Rashaun Williams and the Art of the Prequel Mindset

Shark Tank' Season 16 featured Rashaun Williams as a guest judge (@christopherwillard/@abc)

Why Wait for the Invite?

Williams’ rise wasn’t powered by luck or a VIP guest list—it was fueled by a refusal to wait for permission. On Chicago’s South Side, opportunity wasn’t dropping in his lap, so he crafted his own entry points. For him, “sneaking into the party” wasn’t rebellion—it was rehearsal.

By the time Goldman Sachs hired him at 21, Williams had already been doing private equity analysis in borrowed offices after hours, unpaid, with mentors 10–20 years his senior. He wasn’t waiting for the “job title” to start doing the job.

The Prequel Mindset Defined

The prequel mindset flips the traditional career arc. Instead of getting the role, then learning the part, you learn and perform the part until the role has no choice but to find you.

Williams describes it as “acting as if”—becoming an investment banker before he was one, a private equity pro before the paycheck, a husband and father before the wedding. It’s not delusion; it’s direction.

For underrepresented communities, this mindset is more than ambition—it’s armor. It says: Even if no one’s betting on me yet, I’m still in the game.

Network as Narrative

Williams’ story also reframes networking. Instead of chasing “big name” connections, he worked warm leads like chapters in a novel—each introduction moving the plot forward, each connection building toward the climax. Over time, those small roles added up to the big scene: a seat at the Shark Tank table.

Why This Matters for Founders of Color

Williams’ trajectory underscores a cultural truth: for many Black and Brown entrepreneurs, waiting for the open door means missing the moment. The prequel mindset—showing up uninvited, delivering value before recognition—becomes a survival skill and a competitive advantage. It’s a mindset that refuses to measure worth by current circumstances and instead scripts the future in the present tense.

Call to Action

Williams isn’t just a guest investor on Shark Tank—he’s proof that the first step to building your legacy is to start before the world notices. If you’re a founder, creative, or dreamer, ask yourself: Are you waiting for the role, or are you already in rehearsal? Start your prequel today—build the skills, craft the connections, and live as if the credits are already rolling.

References

Fore, P. (2025, August 9). How multimillionaire Rashaun Williams used ‘hear me out’ and sneaking into events to land his seat on ‘Shark Tank’. Fortune. https://fortune.com