The Entrepreneurship Society: Jimmy Mulville
Wednesday, 21st November 2012
“My name is Jimmy Mulville. I am a failed comedian. I am a failed scriptwriter. So I became a producer.” This is how Jimmy Mulville, co-founder and CEO of Hat Trick Productions, opened his talk to the Entrepreneurship Society last Wednesday. Mr Mulville outlined his progression from a member of the Cambridge Footlights to his agreement to a series with Channel 4 and then the subsequent foundation of Hat Trick Productions. The company’s first success was “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, and through this achievement he started to grow the business. However, he still experienced hardship. During the financial crisis, more of his shows were being cut than he could replace. However, through a flash of insight, he realised that not all the ideas for shows had to go through him; instead he encouraged people to make their own initiatives. This restructuring allowed the business to survive and continue to thrive as it does today. He concluded his talk by alluding to future productions in which he will join with YouTube sensations such as “KSI” and “The Slow Mo Guys”. After his talk, he handed out a card with quotations, including Calvin Coolidge's statement that “persistence and determination alone are omnipotent” and Goethe's famous words “whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.” Here concluded Mr Mulville's valuable lessons on entrepreneurship to a grateful audience. This was a spectacular finale to the Society’s series of speakers this half and I'm sure all who have attended this half look forward to the next instalment.
Jamie Cuffe OS (NCWS)
