La Casa De Papel is a Spanish TV series wrapped up with so many lessons. Watching this series, I could mostly see the business side of things—from ideas to strategies, execution and more.
If you’ve watched the series, I’m sure you would have picked so many lessons yourself.
If you’re yet to watch it, I have tried as much as I can, not to spoil it for you. So you don’t have a reason to measure the width of my neck with both your hands next time you see me on the road.
Here are 12 important business lessons you can learn from this TV series;
1. Business Is A marathon, Not A Sprint
Like a marathon, the professor could have pulled out along the way—but no, he knew it wasn’t a sprint and was adequately prepared to get to the finish line.
When starting a business, prepare for it like a marathon and not a sprint—it’s going to be one long ride.
2. Every Challenge Brings You Closer To Your Goal
For every episode in this TV series, the professor and his group was faced with daunting challenges. Successfully scaling through each challenge, ultimately meant accomplishing their set goal.
When your business gets hit with challenges, It means you know the problem to solve and move closer to your goal.
Don’t see challenges as problems, see them as opportunities to get ahead.
3. Understand Your Market More Than Anyone Else
We all marvelled at how the professor kept coming up with badass strategies to counter the police and get his group ahead.
It’s simple,
He understood the system more than anyone else did, he knew the moves they were going to make before they make them.
Your market is yours to understand.
Who are your target audience?
What objections usually stops them from doing business with you?
if business goes wrong, how do you handle it?
These and more are questions you need to provide answers to, if you want to play the chess game like the professor.
4. Research, Research, Research
To make information available to you, you have to research. Get every single piece of information that concerns your market.
Available information will help you make informed decisions and prepare you for what is to come.
No one is more deadly than an informed man, who knows exactly what to do with the information.
5. Know Your Strength And Leverage On It
It was really cringey to watch the professor trying to sniff life out of people.
Give Oslo a gun and a poison, I’m sure he’d rather put a bullet through the head of the inspector’s mum—than trying to pamper her and poison her coffee.
The professor knew his strength was off the battle ground and more behind the scenes, coming up with strategies. He rather got people to execute tasks he wasn’t really good at, while focusing on using his intelligence.
Same thing applies to business. Don’t try to force yourself to do things you’re not very good at, instead focus the energy on things you’re very good at.
6. Have A Plan
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Imagine the professor and his group going into the Bank, capturing hostages, dealing with the police
without violence and carting away all that millions without a plan?
I’m sure they would have been captured even before putting a call through to the professor.
If you set a goal for your business, prepare the appropriate plan you can follow to achieve that goal.
7. Stick To The Plan
It’s very easy to get distracted and drift away from the plan like Tokyo and others in the group did. These distractions almost saw the whole plan fall apart.
Once you set out a plan for your business, It’s very easy to get distracted by the next shiny object.
Heck! You can even get hit with challenges that will make you want to stop it halfway—but remember, the pathway to your goal is the plan.
8. You Will Make Mistakes
You will make decisions that will affect your business dearly.
You will hit on yourself for not taking action when you were supposed to. The gang members made mistakes, and even as intelligent as the professor was—he made mistakes as well.
But the good thing is; we can always try to correct our mistakes. We can manage them, and learn lessons from them.
9. A Lone Wolf Is A Dead Wolf
Imagine the professor planning the heist alone, trying to hack the tech system alone, taking up arms and trying to infiltrate the bank system alone.
What do you think would have happened?
The series would have ended in Season 1, Episode 1–with everyone solemnly singing “Belle Ciao” to El Professor.
The professor wasn’t a lone wolf. He worked and connected with people who had the same mindset as him to execute his plan.
Sometimes, you don’t have to play the lonely game. If you need to seek support, hire a VA, have a small team—then do so by all means.
10. Don’t Mix Business With Emotions
We all know the saying, “It’s not personal, it’s just business”. This statement implies that rational logic supersedes our subjective feelings.
One of the gang members(Denver) almost had a bullet journey through his head because he broke the rule and allowed his emotions to toil with the plan.
I was chatting with a friend a few days ago—he is always with one or two engagements with clients locally. But he still complains about not making enough money.
Apparently, anytime he tells his clients about his service price, they begin to tell him their life story and how they don’t have enough money or want to make part payment and balance up later. At the end, he agrees to the price that suit the client, not the price that suits his service and time.
It’s okay to have few exceptions in business. But when you keep running your business and make decisions based on how you feel—you’re hurting yourself and your business.
11.Have A Greater Drive Than “Just” Money
Nothing wrong with going into business for money—why would I even do a business if I’m not going to make any money from it?
While money is a good motivation for business, you’ll be found out quickly and get bored if it’s the sole motivation behind your business.
When things got really complicated for the gang and several lives were sniffed away, the money wasn’t really important to them anymore. Remember Berlin?
Even the professor wasn’t just motivated by money, he wanted to continue and fulfil the legacy his dad died trying to fulfil.
If the only thing that excites you in your business is money, it won’t be long before you get bored.
12. Bella Ciao (Goodbye)
Sometimes, you’ll need to make big sacrifices for the greater good.
You’ll have to say goodbye (Ciao) to what you love to progress.
It could be a toxic business partner, your precious time, even selling your stuff to fund your business.
Ese io muoio, Da partigiano
O Bella Ciao, Bella Ciao ?