"Pretty Scammy" — Reddit users slam Mark Cuban’s $150K Investment in Snow Scholars on Shark Tank

Mark Cuban’s $150,000 investment in Snow Scholars during Shark Tank Season 16 has stirred significant controversy among fans, particularly on Reddit. The company appeared in episode 7 of the season, which aired on December 13, 2024, pitching itself as a solution to winter woes by connecting student workers with homeowners needing snow removal services.

Co-founders Jake Piekarski and Philip Loveland described Snow Scholars as a way to provide flexible, high-paying jobs for students while offering affordable and efficient services to homeowners. Their pitch struck a chord with Cuban, who agreed to invest in the business.

However, since this Shark Tank aired, fans have raised concerns about the company’s practices, labeling the service as “pretty scammy.” Online discussions have pointed out several logistical and ethical issues with Snow Scholars’ operations.

While the company claims to pay students $25 an hour, critics argue that workers must supply their own equipment and handle transportation, significantly cutting into their earnings. Additionally, some users have alleged incomplete services and deceptive advertising tactics, further fueling the backlash.

In a Reddit thread that is titled "Snow Scholars Seems Pretty Scammy," a user said,

Snow Scholars Seems Pretty Scammy byu/ParticularBug9848 insharktank

"Basically they just try to take advantage of students. You have to provide all your own equipment, your own transportation, and that $25 an hour is not guaranteed because they don’t actually pay a flat hourly rate," one user commented.

"There is no way you could shovel my driveway and sidewalk by hand in under 30 minutes," another user said.

"I am not sure that the economics of the business will sustain large scale," a reddit user wrote.

"It's clear the company is just trying to be middlemen between an otherwise mundane transaction," a fan wrote.

During this episode of Shark Tank, a few Reddit users commented on the co-founders of Snow Scholars, Jake Piekarski and Philip Loveland, stating that they were "giving bad vibes."

Comment byu/ParticularBug9848 from discussion insharktank

"What do you expect from kids. I got bad vibes from the main kid. Seemed to just know the buzz words and lingo from school," another user wrote.

"I didn’t understand this or the pricing. $83 every snowfall, in Madison/Twin cities easily adds up to several thousand dollars," another person said.

"That Mark did the deal when they’re obviously ripping off a company name he already invested in says he already had part ownership before this aired," a reddit thread read.

"I would love to be able to have my neighborhood kids or local college kids come and shovel my drive. That would be a better service than trying to get a route that a college kid has to complete 6 houses in 3 hours," one netizen wrote.

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The deal details: Mark Cuban backs Snow Scholars in Shark Tank

During this episode of Shark Tank, co-founders Piekarski and Loveland presented Snow Scholars as a dual-purpose business aimed at solving two key problems. First, it provides students with an opportunity to earn flexible income during the winter season. Second, it helps homeowners tackle snow removal at competitive rates.

The pitch emphasized the company’s efficiency, claiming that student workers could clear driveways and sidewalks in record time while earning a good hourly wage. They also highlighted the service’s accessibility, with customers booking snow removal through a user-friendly online platform.

Mark Cuban, intrigued by the scalability of the idea, offered $150,000 in exchange for a 20% equity stake in the company. The co-founders accepted the deal, expressing optimism about leveraging Cuban’s expertise to expand their operations.

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Shark Tank episodes air every Friday at 8 pm ET on ABC.