Ray Kroc (Founder of the McDonald’s franchise) once said, “When you see your competitor drowning, grab a fire hose and put it in his mouth".   Watch the film 'The Founder'. It's a masterclass in plagiarism, exploitation, data collection, persistence, research & development and business strategy.   Whether we agree with his methods is an entirely different debate. But to summarise - he copied, stole, trademarked their name(!), and then changed the original McDonald's brothers vision of using whole foods only. Profit over health, integrity and relationships. It's a fascinating journey.   Other films such as:   The billion dollar code (Google stole the code from the two original creators) The playlist (Spotify owner Daniel Ek exploited the Musicians in its early stages) Joy (Joy Mangano, the original Miracle mop creator nearly got shafted by the moulds factory bosses).   And they, along with my own experiences have all taught me success is not an upwards linear movement. It's heartbreaking, soul churning and requires a whole lotta grit and fortitude.   Different industries. Different countries. Different people.   Success and betrayal often arrive in the same package.   The bigger the opportunity, the more it attracts people with different motivations, ambitions and agendas.   Perhaps that's why trust is one of the most valuable currencies in business.   When there is money, influence, recognition or ownership on the table, character is revealed.   Ultimately, people tell you who they are through their actions - the challenge is whether we are willing to see it.   So here's my question:   How do we really know if we have genuine friends in business, or simply allies whose interests currently align with our own?   Watch how you go 🫂   I'd love to hear your thoughts.   #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Business #Startups #Trust #Partnerships

Posted by Jen Elliott at 2026-06-04 13:11:28 UTC