Series you must watch if you are an entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship also means learning from the experiences of others. In this article, we’ve rounded up some of the best series for entrepreneurs, featuring stories that cover leadership, innovation, business creation, team management, and decision-making. It’s a selection designed to inspire you, help you discover new perspectives, and keep you learning while you enjoy a great show.

Entrepreneurship involves much more than just developing a good idea. It means making decisions in uncertain environments, learning how to manage teams, adapting to change, and staying motivated even when things don't go as planned. That’s why, beyond training or experience, it’s helpful to seek inspiration in the stories of those who have already walked that path.

TV series have become a unique way to approach entrepreneurship. Some are based on true stories and show how companies that transformed entire industries were born; others explore the challenges of leadership, team management, innovation, or decision-making. Although many rely on fiction, the situations they present offer lessons that can be applied to the day-to-day life of any entrepreneur.

Since we previously shared a selection of movies every entrepreneur should watch, this time we’re expanding the list with series that stand out for the lessons they offer on strategy, creativity, business growth, and innovation. This collection is designed for both those taking their first steps and those looking for new perspectives to keep growing their project.

The Playlist

If you’ve ever wondered how a startup can transform an entire industry, The Playlist is one of the best answers. Based on the true story of Spotify, the series chronicles the creation of one of the world’s most influential streaming platforms and how it managed to change the way we consume music forever.

Beyond business success, it shows the importance of understanding market needs, questioning established business models, and building a value proposition capable of generating real change. It’s a highly recommended series for understanding that innovation isn't always about inventing something new, but about finding a better way to solve a problem.

WeCrashed

Inspired by the story of WeWork, WeCrashed follows the meteoric rise and subsequent fall of one of the most high-profile startups of recent years. The series shows how an ambitious vision can attract talent, investment, and notoriety, but also how growth without a solid strategy can put an entire project at risk.

It’s a story that invites reflection on leadership, scalability, investor relations, and the importance of building sustainable companies beyond just the speed of growth.

Super Pumped

The story of Uber proves that a good idea can transform an entire sector, but also that rapid growth brings new challenges. Super Pumped explores the company’s birth, internal conflicts, talent management, and the decisions that shaped its evolution.

The series provides insight into how a company is built in a highly competitive market and why corporate culture, leadership, and the ability to adapt are just as important as innovation itself.

The Dropout

Based on true events, The Dropout tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos, a startup that promised to revolutionize blood testing and ended up becoming one of Silicon Valley's biggest corporate scandals.

Beyond the specific case, the series raises fundamental questions for any entrepreneur: the importance of transparency, ethics, client and investor trust, and the responsibility that comes with developing innovative solutions. It is a reminder that growth should never be built on expectations that cannot be met.

Halt and Catch Fire

Set during the tech revolution of the 1980s, this series follows a group of professionals trying to make their mark in an industry undergoing a massive transformation. Although the context is different from today, the challenges it presents remain entirely relevant.

The collaboration between diverse profiles, the ability to reinvent oneself, managing uncertainty, and perseverance in the face of failure make Halt and Catch Fire one of the best series about innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mad Men

Although set in the world of 1960s advertising, Mad Men remains a benchmark for understanding how brands are built and how ideas can become a competitive advantage.

The series offers numerous lessons on creativity, communication, positioning, and leadership, demonstrating that knowing your customer and standing out remains just as important today as it was decades ago.

Shark Tank

Halfway between entertainment and education, Shark Tank brings together entrepreneurs who pitch their projects to a group of investors with the goal of securing funding.

Each episode allows you to analyze business models, value propositions, growth strategies, and negotiation techniques. It also helps you understand what investors value when deciding to back a company and how to prepare a project to win them over.

The Bear

Although it is not about startups or tech companies, The Bear is one of the series that best reflects the challenges of getting a business off the ground. The story follows a young chef who inherits his family's restaurant and must transform it while managing a team, optimizing processes, and making decisions under immense pressure.

It is an especially interesting series for any entrepreneur because it focuses on aspects that often go unnoticed: team culture, leadership, continuous improvement, and the ability to adapt without losing sight of the project's purpose.

Ready to start your binge-watch?

Entrepreneurship is a constant learning process, and inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places. These series showcase stories of success, but also of failure, leadership, innovation, decision-making, and adaptability. In short, these are situations that are part of the day-to-day life of anyone who decides to launch a project. Developing that ability to turn ideas into impactful projects is, precisely, one of the aspects that differentiates creativity from innovation.

If you are looking for a different way to keep learning this summer, grab some popcorn and add one of these titles to your list. You might not find the formula for creating the next big startup, but you will find new ideas, perspectives, and lessons to help you face the challenges of your own entrepreneurial journey.

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