Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: A few days ago I heard in a radio show how they believe that this movie captured the Internet era. As a recent "Failed Startup Graduate", I was very curious to see whether that is true. After viewing it, I must say - VERY VERY true!!!
This movie is not a work of fiction, it is a documetary - everything is actual footage which was taken in more than a year. It tells the story of the founding of GovWorks.com, a startup company which connected its site users with government operations ("Made the government more efficient", as the founders say). The makers of the film followed the two founders, Tom and Kaleil from day one. The movie starts when Kaleil leaves his old job and becomes CEO of GovWorks.com, and ends more than a year after that. As you probably know, this has been a very ..interesting year, so to speak for the High Tech industry. But the movie isn't just about the company, it also tells the highs and lows that Kaleil and Tom had to go through during these tough and exciting times. I think this is a fascinating movie which really makes the viewer feel as if he is a part of the story, especially since Kaleil and Tom have been so generous in sharing what they've gone through with the viewers.
Rating:
Summary: A timely film
Review: You already know the ending, or should, since we're just now emerging from a "dot bomb" economy. Nonetheless, the film is engaging as it tells the story of two entrepreneurs and their quest to start an on-line business, 'Govworks.com'. The story plays out through scenes shot on handheld video, which lend both intimacy and immediacy to the film. We follow the protagonists from the very start as they are deciding on a company name, through funding and the company's growth and ultimate decline. Interestingly, while one would assume this is a movie purely about the life of a start-up, Web-based business, it is in actuality a story of friendship. Through the trials and tribulations of the business, we watch the impact on the relationship of these childhood friends. An interesting film for our times.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent documentary
Review: Excellent documentary that shows from the inside what was going on in the Internet .com boom, who was caught up in it, how much money was flowing freely, and how it fell apart, leaving some with nothing more than they started. The film concentrates on the relationship between high school friends Tom and Kaleil, who in their 20s founded govworks.com and raised more than $20 million in venture capital, and in the process what happened to their friendship. Even more intimate and personal than the War Room (documentary about the first Clinton campaign by some of the same people). A rare glimpse into a rare time. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: A few days ago I heard in a radio show how they believe that this movie captured the Internet era. As a recent "Failed Startup Graduate", I was very curious to see whether that is true. After viewing it, I must say - VERY VERY true!!!
This movie is not a work of fiction, it is a documetary - everything is actual footage which was taken in more than a year. It tells the story of the founding of GovWorks.com, a startup company which connected its site users with government operations ("Made the government more efficient", as the founders say). The makers of the film followed the two founders, Tom and Kaleil from day one. The movie starts when Kaleil leaves his old job and becomes CEO of GovWorks.com, and ends more than a year after that. As you probably know, this has been a very ..interesting year, so to speak for the High Tech industry. But the movie isn't just about the company, it also tells the highs and lows that Kaleil and Tom had to go through during these tough and exciting times. I think this is a fascinating movie which really makes the viewer feel as if he is a part of the story, especially since Kaleil and Tom have been so generous in sharing what they've gone through with the viewers.
Rating:
Summary: Very intriguing and awesome!
Review: I've watched many documentaries but nothing comes closer to home for me than "Startup.com" which features the rise and fall of the American dream. I'm sure many people who worked for a rise and fall dot.com can watch this documentary and see their company and its founders similar to Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman and govworks.com.
I'm always amazed by the quality of the documentaries comming from Pennebaker Hegedus Films and Noujaim Films. From politics to the beginning of a startup company, they did an amazing job showing the beginning of making a company, co-founders having problems with one another and the roller coaster of emotions that is displayed throughout the complete 103 minutes. You are seeing genuine emotions, these are not Hollywood actors, you are watching young businessman trying to make their own startup succeed and the results when friendships is tested.
The movie is featured via 5.1 Dolby surround. Don't expect too much from the audio because it is a documentary. No special effects here. As for special features, we are treated to a special featurette titled "Documentarians on Documentary" and the movie trailer. Also, commentary by the directors is available.
Although I wish there was more included in this DVD, especially perhaps some footage of the guys with their new startup or somehow commenting about their feelings of the actual documentary. But I found this documentary very intriguing and awesome! All in all, this was the type of documentary I waited for and the DVD was definitely worth the purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Great Documentary
Review: This documentary rocks. Great for budding entrepreneurs, and entertaining for just about anybody.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging but flawed
Review: This movie is basically about one thing: a young, wildly arrogant and immature businessman named Kaleil Izaza Tuzman, and how foolish everyone was for believing in him for even a split second. He is such an amateur, such a pompous fool, that the whole documentary takes on the feel of a practical joke as we watch bankers, co-workers, and at least one woman get sucked into this clown's semi-fabulous dot.com world. There is a certain satisfaction as we watch the movie and watch what was truly a house of cards come tumbling down on this poor ass.
To a somewhat lesser extent, the movie also follows his partner Tom, who is a bit more subtle and reflective than Kaleil, but equally ignorant about what they are actually doing. But in telling Tom's story, the film makes some serious mistakes and omissions. He kind of jumps on the scene and it is hard to understand where he is from both literally and in a broader sense.
Overall the one thing to take away from this movie is just how amazingly stupid people were in the late 1990s. Kaleil and Tom ran one of the most worthless businesses I have ever heard of (although hindsight is perfect after all) and managed to get 50 million dollars and hire 250 people. It's really mind-blowing. It is also surprising and disturbing that Kaleil was hired by Goldman Sachs. The fact that anyone hired this doofus at all, let alone the investment banking department of Goldman Sachs, is disgraceful. I mean, this is a guy who's invited to be on CNN and he shows up wearing gold chains. It is really amazing that nowhere in his journey did anyone just pull him aside and tell him, "Kaleil, you have got to ditch the french cuffs and for God's sake, slow down when you talk to people, and get a decent haircut and decent clothes. You look like you got pulled off the beach at Atlantic city." I mean, you want to scream at him throughout the movie. I know this is a superficial criticism, but it is quite apt I think, as his dubious style and demeanor proves to be an accurate reflection of his abilities as a businessman: he's all flash and no substance. In fact, in the end, he seals his own fate as an absolute zero when he forgets to check the code the night before his site goes up! It doesnt take much to realize that the reality of the situation is that for all their audacity, both Kaleil and Tom are actually pretty sloppy, bad and immature communicators, and of questionable intelligence. Really. In fact, all they really have is ambition.
I guess that is a statement of sorts in itself; arguably, the failure of the insipidly named "govworks" illustrates that just maybe substance does count for something after all. This documentary is far from perfect, but worthwhile simply for its portrayal of the spectacular period of fiasco and waste in the 1990s that will probably never happen again, which is probably a good thing.
Rating:
Summary: fuct company
Review: Chronicle of dot.bomb govWorks, whose rise and fall was symptomatic of many an internet company--similarly crippled by a gargantuan burn rate, managerial infighting, and a bloated valuation--during the Bubble. Nicely edited and rife with business fundamentals/lessons, I'd give this film 4 thumbs up except I only have 2.
Rating:
Summary: Watch this whenever you're thinking of starting up ...
Review: This is pure documentary, all created by a handheld video camera, filmed in 4:3 format. The only artistic aspect is some nifty editing (e.g. she says to camera that she wants to settle down with Kaleil and get a dog; he says to the telephone, almost immediately afterwards, but in a different venue, that he hates the idea of having either a dog or a baby.) This film is not going to win any prizes for cinematography.
But what you do get is a fantastically instructive series of lessons in how to start up a business. Ultimately these guys fail, but along the way, you get a lot of lessons in what venture capitalists were looking for, how to attract talent and funding when you seem to have nothing but enthusiasm to offer, how to handle competitors and how to cope with long-term friends in your firm.
This is the DVD you need to watch every time you're thinking of starting up a business, or thinking of going into business with a friend. Not necessarily to put you off, but at least to warn you of some of the dangers.
Of course, there is a very different VC climate nowadays, since the dot-com bust, and I would imagine that even then, some of the US practices seen here would not be transferable to the UK without some modification. In this film, it is startling to see a small group of twentysomethings flying between the East Coast and Silicon Valley, casually talking about getting their first $15 million of funding when they have no customers and no product. One of the original founders gets out very early -- it seems for $700K in cash -- and it looks likely, he is the only one who makes anything out of this venture, called govWorks.com. (By the way, the film ends with the caption that the firm was bought by a multinational, but that Web address does not seem to work now. Although bizarrely the fictitious Web address implied by the start.com title DOES exist!)
So, every would-be MBA graduate ought to watch this movie. This exposes the vicious realities -- e.g. that the senior board members you recruited to give your company credibility (e.g. ex-mayors) are also the ones prepared to sack you when the going gets tough. But at least these dot-com CEOs did not have to put their houses at risk -- a common stipulation in the UK.
It's rivetting stuff.
By the way, in the final scene, Kaleil has settled down with a different woman ... and a dog.
Rating:
Summary: HILARIOUS!!! Why is this not a comedy?
Review: I can't say enough about this DVD. It's what happens when an egotistical moron and his subserviant pushover "friend" from high school start a company based on something they know nothing about. As you watch the movie, it becomes clear that neither of them know anything about computers, programming, or the necessity of a functional product. Just look at when they're in a meeting and Kaleil is confused by "things flying across the monitor." I'd bet money it's a screensaver. Just look at how they cut out the solution to the problem there. What could this huge number of employees POSSIBLY be doing? A simple database program like this could be made by less than 10 people in a week!! The most hilarious part in my opinion is that Tom winds up going back to work with Kaleil after it's all over. How can't he see that he's been used? A better question is how do the editors of the documentary buy into Kaleil's rhetoric? When they're doing their commentary in the extras, they don't seem to notice the humor of the situation at all. I think Dora said it best: they're a bunch of little kids all dressed up playing grownup. I'd point out other stuff, but there just isn't enough space to glorify every moment. Beware if you're looking for a serious dramatic work, but if you're looking for an evening of laughs and self esteem improvement, you've got it!
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