Last Updated on 2025-05-10
I recently watched The Founder, the movie about how Ray Kroc turned a small burger joint into the global giant we all know as McDonald’s. Honestly, it’s not just a movie about fast food — it’s packed with lessons about business, persistence, and bold moves. Here’s what really stood out to me:
1️⃣ The McDonald Brothers Played It Safe
The McDonald brothers came up with the “Speedee Service System” —
basically the blueprint for fast food as we know it. But even though their system was brilliant,
they stopped expanding after just five franchises. They’d tried franchising once, it didn’t work, and they gave up.
Then came Ray Kroc, who saw how incredible their system was.
He wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept pushing them to let him franchise it.
👉 This really shows that in business, you can be wrong so many times — but you only need to be right once to succeed.
2️⃣ Ray’s Persistence Paid Off
Ray didn’t have the money to open his own franchise at first.
But instead of giving up, he went all in —
even mortgaged his house to get a loan from the bank.
That kind of risk takes guts.
At first, he brought in investors from his social club, but they didn’t care about quality.
They were just in it for easy money, ignoring the franchise rules.
Ray realized he was working with the wrong people — and decided to switch gears.
👉 He figured out fast that the people you partner with are everything. The right team matters more than just having money.
3️⃣ Finding the Right People
One day, Ray saw a guy hustling hard, trying to sell Bibles to his secretary.
That moment clicked for him —
he saw that determination and recruited the guy to be a franchisee.
That first franchise, run by a hardworking couple,
became a cozy spot where families loved to gather.
That’s when Ray knew:
👉 The person running the franchise is key to its success. He wasn’t just looking for money — he was looking for the right kind of people.
4️⃣ A Game-Changing Insight
Even though McDonald’s was growing, Ray realized he wasn’t making enough cash.
Then, kind of by chance, he met a guy at the bank who said something that flipped everything:
“You’re not in the burger business. You’re in the real estate business.”
That’s when Ray realized —
if he owned the land the restaurants were built on,
he could control who gets a franchise and earn steady rental income,
even before the restaurant opened.
👉 Sometimes, one new perspective can totally change your path. And Ray was smart (and gutsy) enough to act on it.
5️⃣ Scaling vs. Sticking to Principles
Later on, Ray ran into another problem :
the electricity bills for making milkshakes were through the roof.
One franchisee’s wife came up with a solution —
milkshake powder that tasted just like the original.
But the McDonald brothers weren’t having it.
They stuck to their “real ingredients” principle.
Eventually, Ray went ahead with it anyway, without their approval.
👉 This is such a tricky dilemma: do you stick to tradition and quality, or prioritize scalability and profit?
There’s no perfect answer — it really depends on your vision.
6️⃣ Breaking Free
Ray knew he couldn’t keep growing under the McDonald brothers’ control.
In the end, he bought them out for $2.7 million —
and from there, he had full control to build the empire we know today.
👉 Sometimes, you have to take bold (and maybe uncomfortable) steps to fully own your vision.
Final Thoughts
The Founder isn’t just about fast food —
it’s a story about grit, vision, adaptability, and tough decisions.
It really shows how messy entrepreneurship can be,
but also how rewarding it is if you keep going with persistence.
💭 You don’t have to get everything right — you just need to be right about the things that matter most.
👉 What about you?
Have you watched The Founder?
What lesson or moment stood out to you the most?
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Hey, I’m Rex — a curious learner sharing my reflections on entrepreneurship, marketing, and personal growth.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to stick around for more stories and lessons from books, movies, and life itself.