Crowd Rules

Crowd Rules, which aired on CNBC in 2013, is a competition-based reality show hosted by Pat Kiernan, a renowned television personality best known for his significant role in NY1's morning news broadcasts. The series reinforces CNBC's entrepreneurial programming focus, spotlighting small businesses across the country and their struggle to survive, scale, and thrive in a competitive market environment. It blends the excitement and drama of reality TV with invaluable business lessons, offering an edifying and entertaining viewing experience.

The premise of the show is notably straightforward: each episode includes three small business owners or entrepreneurs who are in dire need of a cash injection to help their struggling ventures. Contestants range in industries from food and beverage, retail, technology, to various other service-based businesses. They vie for a significant cash prize to save their company from the risk of closure, fuel its expansion, or to simply accelerate their entrepreneurial dreams.

Pat Kiernan, as the host, spearheads Crowd Rules with a unique blend of charisma, business savvy, and genuine interest in seeing small companies flourish. He is joined by two additional experts in entrepreneurship: Kendra Scott, an American fashion and accessories designer, and Elizabeth Chambers, an established businesswoman and journalist. Together, they review each contestant's businesses, asking them rigorous questions about their business model, strategies, and growth plans, and providing professional advice and insights.

Each episode has a clear and compelling structure. The beginning segments are dedicated to introduction and narrative, as each business owner shares their entrepreneurial journey and highlights the challenges they currently face. This is followed by a more in-depth examination of each business, where they open their books and strategies to scrutiny. The host and experts then delve into a critical conversation, evaluating and debating the viability and potential of each business.

What sets Crowd Rules apart from other business-related reality shows is its unique decision-making mechanism. Instead of leaving the final decision to the host and expert panel, the show hands over the decision-making power to a live studio audience of around 100 people. They form the 'crowd' in Crowd Rules and their collective decision determines the fate of the three competing businesses. This democratic approach is a clever play on the idea of 'crowd-sourcing' in an era of increasing public participation and decision making.

This audience jury, made up of people from various professional backgrounds, listens to the business presentations, witnesses the discussions, asks their own questions, and finally, at the end of the show, votes for the business they believe is truly deserving of the $50,000 cash prize.

Crowd Rules, however, is not only about the competition and the climactic reveal of the winner. The show extensively benefits its viewers, the contestants, and the physical audience in learning about business realities through direct engagement and interaction. Through both failure stories and success narratives, the viewers get a valuable, no-filter look into the rocky road of entrepreneurship. The tense, engaging structure of the show keeps viewers riveted, while the educational aspect helps prospective entrepreneurs avoid potential pitfalls.

Every episode of Crowd Rules essentially unfolds as an engrossing story of resilience, teamwork, ingenuity, and the quintessential American entrepreneurial spirit. It's as much about the struggle and dedication of small businesses as it is about the communal decision-making process, making it a comprehensive end-product that straddles numerous genres and demographics.

In conclusion, Crowd Rules is more than just a television show—it's an ecosystem where businesses get dissected, entrepreneurs rewarded, viewers educated, and the essence of entrepreneurship celebrated. Its democratic process, combined with the vast range of businesses featured and the business wisdom nuggets shared, makes Crowd Rules a unique and compelling reality show for anyone interested in business, entrepreneurship, and compelling human stories. Through a single season, Pat Kiernan and his team manage to not only entertain but also educate, inspire, and facilitate entrepreneurial dreams.