4 Things Entrepreneurs Should Learn from the 1st Saudi Feature-Length Film
- Sep 25, 2014
- 3 min read
Wadjda is a ground breaking film on so many levels.
It is the first feature length film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. It is the first Saudi film directed by a woman and the first film Saudi Arabia to be submitted for the Best Foreign Language Feature at the Oscars.
The film is about an enterprising young girl who wants to buy a bike, even though girls it is frowned upon for girls to ride bikes. It’s beautifully and touching story but it can also be a lesson to entrepreneurs from all walks of life.
1. To Be a Successful Entrepreneur You Have to Break the Mold
Wadjda had a dream of buying a bike even though her culture frowns upon females riding bikes but that didn’t stop Wadjda from pursuing her dream. Her dream and passion was strong enough to rebel against the expectations of people around her.
As an entrepreneur you can’t follow what has already been done before. You need to be a trail blazer. You can’t follow the path that somebody has set out for you and you need the strength and passion Wadjda showed in order to realize your dream because it won’t be easy.
2. Invest in Yourself
Wadjda saves up money to buy a bike by doing several odd jobs. However she realizes that she will need to work for a long time before she has enough money to buy the bike.
What does she do?
She decides to buy a game that will help her win the Quran competition at school which will give her the money she needs for the bike. She starts as one of the worst students in her school to the best. She practices and practices and uses the game to learn.
Every successful entrepreneur must invest in themselves, whether it’s to improve productivity or learn new managing skills. Entrepreneurs take the time to invest in themselves because they know they are the most important asset.
Wadjda thought the answer to saving money was to do odd jobs until she had enough, but that would have taken too long and the bike would have been sold by then. Instead she took the money she had saved and invested it in herself to compound her returns.
3. Never Give Up on Your Dreams
Wadjda faces several obstacles along her journey, some of them seem insurmountable. But she is persistent and resilient even when it looks like she will fail.
Winston Churchill once said, never, never, never give up and that is the mindset an entrepreneur must have, even when things aren’t going their way. Sometimes entrepreneurs, like Wadjda, face huge culture backlash to their product or to what they are selling.
But Wadjda didn’t give up and neither should you.
4. Entrepreneurs Need a Mentor
In the film, Wadjda wants the bike, even though she has never ridden before. She must learn to ride and to do that she enlists the help of her best friend, a boy named Abdullah, who owns a bike.
Since girls aren’t supposed to ride bikes she practices in secret. Although they are the same age, Abdullah acts as a mentor to Wadjda, giving her the skills necessary to fulfill her dream.
Entrepreneurs can’t do everything by themselves and need a mentor to guide them along the way. They have experienced people who can mentor them and show them the right path to take. Without a proper mentor, entrepreneurs can get bogged down and not know which way to go and it can take a lot longer than originally planned.
Joel Mark Harris is a writer, producer and journalist. (@joelmarkharris) He is the proud founder of Scene2Studio and you can download for FREE his award-winning thriller novel A Thousand Bayonets HERE As an added bonus, you will also receive a free 12 step infograph to selling your screenplay HERE
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