Sometimes, you just want to put the books down and watch something insightful to fill the gaps of knowledge – but finding what to watch causes more problems some times. Not to worry, we got you. Here’s a list of shows about business – each with their own theme – that will help you put your best foot forward when it comes to business decision making.

*Expert Tip: These are the kind of shows you would want to post to your BizLink profile to impress those networking connections you made.

Print the Legend

Themes: Money vs. friendship, business vs. innovation…

This 2014 documentary focuses on the 3D printing revolution, but it’s also a great corporate drama.

On one side of the arena, Brooklyn-based MakerBot is under the leadership of co-founder Bre Pettis, a very Steve Jobs-like character who pushes for cost-efficient products and loses friends in the process. On the other side is Formlabs, a much more humble company struggling to fund projects.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Themes: dedication, obsession, perfection

This 2011 documentary tells the story of Jiro Ono, 90-year-old Japanese sushi chef and restaurant owner who is widely considered the best in the world. The movie takes you inside the day-to-day life of Ono and his staff while also telling the unique story of Jiro preparing his 50-year-old son, Yoshikazu, to succeed him when he retires.

Jiro and his staff’s dedication to quality and obsession with perfection are present in every meal they serve, which explains why people will pay $300 a plate.

Steve Jobs: One Last Thing

Themes: marketing the product vs the product itself

This documentary was produced by PBS and aired shortly after Steve Jobs’ death in 2011. It presents a balanced look at the often complex life of the Apple founder, featuring interviews with Ross Perot, Dean Hovey (who designed Apple’s first mouse), and even an interview with Jobs himself that was previously thought to have been lost.

 

Burt’s Buzz

Theme: Celebrity status,

Burt’s Buzz tells the story of Burt Shavitz and the company he co-founded in 1984, Burt’s Bees. It details the journey from an abandoned one-room school building to a company that was eventually sold to Clorox in 2007 for more than $900 million.

Despite fame, fortune, and his near celebrity status, Burt remained somewhat of a recluse, summing up his philosophy in one sentence: “A good day is when no one shows up and you don’t have to go anywhere.”

TED Talks: Life Hack

Theme: EVERYTHING

This is a collection of 10 popular TED lectures, offering tips in life and business. Two highlights are Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy providing her body language secrets, and positive-psychology expert Shawn Achor speaking about research-proven productivity tricks.

Something Ventured

Theme: venture capitalism

This documentary portrays some of the most successful and prolific venture capitalists from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Whether through genius or luck, they made big early-stage bets on tech companies like Google, Intel, Cisco, and Atari – and won.

This film provides a crash course in venture capital and modern-day business.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Theme: corruption kills, man.

This 2005 documentary is a cautionary tale about the fall of Enron, a company once valued at $70 billion before filing for bankruptcy.

The film details the financial corruption and accounting fraud that occurred while also exploring the psychology behind it all.

[source: thehustle]