I often watch the TV show “Shark Tank.” For those who do not know what it is, it’s a show on ABC in which entrepreneurs pitch businesses and products to five wealthy business moguls, or “Sharks,” in hopes of receiving offers for an investment. It’s a radically capitalistic show, with fierce interrogating and negotiating regarding manufacturing costs, inventory, sales numbers, equity, marketing blueprints, and so on. The potential investors put a lot of thought into analyzing the data, negotiating potential deals, and deciding if an investment is both pragmatically and economically sensible.
Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban is one of the Sharks, and on a few occasions he has rejected pitches with what I feel is an interesting perspective.