What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBlackBerry
Matt Johnson · Film · 2023
If you loved BlackBerry, start with WeCrashed (Drew Crevello, 2022) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to BlackBerry across media.
If BlackBerry hooked you, you will appreciate these deep dives into the volatile intersection of visionary ambition and corporate self-destruction.
Books on the same thread
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson · Book · 2011
Shares a thread with BlackBerry: Innovation.
Like BlackBerry, this biography captures the relentless perfectionism and volatile personality required to disrupt an industry, revealing the high personal cost behind building a world-changing technological legacy.
American Prometheus
Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin · Book
Explores: moral ambiguity, scientific ethics, legacy.
This biography mirrors the moral weight found in BlackBerry by exploring how scientific brilliance collides with political reality, forcing innovators to confront the long-term consequences of their creations.
Elon Musk
Walter Isaacson · Book · 2023
Shares a thread with BlackBerry: Innovation.
Much like the founders in BlackBerry, this account follows a singular, rule-breaking visionary whose obsessive drive for technological advancement creates both industry-defining breakthroughs and significant, chaotic corporate turbulence.
Burn Book
Kara Swisher · Book
Explores: Corporate accountability, Silicon Valley culture, Ethical implications of technology.
If you enjoyed the critical look at tech industry hubris in BlackBerry, this investigative work provides a necessary, grounded critique of the founders who shaped our modern digital landscape.
Series on the same thread
Halt and Catch Fire
Christopher Cantwell · Series · 2014
Explores: Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Personal ambition.
This series captures the same high-stakes tension as BlackBerry, focusing on the intense, personal risks taken by an unlikely trio during the frantic early days of computer innovation.
Start-Up
Park Hye-ryun · Series · 2020
Explores: Entrepreneurship, Technological Innovation, First Love.
While lighter in tone than BlackBerry, this drama captures the same cutthroat, high-pressure environment where young entrepreneurs gamble everything to turn their technological dreams into a market reality.
WeCrashed
Drew Crevello · Series · 2022
Shares a thread with BlackBerry: Hubris.
This story of rapid ascension and catastrophic failure directly mirrors the arc of BlackBerry, illustrating how unchecked greed and hubris can dismantle a billion-dollar company from the inside.
Silicon Valley
Dave Krinsky · Series · 2014
Explores: Startup Culture, Corporate Greed, Intellectual Property.
This podcast provides a perfect follow-up to BlackBerry for those interested in the technical engineering and product design choices that define the gadgets we use every single day.
Podcasts on the same thread
Acquired
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with BlackBerry: corporate history.
If you were fascinated by the strategic business maneuvering in BlackBerry, this podcast offers a detailed analysis of the playbooks that drive the growth of the world's greatest companies.
Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast
MKBHD · Podcast · 2026
Explores: future of technology, product design and engineering, tech culture.
If BlackBerry hit, Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is BlackBerry based on a true story?
Yes, BlackBerry is a 2023 film that depicts the true story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone, following the partnership between innovator Mike Lazaridis and businessman Jim Balsillie as they transform their invention into a worldwide hit.
What is the main plot of the movie BlackBerry?
The film BlackBerry chronicles the decade-long journey of two mismatched entrepreneurs who join forces to create a global phenomenon. It focuses on the intense professional relationship between Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie as they navigate the rapid success and eventual downfall of their smartphone company.
Who are the central figures featured in BlackBerry?
The central figures in BlackBerry are Mike Lazaridis, an egghead innovator, and Jim Balsillie, a cut-throat businessman. The movie explores how these two individuals combined their contrasting skills to build the company behind the world's first smartphone before facing its eventual collapse.
Does BlackBerry cover the entire history of the company?
BlackBerry covers the company's trajectory over the span of a little more than a decade. The narrative tracks the business from its early days as a worldwide hit to its eventual catastrophic demise, detailing the partnership between its two primary leaders.