NEW LONG FORM VIDEO: From 8 million viewers to irrelevant: what happened to Shark Tank
Shark Tank went from a television phenomenon that drew nearly 8 million viewers per episode and changed how many Americans thought about entrepreneurship to a show that is increasingly becoming culturally irrelevant. Along the way, it helped launch hundreds of businesses, made household names out of its investors, and turned entrepreneurship into mainstream entertainment.
But times have changed. Viewership has declined, the startup world looks very different than it did a decade ago, and Mark Cuban, arguably the show's biggest star, has announced that he’s leaving.
So what happened? How did one of the most influential business shows ever made lose its place at the center of the conversation?
As I go for a walk today, this is the rise and fall of Shark Tank.
One time as a young CEO:
We couldn’t get a permit issued by a neighboring state regulator.
Weeks went by with it sitting on some guy’s desk.
Phone, faxes, zoom, etc.
Nothing worked.
I told the person in charge of our project:
“Fly out there and sit in their office until you get the permit. Bring them donuts, humility, and kindness every day.”
We got that permit in 2 hours.
I learned:
Much of business happens because you get on a plane and go meet in person.
Zoom is fine but misses this core part of human nature.
Get on the damn plane.
Just kidding.
But here's the whole book:
1) Focus is your friend.
2) If something's not a Hell Yes, make it one.
3) If you can't make it a Hell Yes, say no.
Thanks for attending my TED Talk.
@Molson_Hart@AlecTorelli Younger Michael would have argued that. Older Michael thinks career is already so tough, why make it harder on yourself by avoiding the Mecca for your chosen industry?
Get in there and mix it up whether it be Nashville (country music), SF (tech) or finance (NYC).