Definition
When a startup's growth is impressive but unit economics are terrible, making it simultaneously successful and fundamentally broken—named after investor Mark Cuban's famous critiques.
Example Usage
Our customer acquisition cost is $1,000, lifetime value is $800, we're growing 200% annually—pretty much the textbook Mark Cuban Problem.
Origin
Derived from Mark Cuban's aggressive public critiques of unsustainable startup business models, popularized on Shark Tank.
Fun Fact
Many billion-dollar startups have the Mark Cuban Problem baked in, suggesting either Cuban is wrong or growth-at-any-cost is insane.
Source: Venture capital criticism and startup terminology
Related Terms
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See “Mark Cuban Problem” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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