A Reflection Paper on the Movie

“The Founder”

“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with
talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
- Calvin Coolidge

Last Tuesday, September 11, 2018, the class had the opportunity to watch a movie entitled, The Founder, which
portrays the story behind the creation of McDonald’s fast food chain and how it became to be Number 1 among all fast food
chains. It is story of Ray Kroc and how he turned Mac and Dick’s small eatery into the world’s biggest restaurant business.
McDonald brothers had invented the speedy system a process to deliver food in seconds but they couldn’t develop business
beyond their one restaurant located at San Bernardino, California. This is where Ray Kroc re-imagines the whole fast food
business and created the McDonald Corporation we see in this generation today.
The main points that the movie highlighted during its whole duration were all about how to achieve your goal and how
to be a successful person. First, Ray Kroc, the person behind the success of McDonalds but not the creator, pointed out about
Persistence. He always believed that it was sheer hardwork and unrelenting perseverance that leads to success. Everyone,
most especially businessmen need persistence because everything always takes longer than expected — often two to three
times longer. It can be difficult to keep things going when you're not seeing instant traction and success. Second is to always
explore every opportunity. Another major characteristic of Ray Kroc was that he never gave up on any opportunity. If there
were a chance to hit it big, he would try it. If you find the business that will be a hit or when new opportunities open before you,
you're entitled to try as many different things as you want. You should not stick to a lousy job or business idea if it doesn't
work. You should explore all the opportunities and possibilities and try your best to make it happen. Third is to surround
yourself with the right people. But no matter how talented someone is, he can't do all by himself. Throughout the movie, we
see times and again, that Kroc got help from many talented individuals. He tried to surround himself with experienced people
that would push him ahead. Whether they were financial advisors, business associates, bankers, or even his own wife. No
matter how cruel or heartless he was, Kroc was always trying to make the correct decisions about his social circle because we
all need people around us that will help us become a better person, not a worse. Fourth is to keep your priorities straight.
When Ray was expanding his franchise business he did what most do, he contacted super rich. He went to their clubs, parties
and pitched the idea of McDonald’s speedy system and partnership benefits. And being a seasoned salesman was able to get
them interested. But in return he was not able to successfully monetize those connections even after putting in the significant
efforts because they were just too busy to put effort in the restaurant. Modified menu and ignored high standards which
spoiled the brand itself. It was because of wrong target audience. Even though he was able to franchise it initially things did
not went so well, Ray changed his plan and choose hardworking couples as franchisers and it worked. This teaches us all to
keep your priority straight and know where we are all going.
The whole movie itself teaches us values about life and business. What stricken me upon watching the movie is that
Ray Kroc was the one who was known as the owner of McDonalds when it was Ray and Dick’s idea, business and intellectual
property. Moreover, he never considered Mac and Dick’s feelings and stole the company for himself, not even giving them a
single penny. As businessmen, they should never forget their values and never be too selfish and greedy about profit because
you’ll end up losing good friends and your family in the long run.

Casey Mae Neri CBME1- Operations Management and TQM

September 21, 2018 Reflection Paper
BSA1A- 9:00-10:30am TTh