Mark Cuban: Living Your Best Deals at Any Age

Give Mark Cuban credit for getting things done.  He went from tapings of the hit ABC reality show Shark Tank to his long-awaited insider-trading trial last week (a civil suit involving a 2004 stock sale), purportedly dazzling admiring jury members, while still managing to keep up with myriad business demands. On top of it, he emailed fast answers to our questions.  Here, the billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner, 55, shares his thoughts on living your best deals at any age.

Is 50 too late to have a big idea and get it going?

Hell no.  I haven't done my best work yet

Talk about the Shark Tank phenomenon. What is your take on why people are interested in watching other people pitch ideas?

We prove the American dream is alive and well.  If the people who pitch can get there, so can anyone.

What does it take to be a good entrepreneur - including from the point of view of downsized former executives and other 50+ folks facing a tough job market.  Is entrepreneurship a good alternative?

You have to be relentless.  You have to focus on the inner twentysomething and find that intellectual energy and put it to use.

Talk about traits of winners - what are three "must haves"?

Preparation
Willingness to learn
Willingness to sell

 Sometimes on the show it looks like the rest of the sharks vs. Mark Cuban.  True?  What are your feelings about that and about them?

I try.  I love the competition.

Are your kids showing signs of entrepreneurship?

Yes.  I have all of them coming up with ideas and making them pitch me on why we should do certain family events over others.  It's fun.

 It's neat that you share your smarts and know-how on your blog.  Why do you do that?

I actually do it for me.  I like to see what ideas are out there and see how people respond.  It helps me learn.
What is people's most frequent misconception of you?

I'm short.
I yell a lot.
I answer every email.

Who's your toughest competition in the NBA and why?

Every team.  It's not easy to win a championship.