How much influence do the candidates really have in the outcome of the tasks, except perhaps for it boiling down to raw sales ability?

Obviously there has to be a certain level of pre-production, but when there are design agency teams, food labs, glass bottle manufacturers, video production teams all standing by, what is actually left for the candidates to do?

In last nights final, as in the majority of tasks, there's a "come up with X", but all they seem to do is select from pre-arranged options rather than come up with anything. I suspect the books that they were going through in the first team meeting scenes last night were a list of base drinks and flavourings that they could add!

Would love to see a bit of Apprentice "behind the scenes"!

I don't think any of the products ever get to market, it's just a bit of harmless fun, not a real business venture. If the design agency teams, food labs, glass bottle manufacturers, video production teams get paid for their time I guess they do most of the work, not the candidates. The candidates come up with the concept and have to deliver the pitch, I guess most of the rest is down to other people.

not forgetting that most new products take months or years to get to market rather than the 3 days on the Apprentice!