I enjoy this show. It should be required watching for anyone starting a business. The time to start watching your numbers is the day you start even if you do not have any numbers.
Keeping good books, showing quarter after quarter growth, etc. make it easier for any investor or bank to say yes in the future if you have had a handle on it from jump street.
It is hard sometimes seeing the crushing looks on faces when the "sentimental value" they place on their business is reduced to multiples of earnings.
I saw several businesses turned down I would have invested in that often would not scale to a size that interested the sharks.
I did a mini local "Guppie Tank" a couple years ago and was amazed how unprepared and unrealistic the presentations skewed, especially businesses that had yet to begin. I believe I invested in 2 out of 30 or so.
Currently in the market for a building to set up as a different twist on co-hosting or "incubator" type concept with the idea I may also have an opportunity to either do short term "receivables" type financing or equity investments in a few of the participants.
Shark Tank certainly had a role in pursuing this idea. I believe next time I do my own "Guppie Tank" I will require they read Porters' book on Competitive Strategy Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors prior to meeting.
PWood