As we sit on the eve of the Shark Tank Season 11 Finale, the world has changed in in explicable ways since the season began. Little did we know back in September that an unseen virus would flip our realities on our collective heads. For me, not much changed. I work at home anyways, so my work routine, other than my office being a bit more crowded than normal, remained unchanged.
What did change was my non work routine. Our government stopped me from fishing. I wear a mask to go grocery shopping. I had to cook every night because I couldn’t go out to dinner. And so much more. Mark Cuban said some great businesses will come out of this pandemic, but what of the businesses that will never reopen? We have only begun to see the economic devastation.
Is the Season 11 Finale the End?
Shark Tank, in the past 11 years, has become a beacon for the American Dream, but will it ever air again? During the pandemic lock down, the show saw record ratings. Now is the time of year they’d be starting to tape season 12, but they can’t, unless they do a “virtual Shark Tank.”
How is it possible to do open calls during social distancing, how can people travel to LA for taping, how can businesses stay open or start when many businesses are shut down or closed? Even if any of this were possible, could anyone (besides the Sharks) afford it? Our economy has ground to a halt and many people have no money at all. Is the season 11 finale the end of Shark Tank?
NO
While season 12 may not air until well after September, my guess is ABC/Sony has some episodes in the can – possibly enough to get us to 2021. I also believe the optimism the show brings to many Americans cannot be left behind. Entrepreneurs are the new rock stars and I think Cuban is right: some good businesses WILL come out of this. Take Wednesday night’s Salted pitch. This is going to be a big trend in “dining out.” Dine in restaurants will no longer be the only option for “good” food.
Technology will be a big winner too. My wife has schlepped off to her office for twenty years and in two short months of working at home, technology has rendered that big building she sits in as a non-essential space. I think she likes working by the pool too!
Shark Tank Will Be Back
Yes, Shark Tank will be back. Our economy will be back, albeit with some painful transformations. In a year or two, we’ll all look back on 2020 with equal parts of shock, regret, and sadness for those lost. What I personally hope for is we all emerge better in some way, whether it’s closer as families, richer for new businesses started or just smarter because we had a lot of time to read.
When this is over and things get back to normal, when we can go to the movies or a football game again, when we can visit elderly relatives without the fear of infecting and killing them, I hope we all remember one thing. We ARE all in this together and together we can make our way until we see more new entrepreneurs walk down that hall.
About Rob Merlino
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