#6 Why Jesus would (probably) fail in Dragon’s Den

On being a disciple and redefining success

My kids and I are huge fans of Dragon's Den!

We love watching the entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of investors hoping to secure funding. (Think Shark Tank if you are from the USA). Over the years, we have seen some memorable investments in the Den. My personal highlight is still Jamaican musician Levi Roots. His famous Reggae Reggae sauce is now worth over £30 Million! 🤯

In our household, we’ve been known to have fiery debates about who our favourite Dragon is. Who is yours from the current series?

• Is it the so-called ‘Titan of Tech’ Peter Jones? 

• What about ‘Sustainability Champion’ Deborah Meaden? 

• Do you prefer ‘Fashion Maverick’ Touker Suleyman? 

• Perhaps you like the quirky ‘Queen of Craft’ Sara Davies? 

• Or maybe it’s the new kid on the block, ‘Social Media Mogul’, Steven Bartlett? 

(My answer: Peter. Obviously).

The other day, I asked my 12-year-old daughter who she thought the best investor was. Sienna responded in the way only a young person can…

“I like the dude with the face.”  

“Who?” I said.

“You know? The dude with the face!” 

Do you mean Steven Bartlett? 

“Yes,” she replied.

Apparently, the next generation loves him.

A pitch worth backing?

So, imagine for a moment you are watching a special episode of Dragon’s Den.

You are enjoying the usual mixed bag of pitches for pointless inventions like virtual reality for pets or wax melt candles made from yak’s milk. Next up, TV Presenter, Evan Davies, announces that two brand-new entrepreneurs will now pitch on behalf of the Christian community!

Here’s what happens...

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Pitch 1: Quick-Growth Ltd.

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An impressive young thought-leader, dressed in ripped jeans, strides confidently out into the Den. He outlines his plans for long-term transformation to the Dragons. The strategy centres around higher profiling of his own personality, performance and preaching gift. He wants to buy a big building and run a more entertaining programme from it. This all-singing, all-dancing approach to church growth is all but guaranteed to draw in the crowds. All he needs is a huge injection of cash to execute his clever marketing plan and vision. 

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The Dragons look visibly excited. 

Touker is on fire.

Sara tussles with Deborah over who can offer the best brand support. 

Peter has an argument with Steven over who can maximise TikTok views.

Eventually the investors band together and offer all of the money for 10% of the company in the largest ever deal in the Den.

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Pitch 2: Kingdom Inc.

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Jesus steps up before the Dragons. He outlines his plans for long-term transformation. His simple proposition goes something like this; 

“I want to take a small group of people and intentionally journey with them over several years. I am going to invest my life into them, love them, and lead them into a life of sacrifice that will impact eternity. They will then go and teach others to do the same. And I don’t need a bigger building, more bums on seats, a big shot celebrity endorsement, or even a big budget to do it.”

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The Dragons look visibly confused.

Touker thinks the trend won't last.

Peter can’t see any long term return on his investment.

Deborah doesn't think it will be sustainable. 

The investors are quick to say it will never work and one by one declare ‘I’m OUT!’ 

Pic: © BBC Promo

A strategy for success?

You can see why the Dragons would appreciate the first pitch:

• It offers tangible and measurable signs of impact.

• You can always gather a crowd behind a charismatic big shot’s personality.

• It is culturally relevant and bound to be popular with the masses.

The whole approach is based on the mantra go big or go home.

But before they finally splash their cash, any Dragon would have to do their own due diligence on a potential deal. This would mean combing through business plans and looking at the finer detail of any contract. Perhaps this level of scrutiny would uncover challenges with the model such as:

• It is 100% centred around one person.

• It is based on attracting people and not empowering them.

• It requires a huge amount of resources to gain a crowd and keep their attention.

In many ways, there is nothing inherently wrong with big buildings or big crowds (Jesus was used to being around both). But when a big shot thinks he can do big things in his own strength, then it may be time for a big wake up call!

On the other hand, the second pitch is completely different.

It is a strategy is based on proximity and not platforms.

You would never logically think that Jesus' plan would work, but the point is that it already has. It has stood the test of time for over 2000 years. 

Believe it or not Dragon’s Den is based on a Japanese show called Money Tigers (love that name). In fact, there are many interesting titles for the show around the world. In France, it is known as In the Dragon’s Eye. In Hungary, Among Sharks. And in Switzerland, it is referred to as The Lion’s Cave.

But the name I think Jesus would love the most is from Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinbagonian version of Dragon's Den is simply called Planting Seeds.

This seems to sums up Christ’s business plan wonderfully.

Copyright: BBC

An investment worth making?

It must be terrifying standing in front of a Dragon and wondering if you could ever measure up to their high expectations. Thankfully, we never have to impress God with a pitch-perfect performance when it comes to making disciples. 

You don’t have to be a super-slick presenter to become an investor in other people. You just have to be available. 

My friend (and one of my spiritual mentors), Matt Summerfield, says this about what it takes to consistently invest in others:

“You don’t have to be a great talker... it’s better if you’re a great listener. 

You don’t have to be a great scholar... it’s better if you’re a great learner. 

You don’t have to have all the answers... but a few questions will help. 

You don’t have to have your life sorted... but if you’re willing to share your journey and the lessons you’ve learned from mistakes... then you have what it takes to mentor or disciple someone.”

Our desire for short-term success ought to be submitted to the long-term strategy of Jesus which so often starts with investing in the one. This does not always look immediately fruitful, but that’s why they call it planting seeds.

Pete Scazzero, Author of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, explains how we can follow the model of Jesus like this;

“If you're serious about discipleship, you're going to go the same way as Jesus. It's going to be sloppy, difficult, messy, small, and slow. That's it. You're going to have to figure out, "How am I going to disciple a few?” 

Perhaps the question you need to ask yourself today is this; When it comes to seeing lives transformed by Jesus, are you still willing to make an offer to invest?