How Starting A Business Is Like The Making Of Star Wars

In 1977, the world was introduced to the epic sci-fi adventure, Star Wars.  That little film (it cost $11 million to make (about $38 million adjusted to today's dollars)) has gone on to gross $2.7 billion worldwide. It was also nominated for 11 Academy Awards that year, winning 7 of them.  The original Star Wars has made more money in the United States than the last three prequel movies combined...and they cost $115 million EACH to produce.  And...not a single one of them won a single Oscar.

How is it possible that with all that money, experience and expertise, the Star Wars prequels weren't even able to come close to the classic original?

The answer is simple.  The original Star Wars movie was like a small business; it was an entrepreneurial venture. Under funded and inexperienced, nothing went right on the set of the original Star Wars. The robots didn't work properly. They had to work quickly because of such a small budget.  But the one thing they had going in their favor - the thing that made it all work - was that everyone involved in the project realized they were a part of something special and they all rallied together to make it work.  Though George Lucas was the visionary, it was the actors and the crew that made Star Wars great.  The success of Star Wars came from the blood, sweat and tears of all those involved...from all those who believed.

In contrast, the prequels functioned more like corporations.  Flush with cash, they hired the best of everything.  Like a corporation, the prequels were enamored with themselves and what they could do and how impressive it all was. In contrast, the first film set out to tell a story and challenge the status quo of how movies were made.  Like a corporation in love with its own technology instead offering value to consumers, special effects were used to support the story in the first film whereas in the prequels they were the story.  In the last three films, there was no vision and no dream.

The similarities don't stop there.

Like a big corporate CEO, in the prequels, the rich and successful George Lucas controlled every detail.  He wrote the scripts, he directed the movies and he oversaw all the special effects...and no one questioned a single decision he made along the way for fear of upsetting the great George Lucas.

But in the first film, Lucas was more like an entrepreneur.  A guy with a big vision, working a little outside of his league, a little over his head.  But his vision inspired those around him.  And they came together to help bring that vision to life. It wasn't George Lucas that made the first Star Wars, it was all those who believed in the vision George Lucas painted.

If you're a small business, let those who believe in your vision help you.  There is plenty of time in the future for you to become big and successful and screw it all up by yourself.  For now, let others help you be successful.

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Comments

[Helena Antle]

Wow, your analogy is very clear! The original StarWars did come with more risks. It was testing the waters, so to speak, and the ripples it created made wading through the water easier for the succeeding films.

[Philip Jackson]

The cycle goes a little bit like this:

1. Planning. Under that would be understanding the risks and carefully outlining the activities that you need to do. This stage also involves the inquiry, meaning, you should ask around on what you can do.
2. Execution. Do everything according to plan. Don't falter if something falls during the process. You should have had a backup plan for it, anyway.
3. Survival. This is where you ask people on what you can add to make things a little more "for the people". Then it all goes back to square 1.

[Staci Burruel]

George Lucas took that risk and he paid off. I remember one of your posts saying something about starting a business being prone to 90% of failure. I've left a comment on that post, saying that you shouldn't be afraid to take that risk. There will surely be partnerships formed, and you build this trust between each other. That itself is going to bring your business from being a zero to a big success.

[Yasuo Long]

I feel your post hits the nail on the head on the difference between small business's and large corporations.

When the people who work with you feel they can communicate on equal footing with you, it's amazing what can be created in a creative collaboration.

As an aspiring entrepreneur, you're more daring and resourceful as you are faced with risk and the chance at failure.

However once you sit on top of a franchise such as star wars, it's easy to get complacent knowing that you could do almost anything (whether it be good or bad)and still be profitable.

Not to say that most people wouldn't want to be in a position whereby they knew they could always be profitable.

However its sad what can happen when a persons creativity is no longer challenged, which in this case i'm referring to the leader of the star wars empire.

The prequels could have been much better than they were. I hope that one day if they ever do make another star wars movie, Mr Lucas will either have a creative epiphany or at least have the insight to hand the writing of the script to someone who knows they have something to lose.

[Vinay Kumar]

Great post Simon. Having experienced both the start up phase and what follows success, and the ultimate downfall, I could so relate to your post.

A great book to read on this similar topic is How the Might Fall by Jim Collins that came out recently. In it he talks about how hubris takes places and leads to the decline. Very similar to you post.

Simon, since I read you book, it has brought so much clarity for me and has turned around my thinking and how I see things. It's as if my lens has changed--for the better. Thank you.

[Manishahujas.blogspot.com]

I've seen many analogies in life connected with business and entrepreneurship but nothing as out of the box as this one. Quite interesting I must say :D

[Tonysclassroom]

It's amazing what gaining some extra cash and confidence can do to kill your dream. And your drive.

Brilliant post.

[Scott Ellis]

This post says so much so well and with so few words. Every entrepreneur, aspiring or current, CEO and business owner should read this post.
Bravo!

[Craig/FFB]

So true. Star Wars and Jaws - these movies were made with HUNGER! They were visceral and you see the work that was put into them. Things were invented on the fly to make things work. The films were completed because they HAD to be, everyone had so much on the line. And you see that in the quality of the movies and its a great part of why they are successful today.

You can see so many big companies out there that seem so out of touch and its the little guys that fly right by them. Its the hunger and the need to make it happen.