On Sunday, you may have seen us on RTL’s investment show Shark Tank Hungary, presenting this pitch.

As the episode revealed, we did not receive an investment. Companies go on the show to secure funding, so does that make our appearance a failure? I have only just seen the final edited version myself… and it does make you wonder: what actually counts as success? Was it worth taking part?

I think the answer is absolutely yes. My general approach is that if I do everything I can, then whatever the outcome, I can be satisfied. I feel I got close to the maximum out of myself, so I can definitely tick that box. 🙂 I should also mention how much my preparation and performance benefited from the years I spent at Toastmasters public speaking clubs and from the improv courses I took with Momentán. And of course, the credit is not mine alone. It belongs to every member of the Brick+Data team, whose dedicated work has helped us get to where we are today. Thank you all!

Another important point is that, even without an investment, our message reached a large audience: the construction industry needs to change, and we can work together to make that happen. Of course, that is valuable from a business perspective as well, but even if the programme encouraged just ten construction companies to take action, it was already worthwhile.

Finally, the fact that the Sharks spoke so positively about us was a huge recognition for me. I received challenging questions from many different angles. As an engineer, I was slightly concerned that they might catch me out on company valuation or the business side of things, but they said those were completely sound as well, and everyone seemed satisfied with my answers.

Even so, they did not feel confident enough to invest. Ilona perhaps came closest to making an offer, but in the end, the lack of direct insight into the construction industry made her hesitate. So apparently I am navigating waters where even the Sharks are reluctant to venture – all the more reason to make it a success. 🙂

All in all, it was an extremely valuable experience, and I am very glad I decided to take on the adventure.

What did you think? How did it come across? Do you think there was a way to convince the Sharks? What would you have done differently? I would genuinely be interested to hear your thoughts, because I am very curious. 🙂