An entrepreneur traditionally has three minutes to make a pitch on Britain's Dragon's Den.
The three-minute pitch gives each entrepreneur a short, standardised opportunity to explain the product or service, state the amount of money requested and describe the equity being offered. The Dragons then question the entrepreneur about sales, costs, valuation, competition and future plans.
The televised sequence can be edited, so the finished programme does not necessarily show every second of the original presentation or negotiation. The three-minute figure refers to the conventional pitch structure, not the total time spent filming an appearance.
A pitch is also different from a deal. Even if an entrepreneur makes the presentation within the allotted time, an investment is not guaranteed. Offers may be rejected, negotiations may fail, or a deal announced on screen may not complete after due diligence.