Boo hiss.
Peter Hopton, Very PC interview
I have not seen the actual show (gave up watching ages ago, when I got booted in the auditions for seeing clean through the set-up but not being smart enough to hide the fact I was only interested in PR exposure - mind you they can edit any negative stuff that shows them up out).
What I have read is a few reviews by folk who know a bit about VCs, as well as the actual technology, and by all accounts not only are the Dragons a bunch of egoistical bullies (like we hadn't sussed that) dancing to the tune of a ratings-obsessed medium (nice one, BBC) at the expense of quality programming, they, and especially 'byte-me' guru Peter Jones, apparently were not quite as acronymically on top of IT as they thought. And to cover this up (if they knew), the best solution was to but the boot in.
I don't know which is the more sad. The people involved (from these iconic business 'stars' to Evan Davis and the outfits he works for, or the national culture that has given rise to them.
Makes you proud to be a UK-based eco-entrepreneur.
Businesszone - Dragons' Den episode three: Lessons learned
Oh, for heaven's sake.
This is as relevant to business as my Dad getting excited at a 70s Jackie Pallow vs. Mick MacManus wrestling match being 'unfair'.
It is entertainment, pure and simple, successfully aiming at the rules of the Coliseum to get ratings.
The only wonder is that these 'successful' business folk have sold their souls so easily just to be the right side of a very nasty one-sided exchange.
I gave up ages ago when the BBC News trumpeted some eco-effort that 'was the only one that had all 5 Dragon's applauding and wanting to invest', with acres of free national PR to help it along.
Only thing was, despite it all, no one seems to have bothered to ask, or cared, before, during or until much later what the IP was.
Quietly shelved; job done for all parties concerned. Except for any accurate reflection of how business works or how partnerships are forged.
Does anyone serious, seriously think anyone with a great idea and all the numbers is going to accept chump change (that might buy a director for 3 months or a 1/2 page in a tabloid) from some bozo who has not shown any real evidence of what else they can bring to the table bar the support of our national, commercial-free broadcaster?
What's the successful hit rate?
All I can recall is Reggae-reggae sauce, and while big up to the lad who came up with it and played the 'any publicity' card well, I rather suspect major retailers might not have been so keen to offer rack-space without a full crew from Aunty showing lots of logo love and boardroom-level furrowed brows for weeks afterwards.
As that other inspirational titan of the pinstripe suit, Siralun, might say: 'Do us a favour!'
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