10 best series for entrepreneurs
Ready for some binge-worthy business inspiration? These game-changing TV series about business don't just entertain - they educate, motivate, and might just revolutionize your entrepreneurial journey.
From ruthless corporate battles to scrappy startup struggles, the best business TV series offer front-row seats to the triumphs and pitfalls of building something from nothing. Whether you're launching your first venture or scaling your fifth, these series for entrepreneurs deliver powerful lessons wrapped in compelling storytelling.
So clear your schedule, silence your notifications, and prepare to take notes. Your next breakthrough idea might be just one episode away.
1. Silicon Valley
Mike Judge's satirical masterpiece hilariously skewers tech culture while telling a surprisingly authentic startup story. Following Richard Hendricks and his team at Pied Piper, the show perfectly captures the absurd rollercoaster of entrepreneurship - from funding frenzies to epic failures. It's painfully accurate, wickedly funny, and filled with business lessons wrapped in geek humor.
Where to watch - NOW, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube.
2. Shark Tank / Dragon’s Den
(The UK has Dragon’s Den, the US has Shark Tank, and most other countries have their own version of Dragon’s Den).
Aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to intimidating billionaire investors in this addictive reality show that's essentially a masterclass in business negotiation. Watch as ambitious founders either nail their valuations or get brutally schooled by the Sharks. It's entertaining, educational, and has single-handedly made "I'm out" the most anxiety-inducing phrase in entrepreneurship. LinkedIn profiles everywhere claim it as required viewing.
Where to watch - ABC (in the US), BBC (in the UK).
3. Billions
High-stakes chess is played with billion-dollar pieces. This adrenaline-pumping drama follows the electric rivalry between hedge fund king Bobby Axelrod and crusading US Attorney Chuck Rhoades. With its razor-sharp dialogue, power moves, and ethical gray areas, Billions offers a captivating glimpse into Wall Street's cutthroat culture. It's wealth porn with a brain, making finance surprisingly sexy and utterly bingeworthy.
Where to watch - Paramount+, NOW, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube.
4. The Dropout
This riveting mini-series chronicles Elizabeth Holmes' spectacular rise and catastrophic fall as Theranos founder. Amanda Seyfried brilliantly portrays the black-turtlenecked entrepreneur who built a $9 billion company on deception. It's a cautionary tale about startup culture, blind ambition, and the dangers of "fake it till you make it" taken too far.
Where to watch - Disney+, BBC iPlayer (in the UK).
5. WeCrashed
This addictive series dramatizes WeWork's meteoric rise and spectacular implosion through the story of charismatic founder Adam Neumann. Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway shine as the power couple who transformed a coworking concept into a $47 billion "tech" company before it all came crashing down.
It's a fascinating exploration of startup hubris, cult-like company culture, and the fine line between visionary and delusional.
Where to watch - Apple TV, Amazon Prime.
6. Succession
HBO's Emmy-winning drama serves up Shakespearean family warfare in billion-dollar business attire. Following the Roy family's vicious power struggles to control their media empire, Succession delivers razor-sharp dialogue, backstabbing brilliance, and the most deliciously dysfunctional board meetings ever televised.
Where to watch - NOW, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube.
7. Halt and Catch Fire
This captivating period drama chronicles tech visionaries racing to revolutionize computing during the 1980s-90s tech boom. With exceptional character development and authentic tech storytelling, it brilliantly captures the creative spark, personal sacrifices, and relentless innovation driving the digital revolution. While criminally underwatched, it remains perhaps the most genuine portrayal of startup culture ever televised, inspiring LinkedIn tech veterans to reminisce about the wild early days with misty-eyed nostalgia.
Where to watch - Amazon Prime, YouTube.
8. The Profit
Self-made billionaire Marcus Lemonis swoops into struggling businesses with his no-nonsense "people, process, product" formula and cold, hard cash. Part reality show, part business rescue mission, The Profit delivers genuine entrepreneurial drama as Lemonis invests his own money while whipping companies into shape. It's practical business education disguised as entertainment.
Where to watch - Amazon Prime, YouTube, Apple TV.
9. Self Made
This inspiring mini-series chronicles Madam C.J. Walker's extraordinary journey from washerwoman to America's first female self-made millionaire. Octavia Spencer shines as the visionary Black entrepreneur who built a haircare empire against overwhelming odds in the early 1900s. Both historically significant and emotionally powerful, Self Made delivers timeless lessons about persistence, innovation, and breaking barriers.
Where to watch - Netflix.
10. Undercover Billionaire
This reality show strips successful entrepreneurs of their wealth, connections, and identity, dropping them in unfamiliar cities with just $100 to build million-dollar businesses in 90 days. Equal parts inspiring and stress-inducing, it's a masterclass in resourcefulness, hustle, and relationship-building under extreme constraints.
Where to watch - Amazon Prime, Apple TV, YouTube.
10 best films about business
Popcorn and profit margins, anyone? The best films about business don't just entertain, they illuminate the entrepreneurial journey with all its thrilling highs and gut-wrenching lows.
From billion-dollar empires built in garages to spectacular startup flameouts, these must-watch business films capture what textbooks never could - the raw emotion, relentless drive, and sometimes ruthless decisions behind building something extraordinary. Whether you're seeking inspiration or practical wisdom, these films for entrepreneurs deliver both Hollywood magic and real-world business lessons.
Ready to see entrepreneurship on the big screen? Our curated list of films about entrepreneurs features both critically-acclaimed dramas and lesser-known gems that every business owner should watch at least once. After all, sometimes the best business education happens when you're in your pajamas with the remote in hand.
1. The Social Network (2020)
Fincher's masterful drama chronicling Facebook's controversial birth features Jesse Eisenberg's razor-sharp portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg. With Aaron Sorkin's electric dialogue and a relentless pace, it explores ambition, betrayal, and innovation colliding at Harvard. It's less about coding and more about human connection, ironically showing how the platform connecting billions began with broken friendships and billion-dollar lawsuits.
Where to watch - YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Sky Store.
2. The Pursuit of Happyness
Will Smith delivers a heart-wrenching performance as Chris Gardner, a homeless single father fighting impossible odds to secure a life-changing stockbroker internship. Based on a true story, this emotional powerhouse reminds entrepreneurs that rock bottom can be a foundation, not an endpoint. It's the ultimate LinkedIn inspiration post come to life, showing that persistence through crushing adversity is sometimes the most crucial business skill of all.
Where to watch - YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Sky Store.
3. Joy
Jennifer Lawrence shines as Joy Mangano, the inventive single mom who overcame family dysfunction, financial ruin, and countless rejections to build a home shopping empire with her self-wringing Miracle Mop. This David O. Russell film beautifully captures the messy reality of entrepreneurship, where brilliance meets bureaucracy, patents require protection, and success often comes after devastating failures. It's the entrepreneurial journey many real business owners instantly recognize.
Where to watch - Disney+, Apple TV, Google Play, Sky Store, Amazon Prime.
4. Steve Jobs
Danny Boyle's unconventional biopic brilliantly deconstructs Apple's visionary co-founder through three pivotal product launches. Michael Fassbender delivers a mesmerizing performance that captures Jobs' genius, ruthlessness, and complexity. Rather than a standard cradle-to-grave story, the drama reveals how personal demons fueled professional brilliance, showing the complicated humanity behind the black turtleneck.
Where to watch - Amazon Prime, NOW, Google Play, YouTube, Sky Store.
5. Moneyball (2011)
Brad Pitt stars in this compelling true story about Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane revolutionizing baseball with data-driven decision making. When outspent by wealthy teams, Beane and his Yale-educated analyst challenge century-old scouting traditions with statistical analysis to build a competitive team on a shoestring budget. It's the ultimate business underdog story, showing how innovation and challenging established wisdom can transform industries, even America's pastime.
Where to watch - Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Sky Store, Amazon Prime.
6. The Founder (2016)
Michael Keaton brilliantly portrays Ray Kroc, the salesman who transformed McDonald's from a single burger stand into a global empire. This fascinating biopic explores the cutthroat reality behind America's famous golden arches. It's an object lesson in scaling, franchising, and the sometimes ruthless determination required for massive success.
Where to watch - Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, Sky Store.
7. Startup.com
This raw documentary captures the perfect storm of dot-com bubble madness through GovWorks.com's meteoric rise and spectacular crash. Filming in real-time as childhood friends raise $60 million, battle for control, and ultimately implode, it's a cautionary tale about how money, ego, and inexperience can devastate even promising ventures. Twenty years later, it remains the most honest portrayal of startup chaos.
Where to watch - Amazon, Google Play.
8. Glengarry Glen Ross
This searing adaptation of David Mamet's Pulitzer Prize-winning play is the most intense sales drama ever filmed. Set in a cutthroat real estate office where failing agents face termination, it's a masterclass in pressure-cooker capitalism and desperate deal-making. With Alec Baldwin's legendary "Coffee is for closers" speech and quotable dialogue, it remains the ultimate study in sales psychology.
Where to watch - Apple TV, Amazon Prime.
9. Jerry Maguire (1996)
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Tom Cruise delivers a career-defining performance as a sports agent whose moral epiphany costs him everything except one loyal client and a single mom who believes in him. Beyond the iconic "Show me the money!" catchphrase lies a nuanced exploration of business ethics, authentic client relationships, and building a company with heart. It proves that sometimes having fewer clients who truly believe in your mission beats a roster of superficial connections.
Where to watch - Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, Sky Store.
10. Hidden Figures (2016)
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This inspiring true story spotlights three brilliant Black female mathematicians - Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who overcame racial and gender barriers to become crucial NASA contributors during the Space Race. Their groundbreaking calculations helped launch John Glenn into orbit despite working in segregated facilities with limited recognition. It's a powerful reminder that innovation thrives when diverse talent isn't wasted.
Where to watch - Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, Sky Store, Amazon Prime.
Best series for entrepreneurs on Netflix
Looking to combine your Netflix addiction with actual entrepreneurial inspiration? You're in luck! There’s a treasure trove of the best series for entrepreneurs on Netflix that will entertain, educate, and possibly transform your business mindset.
From tech startup rollercoasters to corporate scandals that'll make your worst workday seem tame, these shows deliver business lessons wrapped in binge-worthy packages. Whether you're hustling on your side gig or scaling your established company, these stories offer invaluable insights into leadership, innovation, and what happens when ambition goes unchecked.
And we've snuck in some business films on Netflix too, because sometimes you need your entrepreneurial inspiration in a two-hour package instead of a multi-season commitment.
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Self Made - Octavia Spencer delivers a powerful performance as Madam C.J. Walker, the trailblazing entrepreneur who defied early 1900s racial and gender barriers to build a haircare empire and become America's first female self-made millionaire.
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How To Get Rich - Financial advisor Ramit Sethi delivers practical, no-nonsense advice in this refreshing reality series that follows real people transforming their financial mindsets, breaking harmful money habits, and implementing actionable strategies to build lasting wealth - proving that getting rich isn't about flashy purchases but smart decisions that your LinkedIn connections will never see.
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Dirty Money - This gripping investigative docuseries exposes the shocking corruption, corporate greed, and financial fraud behind some of the world's most powerful companies, from pharmaceutical price gouging to emissions scandals, revealing the dark underbelly of capitalism.
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Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates - This fascinating three-part documentary provides unprecedented access to one of history's most influential entrepreneurs, revealing how Gates' unique mind tackles both global challenges and personal relationships. It offers a nuanced portrait of the Microsoft founder's evolution from ruthless tech mogul to philanthropic visionary tackling humanity's biggest problems.
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Pepsi, Where My Jet? - This wildly entertaining docuseries chronicles college student John Leonard's audacious attempt to claim a Harrier jet from a Pepsi promotion, sparking a David-vs-Goliath legal battle that explores the hilarious yet serious boundary between advertising hyperbole and contractual obligation. It’s a tale of hustle, and will leave you feeling inspired.
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Fyre Festival: The Greatest Party That Never Happened - This jaw-dropping documentary dissects the spectacular implosion of Billy McFarland's luxury music festival that promised paradise but delivered disaster.
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Steve Jobs - This biopic brilliantly deconstructs Apple's visionary co-founder through three pivotal product launches. Michael Fassbender delivers a mesmerizing performance that captures Jobs' genius, ruthlessness, and complexity.
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Suits - This slick legal drama follows brilliant college dropout Mike Ross who, despite lacking a law degree, bluffs his way into a prestigious firm under mentor Harvey Specter's wing. With razor-sharp dialogue, high-stakes corporate battles, and power suits perfectly tailored for success, Suits delivers boardroom drama.
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Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber - Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings Travis Kalanick's controversial reign as Uber CEO to explosive life in this high-octane series chronicling the ride-sharing giant's meteoric rise and toxic culture. With breakneck pacing and fourth-wall breaks, it exposes the chaotic reality behind Silicon Valley's "move fast and break things" mentality.
Grab your popcorn and enjoy the best business TV series and films for entrepreneurs
Whether you prefer the deep character development of business TV series like "Succession" or the concentrated storytelling punch of films for entrepreneurs like "The Social Network," there's never been a better time to learn from entertainment that speaks directly to your business journey.
The best series for entrepreneurs offer extended masterclasses in leadership, innovation, and resilience, while films about entrepreneurs deliver concentrated doses of inspiration when you need a quick motivational boost. From the cautionary tales of toxic startup culture to the triumphant stories of underdogs who changed industries forever, these stories remind us that the entrepreneurial path is rarely straight, but always fascinating.
So the next time you're debating between reading another business book or unwinding with some screen time, remember that TV series about business and best business films aren't just entertainment, they're valuable case studies brought vividly to life. The lessons from these business films and shows might just spark your next breakthrough idea or help you navigate your current business challenges with renewed perspective.
After all, sometimes the best business education happens when you're in your pajamas with the remote in hand and your LinkedIn notifications temporarily silenced.
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