The Entrepreneur
hulu.com
This is a documentary about serial entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin, who introduced the Subaru and the Yugo the US.
hulu.com
1- Don't waste time trying to raise capital unless the money is crucial to your survival.
2- Persistence is almost the single most important quality of successful entrepreneurs.
3- A deal is never truly a deal even if it is on paper. Sometimes the guys across the table will make it so difficult you wish you never signed a deal with them.
4- If a partner cannot make his mind in x days, move forward and when they come back, respectfully turned them down.
5- (Repeating 2) Never ever quit. "Be water" and adapt to the market.
What struck me was how he often talks about the future as the obvious, when in fact, he doesn't know. "Everyone knows that Chinese cars are going to flood the US market". I guess that's what some call entrepreneurial optimism or being a visionary, but to not admit that your vision won't pan out doesn't win me over.
There were a couple scenes of him saying, it's his way, or the highway. Table pounding, everyone's-an-asshole, I make the final decision. In fact, they start off arguing about the logo. That doesn't inspire any sense of leadership, and doesn't make me want to help him achieve his vision.
It struck me also that his company didn't make anything. So when a single deal fell through, they went under as well.
He does have good qualities, like persistence and making arguments for how a deal might benefit the other side, but in the end, it seemed like he'd be a person really hard to work for and with. Life's too short to deal with that, and there are plenty of other entrepreneurs.
I hate Hulu.
"Unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions we are not yet available in your country. We understand that you are currently in United States"
I have YouTube and million other sites for music.
I haven't finished it yet, but the only thing that could possibly save him with the Chinese is his age.
1965 - Started selling the Subaru 360, which was named most unsafe car in America. Then was selling Subaru franchises(back then Subaru was worse than Daewoo)
1970s - Started his own sports car company, that had horrible sales and was forced to close.
1980s- Started selling Fiats(crap in the 80s).
1980s- Started selling Yugos. And we all know how great they were.