Introduction
Did you know that Brazilian footballer Neymar did a cameo in Money Heist in the most unconventional role? That too of a monk.
Anyway, that is not the only reason behind it being the most viewed non-English Language TV show on Netflix. And by criminal drama, we don’t mean that it is a recycled bin of car chases, or building explosions and buffed-up characters running in slo-mo.
Among other things, it has an intriguing plot, great music (I am still singing Bella Ciao somewhere in my mind), actors who ace their parts, and of course, the dialogues that will be passed on to generations.
Money Heist is a Spanish( La Casa de Papel) crime drama revolving around a group of robbers, led by the Professor, and their heists at the Royal Mint of Spain and the Royal Bank of Spain. With fans anticipating what the final Money Heist Season 5 will bring this September, let’s take a look at what lessons entrepreneurs can learn from this popular show.
Lesson #1: Balance is key
“In this world, everything is governed by balance. There’s what you stand to gain and what you stand to lose. And when you think you’ve got nothing to lose, you become overconfident.” – The Professor
If you have seen all four seasons of Money Heist, you must have noticed that extreme reactions on part of lead characters in tense situations create most problems. While that may be the very essence and catalyst of the show ( you know, characters reacting to people and situations around them), the Professor who is the visionary leader behind the team is always trying to follow a balanced approach.
While that may not be the case when he falls in love with the arch-enemy: police officer Raquel Murillo and loses control of everything, the Professor yearns for balance and thoroughness in all his moves. He also never loses his cool and tries to logically examine, handle and execute all plans that may come. A lesson that all entrepreneurs can learn from.
Lesson #2: Consistency
“It’s not that those of us who do reckless things don’t care about the consequences. No. We care as much as anyone else. It’s just that we can’t see them until it’s too late. We only see them when they are in front of our noses.” – Tokyo
To start an enterprise/startup is one of the arduous journeys an entrepreneur makes. And, most startups fail because their founders lose the initial passion to continue in the face of challenging circumstances.
That is why consistency is so important. No matter what the Spanish police do, we hear Berlin reinstating, “We stick to the plan.”
In the Money Heist Season 5 trailer also, ‘the never surrender’ motto stands out. We see the character’s persistence in fighting against all odds in all weathers; with the Spanish army reigning down blows and the Professor in captivity, the value of being consistent is all the more established.
Lesson #3: Leave a Legacy
“Because some day, something will go wrong. It could cost your life or something worse. And on that day what you can’t be thinking is that you are to blame for something you couldn’t control. That’s Life. Enjoy it until the party is over.” -Berlin
All entrepreneurs begin their journey with a vision. A vision of materializing a great idea of a product/service and seeing themselves become the next big thing. While not everyone can create that legacy for themselves or the product they make, characters from Money Heist live and breathe that way.
Tokyo, for instance, is the most fearless character who lives by her instinct. Despite being a reckless decision-maker, she has the strength to face the consequences, even the cruel ones. She conducts a successful surgery on her best friend Nairobi and undertakes a new heist mission to save the love of her life without a thought about the risks involved. There are no parallels for her actions and no other character represents a similar firebrand personality. Tokyo holds the most crucial position in the show, including that of its storyteller precisely because of her strength of character.
Entrepreneurs can imbibe this strength of character from Tokyo to make a difference with every decision they make.
Lesson #4: Fight for Survival
After all, what’s more human than the fight for survival? – Tokyo
Charles Darwin may have popularised the ‘survival of fittest’ evolution theory, but Money Heist made the ‘fight for survival’ a human thing that has nothing to do with the fitness of a species.
The fight for survival is one of the most natural human instincts, and no matter how hard we hit rock bottom, there is always an effort to rise and do better.
All entrepreneurs will relate to that phase in their lives, especially when there is a conflict amongst the team, stakeholders, and investors in terms of the product, market size, or the customer base causing much anxiety. To learn from such failed negotiations and decisions that backfire and yet go on is the real challenge for any business leader. After all, survival in the market of infinite products and services is the real fight for survival.
So, just in case if all goes well for the Professor’s gang in Money Heist Season 5, promise to thank us later for giving you this ‘keep going’ kinda pep talk.
Lesson #5: Kill your idea if you have to
“Sometimes, a truce is the most important part of a war.” – Professor
While most people idolize celebrities for inspiration, like we are doing here with the cast of Money Heist, the reality is always different. Entrepreneurs can have commitment blues unlike celebrity icon Salman Khan( or for international readers, Tom Cruise).
In difficult situations, an entrepreneur may have to reconsider his initial idea or commitment to a product.
Like how Kevin Systrom (the co-founder of Instagram) did, when he decided to kill his original idea of making an application for bourbon (liquor, not the biscuit) lovers to get together.
It does not mean that you changed the very idea of creating THE product. You should adapt and reconsider according to the needs and demands of the market.
Most of the talk around Money Heist Season 5 has been around the capture of Professor and the Heist going to hell but, as audiences, know for a fact that the Professor considers all risks before going into action.
And, if he did not consider this one possibility of his capture, as is shown in the trailer: the idea to kill the heist is the obvious solution to save his life. But, we know that is never going to happen.
Conclusion
Before we sign off, let’s come to the real deal. If the entrepreneurial spirit in you is all gung-ho after reading this piece, why not consider polishing that entrepreneurial bend of mind and spirit by enrolling in an MBA program from top Indian universities. Accelerate your entrepreneurship journey by learning and practicing business and management skills from leaders in the industry. If you want to know more about these programs, check this link for details.
