Build Your Own Arcane

I’ve been observing for a while that launching a startup has a surprising amount in common with making a movie. At first glance, they might seem like entirely different worlds—one driven by cutting-edge tech, the other by cinematic flair. But when you peel back the layers, you’ll see they’re both fueled by a blend of wild creativity and hard business realities. Let me explain.

I draw a lot of parallels between creating a startup and working in the movie industry. First, you have an idea you want to realize. Then you need to find other people who share your vision. Next, you have to pitch that idea to people with money (investors/producers). After that, you build the MVP (shoot the pilot) to prove your idea is worth their time, money, and enthusiasm. Armed with funding and commitment, you gather the right people around you to continue building (filming/writing/scripting) the product (movie/series).

In both cases, success tends to be postponed: most startups take 5–10 years to see a return on investment, and the best TV series often require the same amount of time to produce. Typically, it’s one or two people who keep pushing it forward for all those years—the initial founders (creators of the idea). They look after every detail because they’re the ones who had the idea in the first place.

They inevitably face burnout and have to learn not to micromanage, how to scale properly, and how to manage a team without losing sight of the original vision. After all, the entire point of “management” is to create what they initially set out to build.

I’m far from the moviemaking industry, but as a bystander, I can see that both the startup world and Hollywood follow certain hype cycles—remember the vampire boom in television? Then it seemed like we were bombarded by zombies, superheroes, witches, Nordic mythology, doctors, lawyers…

You can see the same pattern with startups—the crypto boom, the containerization boom, the AI boom, the fintech frenzy, and so on. Just like a particular storyline will flood the market in film and TV, a specific tech trend takes over the startup world. Money and attention flow into that area until the hype shifts somewhere else.

In both realms, “typical” formulas get reused endlessly. In TV and film, you’ll see friends hanging out in a café, or a couple of cops trying to crack a case while psychoanalyzing each other, or post-apocalyptic survivors seeking shelter in an abandoned mall. In startups, it’s another e-commerce shop focusing on a niche, another ride-sharing app, a new social media spin-off, or an aggregator claiming it will disrupt everything.

There’s also a constant recycling of project ideas—reboots, sequels, and spin-offs in Hollywood; cloning popular apps, re-skinning successful business models, and replicating “unicorn” pitches in the startup world.

Here are some additional parallels if you need more convincing:

Marketing and Promotion

In the movie world, everything starts with the teaser, the trailer, and the hype that shouts, “Something big is coming!” Then you get bombarded by press junkets, talk show appearances, and behind-the-scenes footage to hook the audience before the final product is even out. Startups do the same thing: pitch decks, demo days, conference panels, and plenty of social media “teasers.” Both industries are essentially telling a story—one is why you should watch the film, the other is why you should invest or buy the product.

Star Power vs. Founders

Blockbuster films love to show off a star-studded cast—there’s always that big-name actor who makes people say, “I have to see this!” In the startup world, it’s the “rockstar founder” or “celebrity CEO” everyone follows on social media. Just like a studio might bank on Tom Hanks or Scarlett Johansson to guarantee box-office success, VCs and potential employees are attracted to well-known founders with a track record. The danger is that star power can overshadow the product itself—everyone might recognize the famous name but ignore the movie script or the actual business.

Investment vs. Budget

One of the toughest balancing acts in both startups and film productions is reconciling creative vision with the need to show a return on investment. For a director, it might mean debating whether a costly special effect is worth it or whether a slow-burn scene will repel overseas markets. For a startup founder, it could be justifying a longer product development cycle to investors who’d prefer a quick pivot to something more profitable. Both industries must walk the line between ambition and financial stability, between artistic risk and proven formulas.

I often find myself not particularly impressed by the “icons” of the startup world. The story of Apple doesn’t resonate with me, and I’m not a fan of Sam Altman or Elon Musk. They aren’t people I aspire to become “when I grow up.” This makes me question my own career path from time to time: amn’t I supposed to look up to them, strive to be like them, learn from them?

Meanwhile, in the sea of copycat content and overmarketed, hyped series, watching Arcane—learning about its creation and the people who poured their hearts into it—sparks far more inspiration for me. Those who have seen it and watched the documentary about its behind-the-scenes journey get it, and the rest can Google it.

The point is, I realized one thing: maybe I’m the “problem,” not the industry. Or maybe my choice of industry is off. The people who create successful shows and movies are creators; their job is inherently creative. They’re driven by that impulse. They’re obsessed with it, and they can’t not do it.

I was about to spiral into my usual routine of “I chose the wrong career,” “I don’t belong here,” or “Everything is doomed,” but...

...maybe if it was possible in the movie industry, then it can be achieved here as well? I reminded myself that even in both worlds, there’s a wide range of possibilities: some organizations genuinely foster creativity while still aiming to be profitable. And in filmmaking, you can’t ignore the business side if you want your movie to actually get made. Ultimately, both industries try to strike a balance between creativity and making money. Sometimes you just need a little luck: the right team, the right moment, the right direction. That’s when the magic happens, letting you express yourself creatively while also succeeding in a competitive landscape.

So if you’re trying to find your place—whether in startups, filmmaking, or somewhere else entirely—seek out an environment where your creative spark can be nurtured, but remember that every project has to make financial sense (fortunately or unfortunately, that’s the world we live in). When the stars align, you might just find yourself in that rare space where you can do what you love and actually see it thrive. You might just build your own “Arcane.”