this, Kroc did not give up.

Innovation is a fundamental element to be able to do extraordinary things and to be considered by others. At first you will be labeled crazy or deluded, but time and your determination will prove you right, just as it did Ray.

Of course there are other inappropriate elements in the film as well. However, in this article I only present the positive aspects that are worth copying if you are a determined entrepreneur.

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© Emby Lat

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