It took me about 3/4 of the way through to fully realize what this book is. It's not a full biography and recap of Stacy Spikes' career, nor is it a full expose of what really went down at MoviePass (although there are pieces of both of those elements here). Instead, "Black Founder" works best when viewed as an inspirational example for aspiring Black entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Spikes details his ups and downs in the film and music industries, but always comes away from his experiences looking for the next big thing and relying on his network to help make that happen.

I came to this looking for behind-the-scenes MoviePass info and left with some inspiring stories about overcoming adversity.

This was a wonderful book to read and I enjoyed getting to know more about Stacy Spikes and his roles outside of MoviePass. I wanted to read it to see how and why everything happened like it did but I was plesenlty surprised to learn how he grew and developed as a leader and founder in an industry that seems to be hesitant of "outsiders".

I remember back in early 2018 joining MoviePass, it was amazing! I was never one to go to the movies often (read: at all), I felt they were always way too over priced. Then seeing a Netflix type model to see movies it was exactly what I needed! I saw more movies in-person during those 2-4 months than I have in my entire life. I was sad when I saw it desovle and I think I can count on one hand how many movies I have seen in person since they have gone under. Getting the opportunity to read about everything that happened right from the source was such an enjoyable experience that I was looking forward too.

There were points in the book that were confusing, it would vear into self-help territory abruptly after having a long section about his life. I personally was much more interested in learning about Stacy and how he grew and navigated his life rather than getting the occasional tip for other entrepernures. I can see how others would like that, it just wasn't for me and that's ok.

His writing was well done and descriptive. I felt like I was in the meeting rooms with him and could feel the nerves or giddyness that he did when he won or lost. This was also a quick read but don't let the size fool you, there is so much jam packed in here you will be on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next.

Final Thoughts: Overall an enjoyable quick read that shed light on a topic I found very interesting. I am looking forward to keeping up with Stacy and MoviePass and hopefully I might start going to the movies again soon!

Disclaimer: Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.