S13.E03: Sparketh; Oat Haus; Flasky Flowers; Incredible Eats

[nlkm9]

Quote

Daniel Lubetzky, executive chairman of KIND, returns in an all-new episode this week on "Shark Tank." First into the tank are entrepreneurs from Snellville, Georgia, who introduce their online learning platform to empower young students to reach their creative potential through art. A trio of entrepreneurs from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hope to butter up the sharks with the first-ever oat-based spread; while a husband and wife from Delray, Florida, have a bride in mind when they share their boozy spin on an all-in-one traditional wedding day essential. An entrepreneur from Apex, North Carolina, introduces a fun and edible innovation designed to reduce single-use plastics in an effort to help preserve the world's oceans.

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by JTMacc99
Thank you for starting the topic nlkm9!

[nlkm9]

So, I wasnt sure if anyone was going to start. I hated the dancing granola butter thing, the dancing was annoying and my first thought was these 2 are dating 8 years, they have brought in a friend, if they ever split up that could be a very messy deal.....it looked good though.

I loved the "deliciously adorable "guy with the edible utensils. 

Felt bad for the first guys, cant remember if they got a deal.

the couple with the wedding flowers? 7 kids? all those sharks? amazing!!

Edited October 23, 2021 by nlkm9
omit

[DEL901]

I can just marginally understand Kevin’s interest, considering his wedding businesses, but the others?

Granola butter?  Ugh.   

Loved the utensils guy.   Sorry he didn’t end up with mark, but happy he got a deal.  

[Shellie]

I loved the edible utensils idea. It fits beautifully since an ice cream cone serves as a dish. And soup sometimes is served inside of bread. I would love to get edible chopsticks with takeout if they hold up long enough.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I missed the first pitch, but I don't care about online learning whatever aspect they were doing.

Granola Butter?    Don't care about that either.  Kevin hated the taste, and no deal from anyone else either. 

Flasky Flowers-I fail to see the appeal, but they did get a deal with Lori, Mark and Kevin.    

Incredible Eats, with the edible utensils was genius.  I like that the sharks liked the way the different utensils tasted, and how they complement the foods they were paired with.  I hope Mark will be a huge customer for this product, and wish he had either made a deal, or gone 50/50 with Lori.  THink of all of the single use plastics that a basketball arena uses, and imagine this product instead.    I'm glad he got a deal with Lori.     

Edited October 24, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[mjc570]

I liked the idea of the granola butter, I eat a lot of peanut butter so it might be nice to have an alternative.  For some reason, I found the woman to be especially annoying.  

Edible utensils - at first, I thought it was a great idea, but didn't the guy say they don't last long in hot or cold food? 20 minutes?  That's not long enough for me.  I don't buy in commercial quantities but maybe there is a retail demand:  I always get compostable non plastics flatware for get together , like this one from Amazon: 

Amazon.com: 100% Compostable Forks Spoons Knives Cutlery Combo Set - 380 Large Disposable Utensils (7 in.) Eco Friendly Durable and Heat Resistant Alternative to Plastic Silverware with Convenient Tray by Ecovita   

[Vermicious Knid]

Lots of times those claims are fake, though.

I agree kids should have more art education in this country but an app is not going to solve that. Plenty of world class museums already have much of their collections available online, especially since Covid, they're already free and they also provide educational materials like these programs from the Met. I don't know why they got a deal.

Since I heartily dislike oatmeal and oats I have no interest in oat butter, not do I think the flower flask is a good investment. Cute throw away novelty item but not a long term investment. Loved the edible cutlery. I can understand  the 20 minute limit, more than that and it's probably no longer edible, but I've also had tons of hamburger buns soak through and fall apart halfway through eating which is intensely annoying. 20 minutes is fine.

[nlkm9]

 For some reason, I found the woman to be especially annoying.  

 

she was totally annoying on many levels, and because of the reasons above (oh were "dating" and we asked our friend to help) I think it would be risky. I also did not like how she making those "gangsta" movements with her hands lol. im mean

[KaveDweller]

I think those flower-flask people got a deal because the Sharks felt bad for that couple's seven kids. I get quitting a job to show you are all in on a business, but usually that is after you have proven it is a viable idea. When you have that many kids it just seems reckless. And I have never been married, do that many women really want to be drinking right when they are walking down the aisle? The Sharks were laughing so much during their pitch, and I kept waiting for the punchline.

The granola butter idea seemed okay, but the people were annoying. I don't get all the dancing during the pitch. 

Edible utensils is a cool idea, glad that guy got a deal.

I like the idea of the art app, but didn't like how they kept saying "we could be making money if we wanted to." It sounds like an excuse, because they probably do want to be making money. You don't go on Shark Tank for fun.

[LittleIggy]

The Granola Butter wasn’t a “butter.” It was a sauce, as Kevin demonstrated. I didn’t like that consistency either. Plus, it was too expensive.

[eel21788]

23 hours ago, nlkm9 said:

Felt bad for the first guys, cant remember if they got a deal.

They got a contingency deal: if they could show a profit in the next six months, I think it was $100K at 20%. I think it was a pity deal because the one guy had a sickle cell anemia, which, granted, is very tragic.

I wasn't even clear what they were selling. Was it art classes? Was it art supplies that you have to light on fire? Was it coloring books? 

[eel21788]

20 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I think those flower-flask people got a deal because the Sharks felt bad for that couple's seven kids. I get quitting a job to show you are all in on a business, but usually that is after you have proven it is a viable idea. When you have that many kids it just seems reckless. And I have never been married, do that many women really want to be drinking right when they are walking down the aisle? The Sharks were laughing so much during their pitch, and I kept waiting for the punchline.

I think that was also a pity deal. They sold their house and had no way to support their 7 children with only 1000 units sold. 

I see it as an item that will end up at the dollar store within a year and still not sell. If you're that desperate to drink as you're walking up and down the aisle, maybe the marriage isn't such a good idea. When else would you be walking around carrying your bouquet? Also, how do you keep it from spilling if you decide to set it down?

Edited October 24, 2021 by eel21788

[eel21788]

On 10/23/2021 at 3:26 PM, mjc570 said:

I liked the idea of the granola butter, I eat a lot of peanut butter so it might be nice to have an alternative.  For some reason, I found the woman to be especially annoying.   

I really didn't understand what this was, either. Was it a sauce to go on granola or something you use instead of jam or syrup? Either way, I don't consider it to be much of a necessity. 

An alternative to peanut or other nut butters should be something with protein in it. If they were going to use a whole grain, it should be one that is also high in protein, such as quinoa. 

Also, there are many people with Celiac disease who can't eat oats, so they shouldn't have been calling it gluten free.

Edited October 24, 2021 by eel21788

[eel21788]

22 hours ago, mjc570 said:

Edible utensils - at first, I thought it was a great idea, but didn't the guy say they don't last long in hot or cold food? 20 minutes?  That's not long enough for me.  I don't buy in commercial quantities but maybe there is a retail demand:  I always get compostable non plastics flatware for get together , like this one from Amazon: 

Amazon.com: 100% Compostable Forks Spoons Knives Cutlery Combo Set - 380 Large Disposable Utensils (7 in.) Eco Friendly Durable and Heat Resistant Alternative to Plastic Silverware with Convenient Tray by Ecovita   

20 minutes in hot food. One hour in cold food.

With two broken molars, I don't think I should be eating my utensils. However, I can see a lot of restaurants going for it here in Colorado. I just hope they still give me a choice of something I don't have to eat when I'm finished.

A lot of venues such as the Denver Zoo have gone completely to compostable utensils, so something you eat may just be still be considered a novelty item.

[eel21788]

20 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

 And I have never been married, do that many women really want to be drinking right when they are walking down the aisle? 

Especially in front of the videographer who is recording everything for posterity. As I said before, if you need to drink that badly as you're walking down the aisle, maybe you should be having second thoughts about the wedding.

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

I wasn't even clear what they were selling. Was it art classes? Was it art supplies that you have to light on fire? Was it coloring books? 

It was an app, but I also don't think it was presented very well. I think it was supposed to teach you art things like painting and drawing, as if you were in an elementary school art class. Maybe.

[seacliffsal]

So, for the art app to really be effective, I think that there should be a monthly focus, parents choose the level (beginning, advanced, etc.) and the company send the art materials for that month's focus (so a subscription model that includes materials as well as instruction).  I think it's too hard on parents if a child finds a project they want to do but the family doesn't have the materials.  Include everything and make it convenient.  

I like the concept of the edible utensils and really liked the presenter.

Once I heard the excitement of the granola butters presenters about finding investors who exited at high values really turned me off from the presenters.  I agree with the Sharks who said that meant they didn't have real passion and drive for their product as they were already planning their exit.

I just can't with the parents of seven (seven!!!) children selling their home and quitting their jobs.  Not every idea is a million dollar idea (do the presenters never learn?).  I guess she knows her clientele (she's a hairdresser), so maybe the brides she works with really do want to drink before, during, and after their weddings.  I don't see a huge market for this.  Maybe sell it through the florists?  After all, they would have to make the bouquets work with the flask.

[aemom]

On 10/23/2021 at 5:26 PM, mjc570 said:

Edible utensils - at first, I thought it was a great idea, but didn't the guy say they don't last long in hot or cold food? 20 minutes?  That's not long enough for me.  I don't buy in commercial quantities but maybe there is a retail demand:  I always get compostable non plastics flatware for get together , like this one from Amazon: 

Amazon.com: 100% Compostable Forks Spoons Knives Cutlery Combo Set - 380 Large Disposable Utensils (7 in.) Eco Friendly Durable and Heat Resistant Alternative to Plastic Silverware with Convenient Tray by Ecovita   

I really liked the Edible utensils guy and I'm happy that he got a deal.  When we have an outdoor get together, the paper plates and cups go into the composter and we throw the plastic cutlery into the dishwasher and use them again next time.

 

2 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I just can't with the parents of seven (seven!!!) children selling their home and quitting their jobs.  Not every idea is a million dollar idea (do the presenters never learn?).  I guess she knows her clientele (she's a hairdresser), so maybe the brides she works with really do want to drink before, during, and after their weddings.  I don't see a huge market for this.  Maybe sell it through the florists?  After all, they would have to make the bouquets work with the flask.

That seemed just totally bananas that they did that.  I think what saved them is that they weren't asking for a lot of money.  I am truly shocked that they were all so excited about this because I thought the idea was beyond stupid.  Depending on what you're drinking, spilling it on your dress would be a nightmare.  And also - how do you put it down without it spilling?  You are also not carrying your flowers around very much.  I drink a ton of water all the time, but I still wouldn't want to have this - even filled with water.  I see this going nowhere and I hope that these children don't starve.

 

Honestly, every time I see Daniel in the tank now, I just get angry - because I keep remembering how he sneakily tried to steal that woman's idea.  I really don't like him anymore at all.

[DEL901]

25 minutes ago, aemom said:

Honestly, every time I see Daniel in the tank now, I just get angry - because I keep remembering how he sneakily tried to steal that woman's idea.  I really don't like him anymore at all.

100% agree. 

[ljenkins782]

On 10/23/2021 at 7:21 PM, KaveDweller said:

I think those flower-flask people got a deal because the Sharks felt bad for that couple's seven kids. I get quitting a job to show you are all in on a business, but usually that is after you have proven it is a viable idea. When you have that many kids it just seems reckless. And I have never been married, do that many women really want to be drinking right when they are walking down the aisle? The Sharks were laughing so much during their pitch, and I kept waiting for the punchline.

The granola butter idea seemed okay, but the people were annoying. I don't get all the dancing during the pitch. 

Edible utensils is a cool idea, glad that guy got a deal.

I like the idea of the art app, but didn't like how they kept saying "we could be making money if we wanted to." It sounds like an excuse, because they probably do want to be making money. You don't go on Shark Tank for fun.

Yeah, that seemed like a Save the Children deal because that was NOT a good idea. As a little novelty, 1-time, gag gift, sure, but not quit-your-job, devote-your-life level of idea. Those poor kids. 

There is really only one function where you have a bouquet and you don't hold it the whole time. You walk down the aisle with it and you pose for pictures, then you set the damn thing down. If you can't go that long without a drink, you have a problem. So if you're on the receiving end of this gag gift, it's probably worth questioning your life.

The edible utensils guy seemed like he was about 30 seconds away from losing his offers. I didn't like the way he didn't even listen to Lori when she was talking to him and then continued to hesitate even though her offer was way better than anyone else's. And she was the most enthusiastic about his product. It had a whiff of sexism.

Quote

With two broken molars, I don't think I should be eating my utensils. However, I can see a lot of restaurants going for it here in Colorado. I just hope they still give me a choice of something I don't have to eat when I'm finished.

But you don't have to eat them if you don't want to. It'll just biodegrade if thrown away, so it's still an improvement over plastic utensils.

Quote

The Granola Butter wasn’t a “butter.” It was a sauce, as Kevin demonstrated. I didn’t like that consistency either. Plus, it was too expensive.

Yeah, I'm shocked that they have the sales that they have at that price point. $12 for a jar of a peanut butter-ish product, I can't justify that kind of expenditure. Maybe they could parter with that $12 mini cube of unsliced bread and make the world's most expensive pb & J...

And the consistency bothered me too, it didn't seem like a "use at home" kind of product with their stated uses of drizzling it over açaí bowls or whatever, I'm not that fancy at home. But I could see restaurants putting it to good use.

Quote

Honestly, every time I see Daniel in the tank now, I just get angry - because I keep remembering how he sneakily tried to steal that woman's idea.  I really don't like him anymore at all.

I missed this, what happened? 

[eel21788]

7 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

But you don't have to eat them if you don't want to. It'll just biodegrade if thrown away, so it's still an improvement over plastic utensils.

If I'm paying extra for the edible utensils, then I'm not okay with throwing them out. Yes, I'm that frugal.

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

Depending on what you're drinking, spilling it on your dress would be a nightmare. 

Ah yes, I still remember my cousin's wife freaking out about the possibility of spilling wine on her very expensive, very white gown during the ceremony. For those not familiar with Jewish weddings the bride and groom may perform Kiddush, the blessing over the wine, as part of the service. Which involves Manischewitz, a very red, very sticky wine. She practically had a panic attack when the rabbi handed her the cup, held it  as far away from herself as she could, carefully titled just her upper body forward, and moved the cup only as much as needed to take a sip.

[eel21788]

9 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

2 hours ago, aemom said:

Honestly, every time I see Daniel in the tank now, I just get angry - because I keep remembering how he sneakily tried to steal that woman's idea.  I really don't like him anymore at all.

I missed this, what happened? 

It was either last season or the season before. The strange lady who had invented a new way to spread diaper cream on babies' butts didn't realize that the real invention was how the diaper cream tube was attached to her device. Daniel said he'd invest in her device if he got 100% of the proceeds from the patent for the attachment. 

[eel21788]

22 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

There is really only one function where you have a bouquet and you don't hold it the whole time. You walk down the aisle with it and you pose for pictures, then you set the damn thing down. 

Can you imagine the bride throwing her bouquet when she still has some of her drink left in the reservoir?

[ljenkins782]

13 minutes ago, eel21788 said:

It was either last season or the season before. The strange lady who had invented a new way to spread diaper cream on babies' butts didn't realize that the real invention was how the diaper cream tube was attached to her device. Daniel said he'd invest in her device if he got 100% of the proceeds from the patent for the attachment. 

Oh yes, I do remember that. 

I'm of two minds about the issue, she came up with it but didn't know what she had, so it was ultimately worthless in her hands since she was only seeing it in the specific diaper cream usage. I kind of feel like if you fail to see the brass ring and someone else spots it and grabs it, it seems like fair game. On the other hand, he certainly could have brokered a deal that would allow her to profit as well.

I don't think she made a deal with him, but I don't remember how that pitch ended, did she partner with anyone?

[eel21788]

3 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

I don't think she made a deal with him, but I don't remember how that pitch ended, did she partner with anyone?

Yeah. Both Lori and Kevin for 50% equity. It was still better than what Daniel offered.

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, aemom said:

I really liked the Edible utensils guy and I'm happy that he got a deal.  When we have an outdoor get together, the paper plates and cups go into the composter and we throw the plastic cutlery into the dishwasher and use them again next time.

 

That seemed just totally bananas that they did that.  I think what saved them is that they weren't asking for a lot of money.  I am truly shocked that they were all so excited about this because I thought the idea was beyond stupid.  Depending on what you're drinking, spilling it on your dress would be a nightmare.  And also - how do you put it down without it spilling?  You are also not carrying your flowers around very much.  I drink a ton of water all the time, but I still wouldn't want to have this - even filled with water.  I see this going nowhere and I hope that these children don't starve.

 

Honestly, every time I see Daniel in the tank now, I just get angry - because I keep remembering how he sneakily tried to steal that woman's idea.  I really don't like him anymore at all.

I’m glad I’m not the only one who hasn’t gotten over that unKIND attempt at peeling off for himself the genuinely valuable part of that woman’s product. 😡

[marny]

The bouquet flask thing really isn’t meant for drinking while walking down the aisle. It’s meant for silly photos of the bridesmaids to show how “fun” and irreverent they are. I can imagine every 22 year old southern sorority bride buying one for all her attendants, taking those photos, and thinking the flask bouquet is the funniest thing they’ve ever seen (I live in the south). They’ll be a fine novelty business and their 7 kids will be fine now that the show have them good advertising. 

[aemom]

12 hours ago, eel21788 said:

It was either last season or the season before. The strange lady who had invented a new way to spread diaper cream on babies' butts didn't realize that the real invention was how the diaper cream tube was attached to her device. Daniel said he'd invest in her device if he got 100% of the proceeds from the patent for the attachment. 

It was last season and it was called SwipenSnap - I looked it up again.

Interestingly - you can still buy the adapter on Amazon, but if you try to go to her website, it's blocked - something about protecting IP - and that you have to contact them for permission to access it.  So I wonder if someone tried to muscle in on the patent or something.

[ljenkins782]

2 hours ago, marny said:

The bouquet flask thing really isn’t meant for drinking while walking down the aisle. It’s meant for silly photos of the bridesmaids to show how “fun” and irreverent they are. I can imagine every 22 year old southern sorority bride buying one for all her attendants, taking those photos, and thinking the flask bouquet is the funniest thing they’ve ever seen (I live in the south). They’ll be a fine novelty business and their 7 kids will be fine now that the show have them good advertising. 

But a novelty business with ONE product is not going to support a family of 9. This is the kind of gag gift idea you'd expect from a couple of single 20-somethings who are just goofing around, not 2 married people old enough to have had 7 children.

It's a one-time purchase item, not something that's going to get regular, repeat customers and the buzz from Shark Tank only lasts so long. The wedding industry isn't fully recovered with the pandemic still going, so this might not have been the best time for them to appear. 

They sold their home, he quit his job, and invested $60,000 of their own money...and then only asked the Sharks for $75k. I know the valuations are always a sticking point, but giving up equity for such a small amount of cash never seems worth the tradeoff, especially for people in as dire a situation as they're in.

[bilgistic]

I love the idea of the edible utensils, but if they are used commercially, they'll have to be individually wrapped...in plastic.

[marny]

On 10/26/2021 at 9:56 AM, ljenkins782 said:

But a novelty business with ONE product is not going to support a family of 9. This is the kind of gag gift idea you'd expect from a couple of single 20-somethings who are just goofing around, not 2 married people old enough to have had 7 children.

It's a one-time purchase item, not something that's going to get regular, repeat customers and the buzz from Shark Tank only lasts so long. The wedding industry isn't fully recovered with the pandemic still going, so this might not have been the best time for them to appear. 

They sold their home, he quit his job, and invested $60,000 of their own money...and then only asked the Sharks for $75k. I know the valuations are always a sticking point, but giving up equity for such a small amount of cash never seems worth the tradeoff, especially for people in as dire a situation as they're in.

The wedding business is back to business as usual here in the south where the “pandemic is over” attitude rules the day. And wedding novelties never have repeat customers, but brides will buy 5-10 of them at a time for their entire wedding party. Yes, it’s dumb, but there are plenty of dumb novelties that have done just fine. The “inventors” won’t be rich, but they were supporting their 7 kids on their original jobs as a hairdresser and whatever he was before, they’ll figure it out now. 

[lh25]

I think there will be an audience for the Flasky Flowers, I agree with the comments about brides or maybe a bridesmaid buying them for the wedding party.  Honestly, I could have used one with water in it during the picture taking.  Yeah, I had a water bottle but kept setting it down and having to look for it.

I did have one toast before the wedding with champagne a cousin snuck up to us.  I wouldn't have wanted to drink during the ceremony.   And we had a smaller bouquet that I threw, not my "main" one.