27A Reading Reflection No. 3

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• This autobiography is a 1977 memoir by Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonald's. Throughout the book, Kroc discusses his career, how he failed time and time again, and where his career started and where it ended. The thing that surprised me the most about Kroc was that he didn't start this franchise until he was 52. I would've assumed he would've been younger when his McDonald's business boomed. I admired the devotion that Ray Kroc and his business partner had in their success and how it even became international. He [Kroc] changed everything about the American restaurant industry. One thing I least admire about Ray Kroc is how the progression of McDonald's food started out really good and today, it almost seems like dog food at times. His idea is also really unsustainable and bad for the environment but it continued throughout the decades. 

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

• Ray Kroc was definitely dedicated. He would work 19 hours a day and was very dedicated to his ideas. He sold paper cups while starting up McDonald's because he saw a future in disposable goods. He also knew when enough was enough, especially with his pitches that he used for bankers and partners. He knew when to stop and it really showed how he learned from his many years of experience before starting his business. 

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

• I was confused about why he wanted to sell Multimixers, a six-spindle milkshake machine, and not immediately go into business with the McDonald brothers. He would've had a chance to make more money and do something bigger in business other than selling milkshake machines. 

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

• What made you so sure that Americans were moving towards disposable items?
• Would you ever have thought that the McDonald's franchise would be as big as it is today?

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

• I think the entrepreneur was extremely dedicated to working hard. You could see it in the dedication he took to get the fries just right and his business sense about how Americans would start looking into fast, cheap, but tasty food. His keen business sense, stress management techniques, and thrift really made him dedicated to making a good business.