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The ABC television show Shark Tank provides a multitude of mini video case studies on venture capital and entrepreneurship. These mini cases allow students to glimpse into the negotiations between the venture capitalist and entrepreneur as they seek a mutually beneficial deal. Instructors can use the cases to motivate discussion, address issues or to conduct more detailed analyses. In addition, students can use the insights gained from viewing the show to determine whether pursuing the entrepreneurial life is for them. Those that choose to pursue the entrepreneurial path will likely leave with a better idea of the difficulties they will face in starting a business.
Keywords: Venture Capital, Entrepreneurship, Business Valuation, Business Models, Competitive Strategy
Disciplines of Interest: All Business Disciplines
INTRODUCTION
Raising capital is an essential part of the entrepreneurial process. The process can be quite daunting for both the entrepreneur and the venture capitalist. For most budding entrepreneurs, their first experience comes during their pitch to an experienced team of venture capitalists. The ABC television show Shark Tank provides numerous real-world video case studies in the fields of venture capital and entrepreneurship, allowing budding entrepreneurs and future venture capitalists the opportunity to glimpse into the world of the venture capitalist. In addition, students get the opportunity to see that a range of simple products and services can lead to viable business opportunities. The show also provides instructors with the opportunity to motivate discussions about the process of raising funds to start or expand a business and the issues that an entrepreneur must address to make his/her business successful.
VIDEO CASE STUDIES
The advent of multimedia classrooms, DVDs and websites like You Tube have made it practical for instructors to incorporate video case studies into the classroom environment. A number of authors including (Dyl, 1991; Beiden, 1992; Chan et al., 1995; Moy and Terregrossa, 2009) have used video case studies to enhance the educational experience on a number of business topics. Video cases can bring a sense of realism to many of the topics discussed in the course.
SHARK TANK
Producer Mark Burnett, best known for producing reality shows, Survivor, The Apprentice and Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader, brought the show to ABC in 2009, with the show premiering on...