Discussion Paper: "The Fountainhead"

We’ve spent a lot of time in this class talking about price and value. One of our main topics has been how it’s one thing to make a product or have an idea for a new product, but it’s another thing to create value for that product. In the movie “The Fountainhead” Architect Howard Roark faces incredible criticism from society when it comes to designing new buildings not seen as the acceptable norm at the time. He shows us sometimes it doesn't matter what society thinks, only what you stand for. He displays a tremendous amount of character that separates him from the rest of the group. He never gives in to the men trying to corrupt him or his work, but instead powers through the criticism from the masses never, conforming to their popular norm. “The Fountainhead” is a perfect representation of Entrepreneurship in its perfect form and illustrates what character traits make a great Entrepreneur without conforming to the parasites in this world today.
I find Howard Roark's speech in court at the end of the movie very interesting. He refers to a group of people in the architecture industry as parasites who think of men as tools instead of visionaries. I recall going over the definition of a parasite in class and in one of our readings. A parasite feeds off public opinion and tries to confine to norms leaching onto good ideas and destroying them, discouraging innovation. Roark's will and unbroken spirit to not buy into society's idea of what a building should look like, but instead fight against dated designs in search of innovation, resisting fame and wealth for the longest time in order to preserve his own work is inspirational. Roark's ability to do this and never give in to society's pressure is what separated him from the rest and put him on top of the architectural industry. He shows us that sometimes it takes fighting for your work and what you believe in to be successful as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs can't always just cut their losses and quit at the first sign of adversity and public backlash. Instead, it takes a certain kind of person with the right amount of resilience to be a successful entrepreneur.
In Class, we discussed Henry Ford and the Ford Model T and how he didn't ask society what they wanted because they would've asked for faster horses. Illustrating the idea that society doesn't always know what it wants until it's readily available. The same concept applies to Roark and his designs for new buildings. He was opposed to giving society exactly what they wanted, making him pretty unpopular at times, but if he conformed and did what they asked he would be designing the same buildings as everyone else and no one would have respect for his work. Roark's mission was to open society's eyes to the future of skyscrapers. All throughout the movie until the very end, he received criticism from the public on what he designed not representing the best relationship. Only a few people supported him in his ventures and many of the same people wanted him to quit and join the other pushover architects. Society plays a huge factor in the decisions entrepreneurs make, but Roark shows us that you don't have to conform to the public opinion at the time and instead be committed to your work and no one else.
Roark is a perfect example of how entrepreneurs can win the hearts and minds of society by sheer will and persistence. Character and ethics is what separate entrepreneurs from the pack. The movie shows us that an unwillingness to be a tool for parasites is what keeps us on top and leads to success and popularity in the long run.