{"id":4341,"date":"2015-04-22T12:27:34","date_gmt":"2015-04-22T16:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/?p=4341"},"modified":"2015-04-22T13:27:12","modified_gmt":"2015-04-22T17:27:12","slug":"can-shark-tank-succeed-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hardwoodandhollywood.com\/pop-culture-spin\/2015\/04\/22\/can-shark-tank-succeed-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Can ‘Shark Tank’ Succeed in Australia?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sharktank\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Once upon a time, Shark Tank<\/i>\u00a0didn’t involve sharks at all. In fact, it didn’t even take place in a tank. Yes, before the amphibian incarnation in America, the show’s predecessor was dubbed\u00a0Dragon’s Den<\/i>\u00a0in the U.K.<\/p>\n

Tracing back further in time,\u00a0the show actually has roots in Japan where it originally debuted before being transplanted to America and becoming a primetime success.<\/p>\n

The ethos of\u00a0Shark Tank<\/em> is shared by millions of Americans — 7.9 million\u00a0of them weekly\u00a0to be precise, in this, the fifth and most successful season of the show.<\/p>\n

It’s not surprising. After all, Shark Tank<\/i>\u00a0is all about aspiring entrepreneurs trying to convince cashed up moguls to invest in their ideas. The show perfectly blends together entertainment with inspiration.<\/p>\n

Shark Tank<\/em> embodies a version of the\u00a0American Dream; ordinary Americans step into the tank and either sink or swim with the sharks.<\/p>\n

The content of their idea matters little. Products from peanut butter to aeroplanes are pitched to the five investment hungry sharks. Do you have any sales? Is there anything proprietary about it? What will you use the money for? Before long, Joe Blow from Kokomo is swimming in the deep blue with the sharks as cash deals get thrown around the ocean floor.<\/p>\n

For every Silicon Valley start-up\/up-start that enters the tank, there’s countless homeless folks turned entrepreneurs because they had nothing else. There are countless stories (and tears) of losing it all during the GFC.\u00a0These are the real American stories. Perseverance above all. Never give up attitudes. A refusal to fold when dealt a bad hand of cards. Above all,\u00a0Shark Tank<\/em>\u00a0has captured the American Dream.<\/p>\n

Usually, shows which find success in the States have similar success in Australia. However,\u00a0Shark Tank<\/em>‘s\u00a0<\/em>branding alongside the American psyche makes it unique.<\/p>\n

So, when Shark Tank<\/i>\u00a0debuted Down Under earlier this year, there were reservations.<\/p>\n

The format is the same: entrepreneurs pitch ideas to five “sharks” hoping for investment. However, the Australian “sharks”\u00a0are zooplankton compared to sharks like Mark Cuban in terms of net wealth.<\/p>\n

They are big fish in a particularly small pond. Entrepreneurs seeking a mere $10,000 for a percentage of their companies were scoffed at. The reality is the American sharks are investment angels in the truest sense of the word — they can change lives instantly.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the Australian investors are hesitant. A risk aversion that is embedded in Australian investment culture constantly feels like it’s keeping the show from reaching its maximum potential.<\/p>\n

The success of\u00a0Shark Tank<\/em> in America is by virtue of the entrepreneurial psyche being engrained into American culture.<\/p>\n

There is precedent to predict that Shark Tank<\/i>\u00a0won’t have the same success in Australia as its American predecessor. In 2005, a version of the earlier format branded Dragon’s Den<\/i>\u00a0was cancelled after one season due to poor ratings.<\/p>\n

Some of the entertainment elements are there:\u00a0poor ideas\u00a0are shot down, and the sharks do have a degree\u00a0of\u00a0bite, but there is simply a lack of clout behind the Australian sharks and entrepreneurs alike to catapult Australian\u00a0Shark Tank<\/em>\u00a0to the same stratosphere of success.<\/p>\n

And for those reasons, I’m out.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Once upon a time, Shark Tank\u00a0didn’t involve sharks at all. In fact, it didn’t even take place in a tank. Yes, before the amphibian incarnation in America, the show’s predecessor was dubbed\u00a0Dragon’s Den\u00a0in the U.K. Tracing back further in time,\u00a0the show actually has roots in Japan where it originally debuted before being transplanted to America<\/p>\n

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