The Founder (2016) is by far my favorite film to date. It follows the story of the "creator" of Mcdonald's Ray Kroc from struggling salesman to successful entrepreneur. Along his journey, Ray encounters many struggles and hardships, but he is able to overcome them all with adaptation. I feel that adaptation is the theme of this movie and the main aspect of entrepreneurship on display.
The best example of Ray having to adapt is when he runs into issues with McDonald's, and he comes to the solution of basically turning it into a real estate business. The way that Ray accomplishes this is he starts franchising McDonald's locations and letting other people run them, and in return, they must lease the location. This way McDonald's makes most of its money from its own franchisees, as well as some profits from selling actual fast food. The concepts that Ray implemented are still active today and are part of the reason for McDonald's huge success and rapid expansion. During the real estate crash of 2008, McDonald's went on a huge spending spree and started buying up tons of properties, which they then leased to franchisees and made a killing off of. This was the same idea that Ray had for his business decades ago, still holding strong.
Had it not been for Ray's ability to adapt to his environment and come up with new and innovative ways to expand his business, he likely would not have succeeded in the extraordinary fashion that he did, and McDonald's would not be what it is today. Adaptation is not only useful for fast food chains but vital for all entrepreneurs in order to get ahead of the competition.
Another one of my favorite examples is electric cars. With the success of Tesla and the political and social environment obviously shifting towards sustainable energy and electric-powered cars in favor of gas, companies have had to either adapt or die. Ford, Audi, BMW, and all of the major car companies have now begun working on lines of electric cars. They recognized a change in the market, and rather than being left behind in the past, they have adapted and plan to still have their place in the future.
Adaptation is absolutely crucial to the success of any entrepreneur. Whether it be politics, social issues, or environmental concerns, the world is constantly changing and evolving. There will always be those trying to capitalize and profit off of these changes, so in order to stay competitive, successful entrepreneurs must do the same. It is not simply an advantage, it is necessary for success. Either adapt for the future or get left in the past. Ray Kroc understood this, and the original McDonald brothers did not. And that is why I have not mentioned them in this essay yet, and why no one knows their names save for people who have watched The Founder. They barely even exist anymore because they refused to change their way and adapt. Because they lacked a crucial skill for entrepreneurship, the ability to adapt, they were literally and figuratively left in the past.
Works Cited
BYLUND, PER L. Seen, the Unseen, and the Unrealized: How Regulations Affect Our Everyday Lives. LEXINGTON Books, 2018.
“The Founder.” Filmation, 2016.
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