Myles Dickinson is the youngest person to ever appear on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. Not only did the 18-year-old ace his pitch, but he received multiple offers and walked away from the den securing investment from Steven Bartlett. We caught up with the bright talent to talk about his experience on Dragons’ Den, his business, and how he’s already started his next venture…
Myles Dickinson interview by Ben Farrin
Hello Myles, thanks for your time. For those that don’t know, please describe your business Haze…
My business called Haze creates custom metal credit and debit cards. We use high powered laser engravers to etch custom images onto a metal place, then we transfer the card data onto the metal strip. The metal card works the same as your plastic card but it’s just metal!
How did you first come up with the idea of Haze?
I first came up with the idea at university. I saw American Express had a metal card and I wanted one but I couldn’t hit the credit requirements. So I went out and created my own metal cards. By using laser engravers and a sheet of metal we created our own metal cards.
What were your expectations before you delivered your pitch on Dragons’ Den? Were you expecting to get so many offers, and deep-down what Dragon was you hoping to receive an offer from?
I wanted to go into the den with zero expectations as I didn’t really know what would happen. I definitely wasn’t expecting to get so many offers. It was incredibly overwhelming. Deep down I wanted to receive an offer from Steven and I got it!
You had Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett and Touker Suleyman all trying to sell themselves to you before you decided which offer to accept. Was it an easy or difficult decision to make, and was it the fact that Steven Bartlett offered a seat in his office for you to work from, that swung it for you?
It was a very difficult decision to make, I really didn’t know who to choose. But I thought Steven Bartlett would be best for me and the business.
Did you have a backup plan for your business in case you didn’t secure investment on the day? What route would you have taken?
I didn’t have a backup plan, I just wanted to go with the flow. I would have found a way to succeed though either way.
It must’ve been filmed quite a while ago since you had to keep the 2-metre distance apart…
The episode was filmed in March 2022 so I had to keep it a secret for nearly a year!
Does Steven Bartlett offer you mentorship, and what key business lessons have you already learnt from being around him and his team?
I have learnt some amazing lessons. The whole legal process is pretty tough so having a good network around you is incredibly important.
What are you goals for the next 12 months?
My main goals for the next 12 months is to grow my current business called Haze, but I have also launched my second business called Blatant Skin. So I would like to grow that as well. And really take over the male skincare market.
What is your goal and vision as a young entrepreneur?
One of my goals as a young entrepreneur is to inspire the younger generation to start their own businesses!
Myles Dickinson interview by Ben Farrin
