I watched Ford vs Ferrari today. In addition to being a fantastic movie, I thought there were some interesting parallels to the modern day corporate existence, software development in particular. None of these are particularly mind-blowing realizations, but the movie just puts it front and center in such an action-packed and compelling plot.
Caution: Some spoilers ahead.
Exceptional people can do exceptional things. - Obviously, Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles were exception people, who did exceptional things.
Excellence never comes from committees. - One of the main characters of the story is the bureaucracy of Ford and how that translates to inefficiency and less than optimal results.
There’s a risk and a price for pursuing excellence. - Shelby risked his company, and Ken risked his life, in order for a chance to merely compete in Le Mans
Just because someone has successfully toed the line between risk and reward doesn’t mean the outcome is always repeatable. - Ken was redlining multiple times throughout LeMans and he could have easily blown out his brakes/engine by pushing the car too hard.
There is a catharsis that comes from autonomy that can outweigh external outcomes. - Ken could have easily gone ballistic after being cheated out of the triple crown. But in the end, after his perfect lap, he made the choice to give Ford the picture perfect finish they wanted. The ability to choose blunted the trauma of watching someone else get the glory.
Pride is a often a more powerful motivator than greed. - It seemed that “Henry Ford Jr, The Deuce,” was merely a greedy corporate CEO with a fragile ego, but he certainly showed a softer side after going for a ride with Shelby. He was glad to be able to extend his dad’s legacy into an entirely different way.
“Executive Intuition” works…sometimes. - It’s usually derisive to say that an organization makes decisions through the HIPPO’s (highest paid person in the office) gut feeling. In this case, Henry Ford’s intuition to pursue an entirely new vertical, with an entirely different marketing strategy, outside of the company’s core competency, was extremely successful. And he did so despite relying on a first time operator that bucked the traditional corporate approach. “Intuition,” or luck?
Words are more powerful and harmful than any tool can be. - I didn’t realize this theme until the last scene of the movie as Shelby talked to Ken’s son Peter. He was talking about a wrench, but also reflecting on how his words led him and Ken’s family to where they were in that moment. The movie isn’t about the cars, just like software is rarely just about technology. This movie is about the trust that Shelby was able to develop with both Ken, and Ford. His words were responsible for all the good things, and the bad things that happened. His words gave Ken a second chance to be a part of the race team, a second shot at racing at Le Mans, but his words also led to risks and a continued venture that ultimately led to Ken’s death. Software is a means to an end, just like the cars were just the vehicles for the plot. Pun intended.