ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS and THE PRODUCTION
As far back as 1998, Hegedus knew she wanted to explore the Internet revolution, but she didn’t know what her story would be. "I initially thought the film was going to be about the breakthrough of communication or the freedom of speech that the advent of the Internet promised, but the Web exploded into being a new way to make money and the idea quickly turned into a story about twentysomethings becoming millionaires."
Hegedus was also fascinated that young, inexperienced entrepreneurs were securing millions of dollars of investments without having a product. "There’s an amazing energy and a strong anti-establishment attitude among these entrepreneurs. They want to create something of their own. In a funny way, it’s very similar to the 1960s. Except today’s young people aren’t going to change the world with peace and love, they’re going to do it with money."
In search of a young entrepreneur to follow through the start-up process, Hegedus began working with executives at Flatiron Partners, a venture capital firm that regularly invests in Internet start-up companies. After weeks of research and interviews however, Hegedus was still unable to find a young executive at the conceptual stages of a start-up business. That is, until she met Jehane Noujaim, only to discover she was pursuing the same idea.
Shortly after quitting her job at MTV in order to pursue filmmaking, Noujaim’s roommate and fellow Harvard grad, Kaleil Isaza Tuzman made his fateful decision to start an Internet company. Noujaim was amazed that her young friend could raise millions of dollars without even having an established business. Realising she was at ground zero of what could be a fascinating story, Noujaim decided to document her friend’s odyssey. Noujaim had already spent several days following Isaza Tuzman with a video camera, documenting the initial steps it took to create his start-up company called govWorks.com. At the time, the company, which would develop a site to facilitate transactions between local government and citizens, had only a business plan and eight partners.
