I got recommended this film quite a while ago and finally got to see it today. Very, very well done I’ve got to say. It’s akin to The Social Network (one of my all-time favourites) in that both tell the story of the founding days of two massive companies and the human drama involved, though The Social Network is a far more powerful film.
I won’t get too long winded about the film. Basically it tells the story of how Ray Kroc, the “founder” of McDonald’s, came across the original McDonald’s restaurant and was determined to make it big through franchising.
The acting is marvellous, the character development thorough and deep, and the cinematography and colour grading do a great job of creating that retro feel of the US in the 1950s.
A couple of personal thoughts and takeaways:
Persistence is Everything
The motivational speech that Ray repeatedly listens to is absolutely spot on: if it is massive success that you’re after, then action, persistence, drive, and ambition determine everything. Ray himself starts out as a mediocre travelling salesman with a burning desire to get rich. There is nothing special about him at all, except that he is willing to bust his arse in pursuit of his goals.
Some quotes that ring especially true: “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence”, “nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent”, “the world is full of educated fools”. Even the late Dennis Felix talked about this in his book How to Get Rich (that I’m still not finished!), that the world is full of intelligent, capable and talented people who will never become rich because they are too nice, too comfortable, and too sensible.
Lots of Ups and Downs
This is an aspect of the film that I especially enjoy: the realistic portrayal of what an entrepreneurial journey is actually like. We get to see the moments of intense frustration when Ray cannot come to agreement with his partners, despair when he cannot sell a single product, hopelessness when he is about to lose his house. We also get to see his triumphs, his excitement, joy, and pride. I really love it when works of art paint a complete picture of reality instead of romanticising it.
The Cost of Success
As Ray becomes more successful in his expansion of McDonald’s, he becomes increasingly busy and more distant with his wife — who is seemingly his only loved one and his most loyal supporter even from when he has nothing. The scenes where she’s crying alone on the bed or when Ray coldly asks for a divorce are especially heartbreaking.
Ray does not seem to be lonely or concerned at all though since it seems like money and growth are all that preoccupy his mind. I think the filmmakers might have neglected this aspect, which is the emotional toll on the entrepreneur. The Social Network did a far more superb job with that famous ending scene of Zuckerberg repeatedly hitting the Friend Request button with a dead and empty stare on his face.
According to the film, Ray eventually gets married to a far more beautiful woman and seems incredibly content with his riches though, so I’m not really sure if he actually suffers at all from his ruthless climb to success.
Sacrificing Integrity and Quality for the Bottom Line
The McDonald brothers were adamant about maintaining strict quality standards for their food, to the point of including it explicitly in the contract that they get the final say in every changes in the franchised restaurants. They love their burgers and are proud of the work they do. However, this leads to massive overhead costs for the franchisees. Ray has ideas to reduce these costs but at the expense of compromising the quality of the food. Of course the brothers refuse to implement these changes which results in the ensuing drama.
Ray also faces the issue that the initial franchisees (the idle rich as he calls them) are not at all eager about running the business themselves and let the restaurants degrade. He later realises that middle-class families are the perfect operators as they are far more invested and willing to get hands-on with the day-to-day running of the restaurants.
This is an important question that any budding entrepreneur must address: how to maintain quality as you expand?
We encountered this problem ourselves at Ha Phong IELTS: as new classes are opened and new teachers are hired, we have to ensure that all teachers deliver their lessons with the highest sense of professionalism and enthusiasm possible. The only solution to this, as Ray himself finds out, is through selection of the right people and through proper training.
Capitalism Is Not Fair
Referring back to the How To Get Rich book I’m currently reading, this is also one of the major themes that Dennis touches on: capitalism is not fair. What The Founder depicts reflects this sentiment very well.
The McDonald brothers got cheated out of their own creation and name and couldn’t do anything about it. Ray Kroc masqueraded himself as “the founder” even though he should be better described as the Director of Franchising. The McDonald brothers consider suing him at one point, but Ray quickly shut this idea down through threats of debilitating legal fees and immense stress.
Capitalism really does not care about the truth or about fairness, only who has the capital and the ownership.
What Really Is Success, Anyway?
So we have two main stories here: first is Ray Kroc who ends up a multi billionaire whose iconic company is almost synonymous with American culture and capitalism. Second is the McDonald brothers who still work as small business owners with a fat check of 1.3 million dollars and get to do what they love — making high quality fast food.
Who is the more successful one here?
I don’t know. In terms of financial resources, influences, and legacy, then it is Ray Kroc without a doubt. In terms of life balance, stress management, and contentment, I’m more inclined to give it to the brothers.
I’m not sure of the two, which my preferred paradigm of success is to be honest. I think I’m too young to answer it properly. Give me a couple of years to figure it out okay.