What's Dragon's Den really like? Check out our recent chat with Matt McCoy

In Episode 2 of Quarter Down, we had the chance to speak with young serial entrepreneur Matt McCoy about his recent endeavours. We discussed his background, passions as well as his experience starting a company while still completing his undergraduate degree. What makes Matt tick? Let us first talk a little more about entrepreneurship as an emerging and important topic for young professionals today.

Entrepreneurship needs to be demystified

Though humanity’s history with entrepreneurship dates back thousands of years to the very first exchanges of value, it has taken on a particularly interesting twist with the digital age. With unprecedented interconnectivity, many new and interesting ways to carve out a business niche have presented themselves. Whether your interest lie in the creation of a personal brand or in selling your products/services to the masses, a growing number of people have incorporated some degree of entrepreneurial thinking into their livelihoods. The variability in this particular steam of business equates its opportunity. Needless to say, there is much experience to be shared and knowledge to be gained on this hot topic. So, what’s it really like to break the “typical 9 to 5 job” mould? Is the time, effort and financial cost of post-secondary education worth it for entrepreneurs? How would one go about generating value enough for others to pay?

What can we learn from Matt?

Chatting with Matt provided some key insight into the realities of entrepreneurship as a student. His first experience co-owning his own company started while he was working toward his undergraduate degree from the University of Guelph. This venture, he says, was an ideal mix of calculated risks and finding the right opportunity. He and his business partner Michael Sutton founded Canadian BBQ Boys in 2015 with the intent of helping homeowners “get the most out of the grilling season” by offering an alternative to the historically labour-intensive and time-consuming chore of maintaining a BBQ. The business has since spread across the province of Ontario, with demonstrated growth of over 400%.

All the way to Dragon's Den as an undergraduate student

The success of Canadian BBQ Boys brought Matt and his partner all the way to Season 13 of Dragon’s Den, where they managed to secure a $50,000 deal with Dragon Jim Treliving for a 10% stake in their company. The Canadian BBQ Boys website has credited this experience with invaluable nation-wide coverage and exposure. In our conversation, Matt shares with us a funny behind-the-scenes story on the set of Dragon’s Den and tells us what it's like to find out he won.

What now?

Since their episode aired, Matt has finally been able to divulge Canadian BBQ Boys’ success on the show (they were obligated to keep the verdict under wraps for months – a feat in and of itself ). He then went on to sell his stake in the company and start a whole new venture – Smart Start Inc. where he is offering support and resources to other undergraduate students looking to grow their businesses. More recently, his passion for the environment has led him to start a COVID-19 Cleanup project where he has organized and participated in dozens of cleanups around the Oakville area, with some of his friends and allies arranging other cleanups around South-Western Ontario. The relief effort is currently active in 7 cities, and has removed over 170 bags worth of garbage since its inception in March of 2020. Matt's combined experience in the business incubator program at the University of Guelph and in the real-world as a business owner makes him a valuable asset to the podcast.

Needless to say, Matt is an impressive young professional with experience in business and entrepreneurship beyond his years. Better yet, he is approachable and personable; ready and willing to openly share his knowledge with others. We are very grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with Matt, and we cannot wait to continue learning from young professionals with experience to share on the show.