Day 66: Shark Tank

Okay, it may seem odd to write about a TV show.  Especially about a TV Show like Shark Tank, but I started watching it out of some curiosity mixed with boredom last week and I actually really like it.

Shark Tank is a reality show where self made millionaires, and veteran entrepreneurs, are investor "sharks" to whom aspiring entrepreneurs pitch investment opportunities.  The entrepreneurs walk into a room with a panel of five sharks, make a pitch and then answer any questions and negotiate with the sharks to make a deal.  Some walk away with a new investor (amounts I've seen range between $50k-$2 million for varying amounts of equity in the company that will utilize the investment), some walk away knowing they have a good product but could not get an investor, and some walk away with nothing.

I think it's inspiring and enlightening to watch how successful people choose to invest their money and also how people go about getting investors and running a startup business. The sharks may be harsh at times, but I think it's really amazing when they see a product they truly believe in and want to invest and help someone live out their dreams.

I know all of these reality TV shows, in essence, might only highlight the success and sweep the failure under the rug, but I feel like Shark Tank includes real investors and real entrepreneurs all looking at how to make it in the world. There have been times where they show a snippet of some of the invested businesses and they have even shown some of those businesses having real struggles - but it doesn't change the fact that the business received an investment - or whatever they received in the midst of their negotiations. There are sources that demonstrate the sharks actually losing money, and there are also articles pointing out how the entrepreneurs actually lost money by making a terrible deal.  Nonetheless, the show offers a place for people to ask for support to pursue their passions.

I also find myself amused and thoughtfully influenced by some of the comments from the sharks. I find it interesting when one investor feels like an investment will be a bust - or that it will be a hit - and another disagrees somehow.  It is in these moments that they tend to get a little educational, even if they seem egotistical in some of the things they say.

It's an odd thing, but for some reason I like the show.  Perhaps it's the element of support, or the element of pursuing passions...  having no regrets.  All of it.  I like it - and that's okay.