I'm a huge fan of a good fly-on-the-wall. There's one out there called 'Buy Five Get One Free', about the Fireworks stands of Central Texas that is a must-see. Rent it if you see it. It's not the one we're going to talk about today, though. The subject of today's article is 'Start-up.com', which follows the trials and tribulations of two friends who take a trip on the rollercoaster ride that was the Internet craze of the late nineties.
Start-up.com focuses on two childhood friends, Khalil and Tom, who have an idea for a website where the public can pay all of the various Government bills we all get in one place, from property taxes to a parking ticket. Govworks.com is the name, potential wealth beyond their dreams is the number. The movie starts out soon after the genesis of the idea and it's quite evident from the beginning that its not a great idea for friends to go into business together. Some of the best scenes from the first third of the movie involve the breakup of a friendship between Tom and Khalil, and a third partner who is causing problems. The solution: a cash settlement and the loss of a friendship. This sets the stage for the rest of the movie.
It's fascinating to see how investors were literally throwing money into pre-IPO's in the late nineties. It seems much too easy for Khalil to raise almost 20 million dollars. Meanwhile Tom, the technical guy, is struggling to get the site operational. And so the power struggle begins. One side of the business, the financial end, is growing by leaps and bounds, while the actual site is barely working. Safe to say Khalil is not a happy camper.
While its interesting to see the inner workings of a startup, the real story in startup.com is the personal relationship between Tom and Khalil, and the fact that no matter how strong a relationship, money is sometimes the almighty. A great story, and a great documentary.
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