Startup.com (2001)

Startup.com (2001)
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Two men discover the perils of going into business with their friends as they observe the rise and fall of their Internet firm over the course of its first (and only) year in this documentary produced by D.A. Pennebaker. Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman first met while they were in high school; they studied business together in college, and they remained close friends after graduating, often bandying about the idea of working together. In May of 1999, they made their dream a reality and opened Govworks.com, a Web-based firm devoted to helping people deal more efficiently with local governments (it began as a notion to pay parking tickets online). Govworks.com soon exploded, going from a one-room office with a tiny staff to over 200 employees and a bankroll of $50 million. However, like many other Internet firms of their day, Govworks.com was not destined to succeed, and by January of 2001, the company had let nearly all its employees go, and was eventually swallowed up by a larger firm, with Herman and Isaza Tuzman having little to show for their efforts. Just as significantly, after their initial burst of enthusiasm, Herman and Isaza Tuzman found themselves locking horns, as they displayed their naivete about the nuts and bolts of making an Internet start-up work; Herman's gentle nature clashed with Isaza Tuzman's all-business approach, and eventually Herman was forced out of the company he had helped to found by his longtime friend. Directors Jehane Noujaim and Chris Hegedus shot Startup.com using digital video equipment, and to keep the film as timely as possible, screened a digital copy of the film, which went through its final edit only days before its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Director(s):
Chris HegedusJehane Noujaim, (more)
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD  | Digital SD & HD
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Synopsis of Startup.com

Two men discover the perils of going into business with their friends as they observe the rise and fall of their Internet firm over the course of its first (and only) year in this documentary produced by D.A. Pennebaker. Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman first met while they were in high school; they studied business together in college, and they remained close friends after graduating, often bandying about the idea of working together. In May of 1999, they made their dream a reality and opened Govworks.com, a Web-based firm devoted to helping people deal more efficiently with local governments (it began as a notion to pay parking tickets online). Govworks.com soon exploded, going from a one-room office with a tiny staff to over 200 employees and a bankroll of $50 million. However, like many other Internet firms of their day, Govworks.com was not destined to succeed, and by January of 2001, the company had let nearly all its employees go, and was eventually swallowed up by a larger firm, with Herman and Isaza Tuzman having little to show for their efforts. Just as significantly, after their initial burst of enthusiasm, Herman and Isaza Tuzman found themselves locking horns, as they displayed their naivete about the nuts and bolts of making an Internet start-up work; Herman's gentle nature clashed with Isaza Tuzman's all-business approach, and eventually Herman was forced out of the company he had helped to found by his longtime friend. Directors Jehane Noujaim and Chris Hegedus shot Startup.com using digital video equipment, and to keep the film as timely as possible, screened a digital copy of the film, which went through its final edit only days before its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
103 mins

Complete Cast of Startup.com


Director(s):
Jehane NoujaimChris Hegedus
Producer(s):
D.A. Pennebaker
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Profanity, Questionable for Children)
Categories:
Special InterestDocumentaryIndependent Films
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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Member Reviews
 
Dan R.

It was a period where the extreame greed of the venture capitalists and investment bankers ruined many lives. And this documentary captures it all in fine detail. It is too bad that a startup can no longer borrow the money they need from banks. No, nowadays everything has to be huge or venture capitalists won't even look at it. The IPO scams perpetuated by the VCs really leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

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Brian S.

This paints a pretty good portrait of the naivety of the "best and the brightest" who were fooled by the hopes of the biggest get-rich-quick scheme ever perpetrated. govworks.com was actually a fairly good idea that became too big, too quick, as so many other internet ideas did. A better documentary on the internet craze is e-dreams, not offered on Blockbuster.

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Patrick L.

This is a really good movie. I think it really showed what went on in the dot com era. The way the two friends grew the company together but in the end you should never mix business and friendship.

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