Thanks for your note Rob.
Of course the metaphor is interesting, but I thought Dragons were
imaginary and we all know that Peter Blenchley gave Sharks a bad rap!
Importantly the metaphor is used to describe the Business Angels - not
the entrepreneurs, it is the BA community that are justifiably upset
with the show titles and formats - given what we know about their
motivations (Frear, Sohl and Wetzel, 2002).
Of course, you are correct about the importance of presentations.
There is already a good deal of research on the role of impressions
and performance in pitching to Business Angels (Clark, 2008) that are
confirmed in the show.
Finally, from our research, I think that the most important lessons
that can be learned from the show, are how time constrained investors
actually make their decisions, and the critical flaws that
entrepreneurs can make that preclude the possibility of investment
(Maxwell, Jeffrey and Lévesque, 2009)
Andrew Maxwell
University of Waterloo.
> Scott / Sarah
>
> Apologies for hijacking this conversation but it is a lot more
> interesting than the marking on my desk.
>
> Sarah, the two class videos are brilliant and I will use them in my
> forthcoming entrepreneurship classes. However, a word of warning, I
> did use a comedic youtube video on creativity in a tutorial session
> last year but my undergraduate students just did not get the comedy
> of it. The clip had us as lecturers in stitches but it must have
> been a generational thing because none of my classes made the
> connection. It just does not work when you have to explain a joke.
> The same stands fore using fictional TV characters such as Arthur
> Daley and Del Boy as representations of entrepreneurship. We get it
> but the younger generation not raised on the comedy just do not get
> it.
>
> The notion of spoofs and parodies are fascinating and there are some
> really good youtube videos parodying Sir Alan Sugar of Apprentice
> fame. This is a really under researched area.
>
> As a scholar what fascinates me is the pejorative use of metaphor -
> Dragons Den, Shark Tank, Devils Cauldron etc which may send students
> the wrong message - Dragons, Sharks and Devils. Is that the image we
> really have of the entrepreneur. In terms of finance, I think that
> the shows demonstrate that the entrepreneurs are not angels, but
> demonic schemers. It is the business (devil) who usually gets the
> best deal.
>
> Personally, I think the value of the Dragons Den type scenarios is
> that they teach students and prospective entrepreneurs more about
> 'performative entrepreneurship' and about performing as if they were
> an entrepreneur. Probably the value is in learning how not to
> perform on stage. It is the business equivalent of the Xfactor
> whereby for some the publicity and exposure outweighs the sharking.
>
> There is a funded study being conducted in Britain (on eof the
> Glasgow Universities) into entretainment and the role of televisual
> (re)productions of entrepreneurship as entertainment whic may be
> worth tapping into.
>
> Anyway back to the marking....
>
> Rob
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv on behalf of Dodd Sarah
> Sent: Wed 13/01/2010 08:05
> To:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ENTREP] Dragon's Den and Shark Tank
>
>
>
> Hello Scott,
>
> I use a couple of mini-videos from the UK Dragon's Den show in my
> MBA class. The first provides a very clear dose of reality about 4
> critical, down-to-earth elements of any new venture (cash, common
> sense, contingency and homework). For some unfathomable reason (!!!)
> 3 minutes with Dragon Theo Paphitis convinces my students far more
> than 3 hours of me saying the same things. Plus it changes the
> teaching medium a little.
>
> The second is a bit of fun: Levi Root's musical pitch for Reggae
> Reggae sauce, which I use when we're talking about presenting plans,
> to remind them they need to be creative and compelling.
>
> This year the class and I then ended up sending each other spoofs,
> parodies, and interesting video links around these themes, which
> helped keep us all engaged with the class, and motivated. (My
> favourite is the Ali G ice cream glove spoof. I wish I had the
> courage to show this in class and wait to see how long it takes
> before someones figures out it's satire.
>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDu9CvbrnlM&feature=related )
>
> Anyway, here are the links to my 2 class videos. Enjoy. Attribute or
> not as works best for your column, which I'll look forward to reading.
>
>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7jjE5I8MJU
>
>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jkGw5VIC-c
>
> Warm wishes from Athens, Sarah
>
>
> Sarah Drakopoulou Dodd
> Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship
> Director or AHEAD
> ALBA Graduate School of Business
> ________________________________
>
> ???: Entrepreneurship Division Listserv ?? ?????? Scott Shane
> ????????: ??? 12/1/2010 9:09 ??
> ????:
ENTREP@AOMLISTS.PACE.EDU
> ????: [ENTREP] Dragon's Den and Shark Tank
>
>
>
> I am planning to do one of my Business Week columns on what, if
> anything, the reality TV shows Dragon's Den and Shark Tank teach
> people about raising money from business angels.
>
>
>
> I'm wondering :
>
>
>
> 1. If any of you use episodes in your entrepreneurship classes
> and if so how?
>
> 2. What you think these shows teach and fail to teach about
> raising money from business angels.
>
>
>
> If you answer me, please tell me if you want your statements for
> attribution or not for attribution. If you answer me and it's not
> for attribution, then I reserve the right to steal your ideas when I
> write the column.
>
>
>
> Regards,
>
>
>
> Scott Shane
>
> A. Malachi Mixon III Professor of Entrepreneurial Studies
>
> Department of Economics
>
> Weatherhead School of Management
>
> Case Western Reserve University
>
> 11119 Bellflower Road
>
> Cleveland, OH 44106
>
> Tel: (216) 368-5538
>
> Fax: (216) 368-5039
>
> email:
scott.shane@case.edu
>
>
>
> See my column on entrepreneurship at Business Week
>
>
http://www.businessweek.com/bios/Scott_Shane.htm
>
>
>
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>
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>
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