Lesson # 48 : The Company Men

Officially without any further debate I can state that The Company Men is the saddest, most depressing and bland film that I have watched in recent times. The reason and I don't blame the script writer or the director is that the entire film revolves around the Recession.

And perhaps the film is an actual portrayal of the trials and tribulations that an individual did need to go through when companies believed that the only key to survival was downsizing and job cuts.There's a lot that the film ends up teaching by the end of it. And though you are a lot sadder and depressed perhaps the lessons will serve a greater purpose in the scheme of things to come.

Without ruining the plot of the film some of the learnings are as follows:

1. So you worked at the corporation for 19 years. Good job. Now get lost.
2. It doesn't matter if you co-found a company or built it unless you run it.
3. All that really matters in the end are stock options and overvalued share pricing.
4. It's good to diversify specially if your core business makes losses one quarter after the other.
5. Even in a recession the best company is that which has the fanciest office. So fire employees if you can manage to get a new building out of it.
6. Sleeping with the head of HR doesn't guarantee that you will not be fired.
7. All said and done the Porsche or the Fancy Club membership ain't worth a dime if you can't pay your mortgage.
8. Losing your job will not cause the world to end.In short, we live, we die and the wheels on the bus go round and round.
9. There's always going to be neck to neck competition and it always pays if you don't have extra baggage along with you such as mortgages, credit card debt and heart disease.
10. Family is important. So treat them with respect. They are the only people who will stand by you when you land yourself in a pool of shit.

With that it would be a nice idea to go watch the film.

-On behalf of Doodle inc
(Udit Sabharwal)