They can take our IPs, but they will never take our freedom. Pavel Durov This is the cause championed by Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, when the Russian authorities attempted to block Telegram…
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Nope, I am not going to include Tony Robbins or any gurus here.
There are existing compilations on what should businesses watch on TV (over the Internet) but this list is focused on biographies or stories of business icons only.
Even though some parts of the stories are dramatized or fictionalized, I always love the biographies about how entrepreneurs started, struggled, and grow their businesses.
The Social Network is probably the first modern biography TV show released back in 2010 – based on Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. What about the rest that follows?
From the famous icons like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to those lesser known ones, I have watched all of the shows on this list and thought they are great for businesses!
Most of the TV shows here are streamed on Netflix, Disney+, or Apple TV, subject to whether they are available for your territory.
If you love biographies like me, here are the to-watch list ordered by the show’s release date – how many of these shows have you watched?
- JOBS
- JOY
- Walt Before Mickey
- Girlboss
- Inside Bill’s Brain
- Self Made
- The Billion Dollar Code
- The Dropout
- WeCrashed
- The Playlist
Looking for more? We have unearthed some business success stories that aren’t widely told, head over to our YouTube channel and check them out!
JOBS
Silicon Valley genius Steve Jobs changes the world but alienates the people around him as he rises from college dropout to the head of Apple.
Release in: 2013 (Movie, 2h 2m)Story about: Steve Jobs (Co-Founder of Apple)
Where to watch: Netflix
JOY
JOY is the wild story of a family across four generations centered on the girl who becomes the woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right.
Release in: 2015 (Movie, 2h 4m)Story about: Joy Mangano (Founder of Clean Boss)
Where to watch: Disney+ (Malaysia)
Walt Before Mickey
In the 10 years before the creation of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney struggles to master the art and business of animation.
Release in: 2016 (Movie, 2 hr)Story about: Walt Disney (Co-Founder of The Walt Disney Company)
Where to watch: Apple TV
Girlboss
Rebellious and broke, Sophia stumbles into creating an online business and learns how to be the boss. A comedy inspired by the best-selling memoir.
Release in: 2017 (Series, 13 episodes)Story about: Sophia Amoruso (Founder of Nasty Gal)
Where to watch: Netflix
Inside Bill’s Brain
Take a trip inside the mind of Bill Gates as the billionaire opens up about those who influenced him and the audacious goals he’s still pursuing.
Release in: 2019 (Series, 3 episodes)Story about: Bill Gates (Co-Founder of Microsoft)
Where to watch: Netflix
Self Made
An African American washerwoman rises from poverty to build a beauty empire and become the first female self-made millionaire. Based on a true story.
Release in: 2020 (Series, 4 episodes)Story about: Madam C.J. Walker (Founder of Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company)
Where to watch: Netflix
The Billion Dollar Code
In 1990s Berlin, an artist and a hacker invented a new way to see the world. Years later, they reunite to sue Google for patent infringement on it.
Release in: 2021 (Series, 4 episodes)Story about: Axel Schmidt, Pavel Meyer, Joachim Sauter, Gerd Gruneis (Founder of Art+Com, Developer of Terravision)
Where to watch: Netflix
The Dropout
The story of Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) and Theranos, is an unbelievable tale of ambition and fame gone terribly wrong.
Release in: 2022 (Series, 8 episodes)Story about: Elizabeth Holmes (Founder of Theranos)
Where to watch: Disney+ (Malaysia)
WeCrashed
WeWork grew from a single coworking space into a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade. Then, in less than a year, its valuation dropped $40 billion. What happened?
Release in: 2022 (Series, 8 episodes)Story about: Adam Neumann (Co-Founder of WeWork)
Where to watch: Apple TV
The Playlist
In this fictionalized account, a Swedish tech entrepreneur and his partners set out to revolutionize the music industry with a legal streaming platform.
Release in: 2022 (Series, 6 episodes)Story about: Daniel Ek (Co-Founder of Spotify)
Where to watch: Netflix
Others
I have also watched Super Pumped – a story about Travis Kalanick the ex-CEO of Uber, but I personally didn’t find it as interesting as those listed above.
Biography aside, American Factory is a great show for businesses too. It is about the clash of cultures when a Chinese company reopens a shuttered factory in Ohio.
Did I miss out any other interesting business biography TV shows? Leave a comment below and let me know!
