Pitch your idea out loud to five AI judges who interrupt, disagree and sometimes make an offer. Then get a debrief that tells you exactly what to fix.
How it works
Five investors in one of three rooms, or one customer deciding whether they'd pay. Add a brief or a deck, or walk in cold.
Talk like you would on the day. The judges listen, interrupt, argue with each other and ask the follow-up you were hoping to avoid.
Where every judge landed and why, the questions you left open, and three specific things to fix before your next attempt.
The rooms
Each judge is an AI simulation with a consistent personality and their own way of deciding. Not the real investors.
A fair first room. Direct questions, and they tell you what convinced them.
Sharper follow-ups. Speak English, हिन्दी or Hinglish, and switch whenever you like.
The toughest room. Pressure on numbers, deal terms and why you'll win.
Sell it one-on-one. They'll ask what it fixes, why they'd switch, what it costs and what happens if it fails, then decide whether they'd pay.
Meet the judges
Every judge decides differently. Learn what each one listens for, and you learn to answer the question behind the question.
The Accountable One
A no-nonsense operator who built a business step by step. Wants execution, accountability, problem-solving and command of the numbers. Blaming everything else for poor results is an instant no.
“Something has not gone to plan. What did you get wrong, and what have you changed?”
The Evidence Engineer
Dry, engineer-minded sceptic. Wants evidence behind every forecast, honesty about what more money will be needed, focus and coachability.
“What evidence supports that forecast?”
The Customer Detective
Warm, curious and relentless about customers. Thinks in what one customer costs to win and what they're worth, and checks stories by calling customers and suppliers.
“Why do people come back, and what would they tell me if I called them?”
The Alignment Test
Genial and people-first. Invests in people he can work with. Cares about a shared view of the future, open books, clean ownership and clear roles.
“What do you want this to become, and what role do you expect me to play?”
The Scale Mechanic
An operator who scaled a services business nationally. Systems thinker. Interested when something can grow beyond one place and he can clearly help.
“If demand grows tenfold, what breaks first?”
Judges are AI simulations named after well-known investors from the reference panels. They are not those people, aren't affiliated with or endorsed by them, and nothing they say is a real quote, opinion or commitment.
See it first
An illustrative example, written to show the format. It isn't a recording of a real session.
Solar Lunchbox keeps school lunches warm with a sun-charged heat pack. No batteries. We've sold 140 at $25 to parents at three schools, and we're asking $100,000 for 10%.
K . O’Leary
So $3,500 in sales and you've valued yourself at a million dollars. Walk me from your revenue to that valuation.
Honestly, the valuation is about what's next. Two school districts have asked to trial it this spring.
K . O’Leary
Asked isn't bought. That's a no from me.
L . Greiner
Back to the product. What does it cost to make, and what would it sell for?
Nine dollars landed. Twenty-five at retail.
M . Cuban
What have customers already proved, and what are you still assuming?
Proved: 22 of our 140 buyers came back and bought a second one as a gift. Assumed: that schools will buy in bulk.
The debrief
Who pays in the end: parents one at a time, or schools in bulk?
Why it works
A product, a bakery, an app, a service, a school project, a film. You don't need revenue, a valuation or a business plan. The panel adjusts to where your idea is today.
No webcam, no screen share, no typing. You speak, they listen, and they talk back. Pauses, interruptions and nerves all count, just like on the day.
Only you and the Shark Trials team can see your ideas, transcripts and debriefs. Audio is never recorded.
Hard questions in plain language. No humiliation, no gotchas for show.
English, हिन्दी or Hinglish in any room.
Run it again with context: the panel remembers what was left open last time.
Offers are simulations to rehearse with, not a forecast of real investors.
Questions
Yes. You can practise free every day with 5- and 10-minute trials. Pro adds 15-minute trials, deck uploads and more practice each day; see the Pricing page.
No. Bring an app, a bakery, a school project, a service or a half-formed idea. The judges adjust to where the idea is today.
English, हिन्दी or Hinglish, in any room. Pick one when you set up the trial.
No. Speech is turned into text live and the audio is discarded. Your transcripts and debriefs are visible only to you and the Shark Trials team, and you can delete them at any time.
No. The judges are AI simulations named after investors from well-known pitch shows. They aren't those people and aren't endorsed by them.
A microphone and speakers, ideally headphones. Chrome or Edge on a computer or Android phone works best. Safari can work with Dictation turned on.
Yes. Choose “A customer” when you set up a trial and pitch one-on-one to someone deciding whether they'd pay.
More in Help, or read the pitch guide.
Five minutes, one idea, five judges. You'll know exactly what to fix before it matters.