Billionaire investor Mark Cuban recently surprised everyone by revealing that he hasn’t made any profit from the $28 million he has invested across 85 different startups on Shark Tank (via CNBC). Cuban has been a shark on the business reality series since Season 2.
The revelation is a shocking one given the fact that Cuban always appears to strike the most lucrative business deals with entrepreneurs. However, since most of the startups are still at their growth stage, this is understandable. Cuban has also been heavily involved in the discussions in some of the show’s best pitches, but which among the numerous presentations can be considered the best overall? Reddit has the answers.
Track Days
RisingSunOfJapan feels the “Track Days” pitch is the best one yet. They write, “The guy thought raising $5,000,000 would be enough to make a full-length action film starring Tom Cruise, Vin Diesel, or Will Smith. “
Entrepreneurs James LaVitola and Brian Pitt sought to make get funding for a movie about motorcycle racing but even though their budget seemed off, the idea wasn’t a particularly bad one. In of a void that needed to be filled, they were spot on because there have only been less than 10 movies about motorcycle racing throughout the history of Hollywood. The “Track Days” pitch remains memorable because it was the only one to entirely focus on a one-off project. But since the movie industry has its gatekeepers, the sharks didn’t think of it as a great idea.
ZuGoPet Dog Seatbelt
ZuGoPet founders Carolyn Shewfelt and Juls Bindi pitched a new invention, a seatbelt for animals that required them to sit upright like humans. Exodus425 reminds everyone that “the sharks couldn't contain their laughter for like a minute straight.”
Like every other pet lover, Caolyn and Juls’ concern about the safety of pets inside cars was a genuine one. However, the sight of pets being held in an upright manner by the belt during the demonstration was too hilarious for the sharks. Perhaps a product that had the pets sitting in a comfortable manner could have enticed the sharks. Since that wasn’t the case, they walked out without a deal.
KnifeAid
Things went extremely well for Marc Lickfett and Mikael Soderlindh when they presented a unique knife-shaping device to the sharks. Mogul2267 likes how “all the sharks ran after them to the hallway to beg them to take their offer.”
It was truly a unique moment since, ordinarily, it’s the entrepreneurs that tend to beg the sharks, not the other way around. Stepping out to the hallways to think things over is always a risk for the entrepreneurs since the sharks might reconsider but this time they all exhibited their desperation unapologetically. In the end, Marc and Mikal got a better deal than they asked for. (500k for 20% yet they had asked for 250k for 20%).
I Want To Draw A Cat For You
Steve Gadlin’s pitch was simple. He wanted to sell simple drawings of cats to people and for that, he needed a $10000 investment. Roarefette calls it “one of the most entertaining pitches ever.”
The brilliance of the pitch lay not in the business but in Galdin’s one-liners. With quotes like “in today’s economy, there’s a market for stupid, and I’m overflowing with it,” and “I had a stupid idea and now Mark Cuban is my business partner,” it was impossible not to love the entrepreneur. He also appeared to understand the niche market he was dealing with quite well.
Sullivan Generator
Scientist Mark Sullivan invented a generator that could harness the energy generated from the earth’s rotation to produce electricity and gold. Born2BaLoser labels it the “unique and interesting pitches.”
By rambling on about gold and 36 patents, Sullivan sounded more like one of the best mad scientists in movies than an entrepreneur. Even more interesting is that Sullivan equally felt the sharks were being ridiculous for not bowing down at his feet, the same way they thought he was crazy. The best part? Kevin suggests that Sullivan is an alien.
Rolo Doc
Physicians Richard Amini and Albert Amini had the idea of setting up a social media site for doctors and patients. SharkBiter889 likes how they “thought they were changing the world only to be harshly put in their place.”
The Rolo Doc idea is a memorable one because every aspect of it was torn apart and stumped by the sharks. And all that made for entertaining viewing. They had no plan on how the doctors would be verified and how the site would make money. In another case of entrepreneur audacity, they hoped the sharks would put in the money as well as do all the heavy lifting for them.
Bridal Buddy\
Heather Stenlake came up with an accessory that enables brides to go to the bathroom while wearing their wedding dresses. RobotWilfordBrimley notes that “the entrepreneur had an inspiring story which wasn't shoe-horned in to cry for a deal.”
The Reddit is right about Heather coming up as more impressive because she didn’t go the cliché overwhelmed-with-emotions route. Even better is that she had an equally confident friend who also vouched for her as the best at what she does.
Wink Ice Cream
Gabe Wolff and Ani Blinova came up with healthy ice cream that neither had gluten nor any kind of fat. The_Book_Crusader likes the pitch because of “Robert's facial expression when he first tastes it and Kevin's epic "taste free" slam. “
Yet another product that was pitched with confidence yet destroyed by the sharks. The pitch did indeed trigger one of Kevin O’Leary’s savage Shark Tank quotes where he sarcastically claimed that the ice cream was taste-free. Robert, a self-proclaimed ice cream expert, also seemed like he had tasted the worst thing in the world.
Unikey
Engineer Phil Dumas presented an idea for an electronic lock that could be controlled using the phone. Redditor ebrock2 thinks it’s impressive that they “walked out with a deal with the two most cynical sharks at a $1 million+ valuation” despite only having a concept.
By “cynical,” the Redditor is referring to two of the best Shark Tank investors, Kevin and Mark, who are known for being a lot tougher than the rest. One of the most confident entrepreneurs, Phil truly deserves to be commended for walking out with $400,000 from two strict sharks despite walking in with only an idea in a crowded industry.
Squatty Potty
Bobby and Judy Edwards came up with a footstool to help people maintain the right posture while pooping, Redditor travel5150 feels this is the best one yet because many sharks dismissed it at first and also because it went on to become “one of the most successful products ever on the show.”
The Redditor is right by stating that Squatty Potty sums up everything about the show: a unique idea, investment, and great success afterward. According to CheatSheet, the entrepreneurs have gone on to make $150 million so far. Both viewers and the sharks appreciated the fact that Bobby and Judy knew everything they needed to become successful, as well as the scientific research that backed their product.