Mark Cuban of Shark Tank has the best business idea for his kids (and kids in general), and it involves the fake robot lady, Alexa.
Mark is most famous for his business acumen and millionaire status, but he's also a hardworking father of three: Alexis, 16; Alyssa, 12; and Jake, 9. Mark's kids will have to earn their own money in life ('cause of course they will), and he recently revealed his current vision for them. He wants them to learn to script Alexa, the artificial intelligence technology for Amazon.
"Alexa skills and scripting Alexa skills is really, really easy. But everybody thinks it’s really, really hard. And so that disconnect is a great opportunity," Mark explained at the 2019 South by Southwest conference, according to CNBC.
"And so I told my kids [and] other kids, learn how to script, and just go get your neighbors and set up all of these Alexa tools and you’ll make $25, $30, $40 an hour.”
He makes it sound so easy!
Fans of Shark Tank may or may not know that Mark Cuban is a dedicated family man. He and his wife Tiffany share three children together.
Alexis is 16, Alyssa is 12, and Jake is 9.
It probably won't surprise you that Mark really wants his kids to learn to be as successful and business-savvy as he is.
But his goals for them are probably not what you'd expect.
Mark thinks his kids should learn "scripting Alexa skills," which is the business he'd start today if he were starting over.
"Alexa skills and scripting Alexa skills is really, really easy. But everybody thinks it's really, really hard. And so that disconnect is a great opportunity," Mark said at the 2019 South by Southwest conference, according to CNBC .
"And so I told my kids [and] other kids, learn how to script, and just go get your neighbors and set up all of these Alexa tools and you'll make $25, $30, $40 an hour."
Voilà!
This advice might seem a little random. But it's pretty much on par with Mark's business philosophy: pick a niche that's in demand, but not overly saturated.
Also, he says artificial intelligence systems like Alexa are going to be an enormously important part of the future.
"As big as PCs were an impact, as big as the internet was, AI is just going to dwarf it," he said.
"And if you don't understand it, you're going to fall behind. Particularly if you run a business," Mark said.
In fact, he'd get into AI himself if he weren't so busy being a dad.
"The good news of having had the level of success I have is obvious, but the bad side is I kinda lost that p*ss and vinegar because I can think of 50 businesses I could start right now… but I don't want to give up time at home and all that," Mark said in 2017, per CNBC.
So it'll have to be his kiddos who take up the baton!
Mark is "terrified" of spoiling his kids with his own wealth and fame.
"That’s my biggest fear that they grow up to be entitled jerks,” he said in a 2015 interview with WFAA Sports.
About his oldest daughter Alexis, he added:
"She knows she won’t be [rich]. She knows she’s going to have to earn it herself."
Hence, the Alexa business idea!
"I push them to value learning, to be excited about learning, I push them to be inquisitive about the world and understand what’s going on," Mark continued.
"I’m going to try to be that dad that says, ‘You have to think for yourself. I can’t be there all the time,'" he said.
"And I want to be here while you’re learning how to make decisions so we can talk about it."
So he'll probably be equally happy if his kids decide not to take his Alexa advice and go off in their own genius direction.
