How Shark Trials works

What do I need?

A microphone and speakers or headphones, in Chrome or Edge (computer or Android). Safari on Mac and iPhone can work too, with Dictation turned on in system settings, but Chrome gives the most reliable listening. Headphones are best: they stop the judges hearing their own voices. Trials are voice-only, so typed answers aren't supported.

Do I need to prepare?

No. Walk in and the panel will start with a short question about your idea. If you like, add a short written brief or a PDF/PowerPoint deck when you set up the trial. The judges only see preparation you attach to that trial.

Talking to the panel

• Answer out loud. When you pause for about two seconds, your answer is sent. Press Done to send it sooner.
• You can interrupt a judge by talking or pressing Interrupt. The judge stops, and the panel only counts what you actually heard.
• Pause at any time. Time only counts while the conversation is moving, not while the panel is thinking or the connection drops.
• Near the end, the judges wrap up on their own and finish the current exchange. Use End → Wrap up naturally to finish early.

Microphone not working?

• Click the lock or site-settings icon next to the address bar and set Microphone to Allow, then try again.
• Check your system settings: is the right input device selected and not muted?
• Speech recognition uses your browser's built-in service and needs an internet connection.

Investor panel or customer?

The investor panel: five judges question your idea and may make a simulated offer. A customer: one practical customer asks what it fixes for them, why it beats what they do today, whether they can trust it, what it costs and what happens if it fails. They finish by saying whether they would pay, try it, or walk away. Add a brief and they become the kind of customer you are selling to.

Fresh trial or repeat?

Fresh starts with a panel that knows nothing about previous attempts. Repeat with context starts a new attempt where the panel gets a short summary of last time: final positions and open questions, never the whole transcript.

Are the judges real people?

No. The judges are AI simulations named after investors from well-known pitch-show panels. They are not those people, aren’t affiliated with or endorsed by them, and nothing they say is a real quote or opinion. Offers are simulations for practice, not predictions of how real investors would respond.