Steven Bartlett of the “Diary of a CEO” podcast is a guest shark on “Shark Tank” season 18. He was on the British version of the show, “Dragon’s Den,” first, and noticed how American culture makes “Shark Tank” a different beast. Bartlett, 34, said it was “chaos” and had to change his strategy to keep up.
Steven Bartlett Said ‘Dragon’s Den’ Sharks Are More Polite than ‘Shark Tank’
The Social Chain co-founder appeared in the Oct. 7 episode of “Shark Tank.” He is experienced in building brands through his media company. The British businessman revealed why the two shows with the same premise are different environments for sharks.
“‘Dragons’ Den’ is very British in every sense of the word, so we’re much more polite and patient, and we rarely interrupt each other,” Bartlett told PEOPLE. “That means the pitches last, you know, two or three hours at times, but ‘Shark Tank’ couldn’t be more opposite in every respect. It’s chaos.”
That means that he had to change his approach to outshine the seasoned sharks. “I watched a few test pitches before I went on set, and I had to sort of remove my Britishness, I think, to be heard,” Bartlett said.
He explained that everyone on the American show moves faster and the money offers are bigger. The podcaster said he enjoyed the “intellectual challenge.”
Steven Bartlett Invested in The Pup Stack
The Pup Stack’s Kayla Zibricky and Brian Zibricky pitched their weighted anchor that has 20 ft. of line attached, allowing your dog to roam hands-free. Toys, treats, and more can be stored inside the stack. Dogs under 40 pounds can be secured with the item. The product is currently on sale for $124.99, according to the Oct. 7 episode.
Brian explained that he got the idea for the product after his wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014. Their dog kept her company along with her primary care provider during the day. But she couldn’t walk the dog in her wheelchair. He made a Kickstarter in 2022 to fund his idea to get puppies outside and help people with similar disabilities.
The father and daughter sought $150,000 in exchange for 10 percent equity valued at $1.5 million. Bartlett offered $200,000 in exchange for 20 percent or a value of $1 million.
The media company owner noticed the Zibrickys relied too much on social media to spread the word about the company. The Social Chain seemed like a great fit to address that gap.
Kendra Scott, Kevin O’Leary, and Lori Greiner were interested in the company and made offers. However, the guest shark won out.
There are many more guest sharks that will appear this season. MrBeast from YouTube, former NFL defensive lineman J.J. Watt, and Mindy Kaling will go up against our sharks to win over entrepreneurs. If they want any success like Bartlett, then they have to be ready to interrupt to make competitive offers.
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Why ‘Shark Tank’ Is ‘Chaos’ Unlike ‘Dragon’s Den,’ According to Steven Bartlett