American Start-Up: Only Part of the Picture?

Tweet

Remember when you first realized what you wanted to do with your life? You had that great idea to start a business of your own. You laid out a plan and saved money, sold everything you had, quit your job to pursue your dream, didn't sleep a wink, lost your hair and almost went broke a million times. Well, apparently that would have made for great television.

Spike TV, a division of MTV Networks, has announced that it will launch "American Start-Up" next year. The 10-episode reality series, produced by actors and writers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, pits eight young businesses against each other. Each business will be given $50,000 in seed money and will be guided – and scrutinized – by a panel of entrepreneurs, business tycoons and venture capitalists. The grand prize according to the press release announcing the series is a "major investment that will enable them to take their business dream to the next level."

The panel of entrepreneurial experts will evaluate the businesses on their performances in areas like product quality, staff talent and decision-making ability. Those that don't make the grade, get the boot. Sounds fair.

Rumor has it that the producers were inspired to create the show by their own experiences setting up their production company, LivePlanet, which will produce the show. I'm guessing they had more than 50 grand, but I digress.

The show may very well prove entertaining and possibly inspiring. However, it clearly will only show part of the process of starting a business and maybe not the best part. The show will depict getting the "major investment" as the great reward for the start-up. But isn't the best part getting that business up-and-running, the customers through the door, the dollar in the cash register and watching the baby grow? I guess that glory will have to play out in the real world, not reality television.