Although They Say It Can't Be Done was one of the slower movies, I personally found it no less interesting, and certainly no less valuable in terms of entrepreneurial takeaways. The main thing I would like to focus on for this discussion paper is the need for entrepreneurs to solve a problem in the real world, and how that impacts society over time.
Throughout the film, we are introduced to many different entrepreneurs, all of which have solved different problems in the world. Ranging from ending factory farming, to solving world hunger, to addressing climate change, everyone in the film certainly had tall ambitions. Wanting to make a change in the world is a key tenet of entrepreneurship, and a great way to be successful. It relates to the requirement of innovation in some form. In order to be a successful entrepreneur, you must innovate in some way. Whether it is finding a cheaper way to produce, targeting a new demographic of consumers, or figuring out a more efficient way to mass produce a product, entrepreneurs must always be fighting to find ways to make their company stand out among a sea of new startups. Solving a problem for society is no different. In fact, as displayed in the film, it is one of the best ways to set yourself apart from the competition, enter a new market, and ensure your success as an entrepreneur. But it goes even deeper than that as well, the impact that entrepreneurs have on society is often not talked about when people refer to revolutionary companies such as JUST or Catalina Sea Ranch, but it is absolutely present and apparent when taking a closer look at these companies through a different lens.
While most people like to talk about how innovative problem-solving entrepreneurs are, and how that led to their astounding success, few people like to focus on the broader impact entrepreneurship has on society. Innovation and competition breed quality of life. When people are aware of the success that can come from solving a major problem, and they are aware that everyone else is under the same impression, they have a clear-cut mission in mind. They must set out to solve said problem the best that they can, in order to beat the competition and innovate to the best of their ability. This culture of relentless competitive innovation is what entrepreneurship rests upon, and it is what makes it so valuable for society writ large.
Without entrepreneurship and the free market, who would come up with ideas such as the entrepreneurs featured in the film? These core principles are absolutely necessary for humanity to continue to progress at the rate which it has done so for the past few decades, and perhaps even faster with technological advancements continuously shocking the world. And THAT is the main benefit that entrepreneurship has on society, it truly increases the quality of life constantly behind the scenes, without anyone even realizing it. They Say It Can't Be Done represented this brilliantly and got me genuinely interested in some of the companies being presented, especially in Josh Tetrick and his team at JUST, which if successful would have a massive impact on my personal life, no doubt improving my quality of life and overall happiness. Thank you to entrepreneurs!
Works Cited
They Say It Can't Be Done, Michael Ozias, 2019
BYLUND, PER L. Seen, the Unseen, and the Unrealized: How Regulations Affect Our Everyday Lives. LEXINGTON Books, 2018.
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