Dragons’ Den... is it just pantomime?
Suggested by ochuko on Tue, 24/03/2009 - 13:38
During our latest web chat, our guest Bill Morrow, Founder of Angel's Den had some strong words to say about the hit BBC show Dragons Den describing it as 'pantomime', and 'nothing to do with entrepreneurship'. "People think that trying to raise money is about being ridiculed on national TV, and that’s not what it’s about." says Bill.
What do you think? Is it just reality light entertainment, along with X Factor and the like, or does it have real value for aspiring entrepreneurs? Have the success stories from the show been an inspiration to you? Interested to know what people think
Ochuko
It's not all about the money
Tue, 24/03/2009 - 14:26 – Mariska
I think both the Apprentice and Dragon's Den present a very hostile environment focused almostly exclusively on profit that would put many people off becoming high flyers or starting up. I can't relate to any of the participants on these shows.
What about a Dragon's Den focusing on social enterprise?
In addition to judging business ideas on how they would affect the Dragon's financial bottom line, how about looking at the triple bottom line, ie looking at the social and environmental impact? That would get me interested because I don't really watch either the Apprentice or Dragon's Den at the moment...
Well timed...
Tue, 24/03/2009 - 14:11 – JonOldershaw
David Mitchell - of Peep Show fame - has today (or maybe yesterday) come out with a scathing review of Dragon's Den -
“Dragons’ Den is a bare faced lie about how business is done. The people who do those jobs are not rude because there’s no percentage for anyone in them being so. They don’t sanctimoniously tick people off nor do they spend 10 minutes thinking up a weak pun which combines their wish not to invest with the field of the invention in question - ‘A new type of cheese, I’d have to be crackers to invest’ as if they’re auditioning for the Beano.”
And this has been picked up by a few others.
My view? Its very compelling viewing, but it doesn't help people get a real understanding of what entrepreneurship and business are about.
I have two questions though -
1) Is the Apprentice worse?
2) What would a show look like that was better for encouraging a realistic, positive and achievable understanding of entrepreneurship?
I wouldn't say it's all bad,
Tue, 24/03/2009 - 14:58 – ochuko
I wouldn't say it's all bad, putting my PR hat on some of these programmes are a good thing from a profile raising perspective for entrepreneurship - putting it on a prime time platform which is accessible is all part of making it cool which can't be a bad thing, particularly for younger people or people that wouldn't have considered entrepreneurship or ever thought that their idea could become a business.
And there are the fantastic success stories like Levi Roots and others (admittedly I can't actually think of any now!) . Of course it's a TV show and has dual purposes to entertain and inform, but would argue that its better then having nothing about enterprise on TV at all...
As for the Dragons Den vs Apprentice debate, think it's a bit like X factor vs Big brother thing, I prefer X factor - make of that what you will ;-)