If you and your friends have ever said, “Let’s start something,” watch Upstarts, a top-rated movie by an ex-Microsoft techie

If you and your friends have ever looked at each other and said, “Let’s start something,” Upstarts is a film you should genuinely sit with. 

Streaming on Netflix, the movie offers a grounded, unglamorous look at India’s startup ecosystem, far from pitch-deck fantasies and overnight unicorn stories. 

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The Director

What makes it especially compelling is that it’s directed by Udai Singh Pawar, someone who comes from the startup world himself. Before stepping into filmmaking, Pawar worked at Microsoft, and that lived experience shows. 

The story is inspired by real founders, real pressures, and very real trade-offs; it is less about “making it big” and more about what it actually costs to build something from scratch.

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Lesson 1: Profit vs Purpose

When revenue grows, values are tested first.
Social impact often clashes with investor expectations.
The hardest question: What are you willing to lose to stay aligned?

Lesson 2: Friendship vs Ethics

Startups don’t just test ideas; they test relationships.
Ambition can quietly erode trust.
Not every friendship survives a startup.

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Lesson 3: The Reality of Funding

Rejections are more common.
Capital often comes with invisible strings.
Sometimes the “right money” matters more than fast money.

Lesson 4: Authenticity in the Struggle

Idea highs are intoxicating, pivots are humbling.
Parental pressure and societal expectations are real.
Building something is as emotional as it is strategic.

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