"People with people"— Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary shares how he maintains his inner circle while scaling ventures

Balancing business expansion with personal connections requires active management. Shark Tank investor and entrepreneur Kevin O’Leary addressed this in a video posted to Instagram on May 20, 2025.

“Look, it’s people with people. You need your core team,” he stated, identifying core relationships as a necessary part of long-term success.

According to Kevin, maintaining an inner circle is not a secondary concern but an essential component of building any venture. While entrepreneurs may focus entirely on business growth, he explained that ongoing outreach is required to preserve foundational relationships.

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How Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary protects key relationships while building businesses

Core connections must be maintained over time

The Shark Tank investor defined the scope of close relationships as small and consistent.

“Most people don't have more than 15 really, really close relationships. Sometimes it's down to seven or eight,” he said.

This includes both personal and professional ties, such as family members and long-time allies. Rather than seeking to expand this group during periods of business activity, O’Leary emphasized maintaining the existing ones. He warned against neglecting them, particularly when business demands are high.

“Because your tendency is to just ignore everything except the mandate you're on,” he said, referring to the intensity often required during scaling.

According to Kevin O’Leary, this tendency can lead to losing valuable long-term support if not addressed early.

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Time must be divided between goals and relationships

In his remarks, O’Leary explained a concept he referred to as “noise and signal.” The Shark Tank investor used this framework to describe the balance between focusing on business objectives and preserving close relationships.

“You can't be a hundred percent signal because some of the time has to be spent maintaining these key relationships that support you on your journey,” he stated.

Rather than seeing communication as a distraction, Kevin described it as a required part of sustaining momentum in any endeavor. The effort to manage both areas— business priorities and relationship maintenance— must be structured into an entrepreneur’s routine. He explained that the time spent on communication with key individuals is positioned as part of the larger task of staying supported.

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Active outreach reinforces long-standing bonds

O’Leary outlined a specific action that supports this strategy: reaching out. He explained that direct communication is the core method for preserving relationships. He did not describe any complex process or system. Instead, he pointed to simple, deliberate actions aimed at keeping essential contacts intact.

He also described the consequences of failing to do so.

“That's a mistake,” O’Leary stated, referencing the idea of excluding relationship upkeep from the business-building process.

His position was that relationships deteriorate without attention, even if unintentionally, and that success does not replace the need for continuity with close contacts. In the caption accompanying the video, Kevin further emphasized this message.

“Your core relationships matter— don’t ignore them. You can’t make new old friends,” he wrote.

The Shark Tank investor briefly underscored that relationship maintenance must be practiced consistently, not assumed to remain in place automatically.

O’Leary’s statements in the video were direct and specific, offering a clear framework for how entrepreneurs can manage relationships while advancing professional goals. He reinforced that keeping close connections active through communication is a structured part of his process, not a separate personal objective.

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Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8 pm ET on ABC, and is available to stream on Hulu the following day.