Choosing hands-on experience over college education led to valuable growth in the movie industry.
Transitioning from movie business to tech sector emphasized the importance of immersive learning and collaboration.
Deep dives
Opportunities in the Movie Business - Learning Directly from Father
Deciding to skip college and join his father in the movie studio business, the speaker details his unique experience of navigating between academic obligations and real-world opportunities for hands-on learning from his father. Amid conflict between classes and potential meetings with industry giants like Netflix and Sony, the speaker ultimately chooses to focus on the movie business, a decision that, in hindsight, proved valuable despite initial fears, showcasing the journey of growth and learning from immersive experiences.
Building a Movie Startup with Sony: From Financing to Distribution
Starting with a financing deal for five straight-to-DVD movies with Sony, the speaker's venture into the movie business quickly evolves from financing productions to co-producing features, including festival movies and one produced and distributed in-house. The dynamic nature of the industry leads to a four-year immersive experience that transforms their startup into a multifaceted operation, highlighting the challenges and rewards of expanding roles and engaging with diverse projects.
Transition to Tech and Immersive Learning in Silicon Valley
Driven by a desire for more control and simplicity in his work, the speaker transitions from the complex movie industry to exploring tech in Silicon Valley, diving into coding and residing in a hacker house surrounded by skilled engineers. Embracing a hands-on approach to learning, he values the immersive environment where collaboration and shared expertise fuel his growth as a programmer, setting the stage for personal and professional development in the tech sector.
From Unexpected Discovery to Success with Most Recommended Books
A spontaneous collaboration with a friend leads to the creation of Most Recommended Books, initially intended as a side project focused on mutual skill sets and a trial-and-error approach to product development. Despite initial projects that didn't gain traction, the discovery and subsequent focused effort on Most Recommended Books result in organic growth and financial success, driven by the unexpected popularity of the platform and its unique value proposition in the market.
In this episode of Backstage Careers I talk to Richard Reis, whose the founder of a fast growing website called MostRecommendedBooks.com
He's also one of the most connected people I know: He's good friends with Jamie Foxx, regularly plays soccer with Ronaldo, and he's been invited to Drake's house parties.
Here are the show notes: 01:23 - Why Richard decided to drop out of college to go start a movie studio with his dad 05:56 His day to day responsibilities working on building the movie studio 08:14 Why he left Hollywood for Silicon Valley? 11:15 How he created MostRecommendedBooks.com 19:25 His tips for networking and connecting with celebrities and influential people 21:37 How he became friends with @Kopywriting Kourse 24:52 How he became good friends with Jamie Foxx 26:04 The story of how he got Jamie Foxx on Tim Ferriss' Podcast 33:04 The Story of how Ronaldo blew up Richard's Instagram following overnight 34:32 How he got to know Ronaldo 45:00 His story of how he got into one of Drake's house parties
Check out: MostRecommendedBooks.com Follow Richard on Instagram and Twitter: @RichardReeze Check out Richard's Blog Posts: https://richardreeze.medium.com/
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
