S13.E05: Wedfully; Wad-free Laundry Detangler; Beulr Meeting Attender Bot;

[JTMacc99]

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First into the tank is an entrepreneur from Denver, Colorado, who presents her online planning service dedicated to creating an inclusive wedding experience while also helping guests save money, travel and stress. Next is another Denver, Colorado, native who introduces her game-changing laundry gadget that prevents bedding from tangling, twisting and balling up; then a tech savvy entrepreneur from New Rochelle, New York, pitches his business idea which provides an unconventional way to avoid early morning meetings. A kidpreneur from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, showcases his love of design and passion for his community with his trendy clothing brand that he hopes will inspire youth all over the world.

The Sharks in this episode are Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Daymond John, Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec.
 

[Quickbeam]

During the detangler thing, one of the Sharks was muttering “shark fight, shark fight”. It made me gut laugh. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

1. Wedfuly-Virtual Weddings with group events. Creator owns 100% of the business, and no investors.  Mark Cuban's brother had a virtual wedding over 20 years ago.  Wedfuly did 30 weddings in one day recently.   Technology is easy to use.   Robert makes the deal, beating out Kevin. 

2. Wad-Free for Bed Sheets- Laundry Detangler for sheets -To keep sheets from tangling in the washer and dryer.  Plastic thing all four corners of the sheet gripped in the device.   Seller is on Amazon, her own website, plus some other websites.   38% profit, and patent is next week.   Kevin and Lori are fighting over the product, and I'm enjoying it.     Kevin makes the deal.  (My view is that good quality sheets, when fairly new, will survive a laundry trip with that device, but with wear, I bet the sheets won't fare so well).  

3. Beulr-meeting attender Bot-The bot goes to the online meeting for you.  You set the calendar, upload your video, and you can be in two places at once (pronounced Bueller).    No deal.  

4. Spergo- Inspirational youth clothing-a premium brand, (stands for sports, hero, and go-getter)-$170 for a sweat suit.  Started where Trey lives in Philadelphia, and he's only 15.  Total sales to date $1.8 Million!   On track for $1 million this year.   Sean Diddy Combs posted his stuff on Instagram, and gave him a $25,000 grant.       $2.2 million this year.  Daymond does the deal, and I love that.  This pitch was right in Daymond's area of expertise.    With the quality of the product, and the national exposure, I bet the biggest issue will be getting enough inventory to fill the orders.   (I was looking at an upscale mall at Pentagon City, and they have a Spergo store there.)

It's so strange to see the sellers and the Sharks hugging.    No guest sharks, just Robert, Daymond, Lori, Kevin, and Mark. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[yourdreamer]

I liked the Spergo presentation the best. I was shocked at the son’s age (thought it was brother / sister honestly, and he reads older to me). I loved his manners, so Mom must be doing something right. Glad they got a deal, although I was almost thinking Mark would end up getting the deal. 
 

I liked the wad lady’s idea, although her presentation was a little annoying. Glad Kevin got the deal - it will actually be a good thing to add to his wedding and registry-related companies. 
 

I did not care for either of the other 2 presentations or ideas overall. 

[KaveDweller]

35 minutes ago, yourdreamer said:

I liked the Spergo presentation the best. I was shocked at the son’s age (thought it was brother / sister honestly, and he reads older to me). I loved his manners, so Mom must be doing something right. Glad they got a deal, although I was almost thinking Mark would end up getting the deal. 

I thought they were siblings too. The son looks older than 15, but the mother also looks really young for having a teenage son.

I liked that the wedding lady questioned Mark on how he could be sure that his brother was the first person to ever stream a wedding. I was wondering that too, I have a hard time believing his company was the only one to do any steaming back then. Glad she got a deal, and glad it wasn't with Kevin who just wanted all her customer data.

I would never buy the sheets washing thing, but good for that woman for coming up with it and doing so well.

Beulr kid's pitch was a joke right? He didn't really think that was a business that could get a deal?

[mjc570]

I was really struck by the contrast between the two young men and their products, Sperfo and Buelr.  The first is really old school - the most basic product (clothes), which he is marketing old school by using tons of personal time, effort and connections.  The second is tech, to meet a very contemporary need.  I'm not sure how much effort the Buelr guy is putting into it, it almost seemed like a hobby to him.  I rellay liked his presentation, though.

I hate to sound like a downer because I liked the young man and his mother, but I thought those sweatshirt were way overpriced for the way they looked, but I guess I'm not a Sean Combs Diddy fan.  

I wasn't as offended as some of the sharks by the meeting bot idea - I agree with the guy that it really makes sense not to waste time sitting through a purely passive class and reviewing it later.  Mark was right, though, until it is monetized better the inventor should upgrade it himself.  I also wonder if he didn't get a deal because he didn't finish getting his degree.

The sheet thing - seems like a good idea, but what an awful name and branding.  Lori really could have helped her.  

The remote wedding app - not a bad idea, but she should have stressed one benefit is that it would allow people who because of expense, distance or physical issue to attend weddings they wouldn't otherwise been able to.  I don't know ANYONE who would rather have a virtual than in person wedding, which doesn't necessarily have to be a "big, white wedding" which I assume they meant formal.  

[bilgistic]

That Buelr guy was an ass. He seemed very pleased with himself and didn't want to hear anything anyone had to say. I'm very glad no one gave him a deal. I'm fairly sure that's the first time that kid's heard the word "no" in his life.

I need to see proof of concept for the sheet thing. Three Sharks admitted to never washing their own sheets. OK, then.

I didn't understand a thing about the wedding video whatever-it-was, but that was mostly because the presenter was yelling the whole time.

[KaveDweller]

23 minutes ago, mjc570 said:

I wasn't as offended as some of the sharks by the meeting bot idea - I agree with the guy that it really makes sense not to waste time sitting through a purely passive class and reviewing it later.  Mark was right, though, until it is monetized better the inventor should upgrade it himself.  I also wonder if he didn't get a deal because he didn't finish getting his degree.

I agree that it makes sense not to sit in a passive class and review it later, but I'm guessing he's talking about a very large class where they don't even take attendance. In which case, why bother? And if some professors do take attendance but not care if you talk, that is a pretty limited market to an audience without tons of cash (students).

If you are using it for work it is useless because you'll be expected to talk. 

The Sharks have given deals to people who dropped out of school though. They have even encouraged current college students to drop out to focus on their business. I think they encouraged him to go back to school because he seemed clueless and had a bad product.

 

[LittleIggy]

The reaction to Kevin saying he slept in the nude was funny. 😱 Eye bleach! STAT! 
Glad the kid and his mom got a deal with Daymond. He was the logical Shark for them.

[Vermicious Knid]

Wad-free is instantly going to be knocked off, patent be damned. It's up to the holder to spend their own money to defend and sue over their product. Also, I don't see how fastening just the corners is going to keep it from twisting.

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That Buelr guy was an ass.

To be expected from someone who uses a name taken from a movie about ditching school and goofing off as high art. And yes, the clothing was way overpriced.

[hifihifi]

Woman with the sheets looked ill and she is also an idiot for not going with Laurie as that is basically her speciality. People don;t understand that 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. In other words even goving up more equity with Laurie she'd make so much more than with Kevin.

I didn't understand what exact;ly was special about the clothing line product with the 15 year old kid other than he and his mother seem very nice people and they've been doing great financially. 

[basiltherat]

It would be a very bad idea for any Shark to become a part of "Bulr" -- first of all, their integrity would be questioned.  So, Mr. or Ms. Shark, you are advocating for students to skip class and workers to ditch work.  If YOUR employees did that, Shark, you'd fire them in an NY minute. 

Secondly, wouldn't whoever owns the Ferris Bueller movie sue the pants off the Sharks for using their name without permission (copyright infringement?) even though it is spelled in a twee manner?  Don't think this guy is a very "righteous dude" and needs to go back to school and attend some Ethics classes.

[UsernameFatigue]

8 hours ago, hifihifi said:

Woman with the sheets looked ill and she is also an idiot for not going with Laurie as that is basically her speciality. People don;t understand that 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. In other words even goving up more equity with Laurie she'd make so much more than with Kevin.

I didn't understand what exact;ly was special about the clothing line product with the 15 year old kid other than he and his mother seem very nice people and they've been doing great financially. 

I thought the sheet woman should have gone with Lori as well, and that the wedding lady should have gone with Kevin over Robert. As much as I love it when Robert beats out Kevin (or any shark for that matter) to get a deal, Kevin seemed like a much better fit for her business.  I still don't understand how the sheet gadget stops sheets from bunching, but it isn't a problem that I have so would not interest me. 

I thought the clothing was very pricy, but the young man was very impressive. When Daymond matched (I think it was) Mark at 25 percent, I thought that it was a high ask and loved when the teen countered at 20%. What I loved even more was when Daymond went up to hug him, and said he was glad that he countered. 

[Cotypubby]

My cousin actually used Wedfuly for his virtual wedding this past April. Tbh I wasn’t that impressed. I know they made it much easier on the couple in terms of all the logistics of planning a virtual wedding but as a guest the audio cut out for almost all of the actual speaking part. We heard them say “I do,” but none of the actual vows. (And it wasn’t just me, guests in other locations could not hear either.) Picture quality was subpar as well. Honestly they seemed like a discount option. 

[judyri]

Re Beuler, I am on a lot of zoom calls, and at least in my company its not necessary to be on camera.  Just log in and go about your business, multitask if you can.  Especially if its a big meeting where someone wouldn't be asking you a question, it shouldn't make any difference.  But different companies/classrooms have different protocols.  But yeah, if you are wearing the same thing and doing the same thing on a loop, it might look shady.

[nlkm9]

16 minutes ago, judyri said:

Re Beuler, I am on a lot of zoom calls, and at least in my company its not necessary to be on camera.  Just log in and go about your business, multitask if you can.  Especially if its a big meeting where someone wouldn't be asking you a question, it shouldn't make any difference.  But different companies/classrooms have different protocols.  But yeah, if you are wearing the same thing and doing the same thing on a loop, it might look shady.

Because if this guy, conpanies are going to probably get stricter about these calls. Funny idea but not a good public idea!!

[ljenkins782]

1 hour ago, nlkm9 said:

 

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Re Beuler, I am on a lot of zoom calls, and at least in my company its not necessary to be on camera.  Just log in and go about your business, multitask if you can.  Especially if its a big meeting where someone wouldn't be asking you a question, it shouldn't make any difference.  But different companies/classrooms have different protocols.  But yeah, if you are wearing the same thing and doing the same thing on a loop, it might look shady.

Because if this guy, conpanies are going to probably get stricter about these calls. Funny idea but not a good public idea!!

Yeah, I sort of thought he was going on Shark Tank for the exposure moreso than to get a deal, but the catch-22 is that the more publicity, the more vulnerable the product. This was the kind of thing that needed to be shared underground with college students doing virtual classes and monetized accordingly.

I remember plenty of lecture hall classes I took in person where they took attendance and factored it into the grades, but you'd never be called on to speak. People would do favors and sign each other in, but that system depended on having enough people willing to actually to the class and do the fake sign-in. If everyone flaked, it would be obvious, but in a virtual class, I do think this kind of thing would work.

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I thought the sheet woman should have gone with Lori as well, and that the wedding lady should have gone with Kevin over Robert. As much as I love it when Robert beats out Kevin (or any shark for that matter) to get a deal, Kevin seemed like a much better fit for her business.  I still don't understand how the sheet gadget stops sheets from bunching, but it isn't a problem that I have so would not interest me. 

Yeah, I thought they both made the wrong choices, Kevin is so ingrained in the wedding business, that was the way to go. Robert has the tech side, I guess, but he doesn't have any of the other elements. 

And this product seemed like a perfect fit for QVC and Lori's wheelhouse. If she blew it up big enough, the entrepreneur wouldn't miss the 20%.

I actually do see the value of this one, I have this problem of sheets nesting inside each other and the stuff in the middle never gets dry, it can take 3 times through the dryer to really get dry. But the name is godawful and I think Lori's rebranding and packaging help plus the QVC stuff could've been really helpful.

[seacliffsal]

This show has never led me to tears until this episode.  There was just something about the son and mom that really touched my heart.  I agree with others that the clothing seems over priced, but, really, I feel that way about so many clothing lines and I am not the customer they are going after.  I also liked that the son was willing to go "old school" and work hard to sell his clothes versus expecting to be instantly successful and wealthy (work for it versus expect it).  It also seemed like Daymond was giving real thought to how he could help before he made his offer.  Oh, and Mark said he doesn't invest in clothing, but he invested in that company that made sparkly sports teams clothing so his wife would have something to wear to Mavs games...  

I really didn't care for the Wedfully presenter as it was like she thought herself so very, very special (especially when she said to Lori that Lori probably didn't think her background was software development [those days are long gone when we are "surprised" that a woman could do such a thing...]).  I also think that people will now start going back to in-person weddings (and, quite frankly, I probably wouldn't be inclined to virtually attend a wedding outside of a pandemic).  I thought she was annoying.

The Wad Wacker (whatever...) may be helpful (I have had all of those laundry tornado experiences), but, like others, I don't see how it would prevent all of those scenarios.

Bruelr?  I agree about the integrity issue, but even more about the legality issue.  There are governmental laws about school attendance (at the local, state, and federal levels) regarding not only students receiving credit, but the school(s) receiving various monies.  And I would bet that most students who would use it won't go back to watch the class video.  As for businesses I could see many consequences for the employees and employers if this was used.  I think the presenter was really surprised that he didn't get an offer and the development of this app wasn't worth his dropping out of school (I liked that Mark connected dropping out with not getting the actual knowledge to make it work).

So glad to have all regular sharks this episode.  

[eel21788]

1 hour ago, seacliffsal said:

  I think the presenter was really surprised that he didn't get an offer and the development of this app wasn't worth his dropping out of school (I liked that Mark connected dropping out with not getting the actual knowledge to make it work).

Still, dropping out of school was probably a better choice than wasting money by not going to classes but pretending that you were.

ETA: His parents must be so proud!

Edited November 7, 2021 by eel21788

[eel21788]

On 11/5/2021 at 8:32 PM, KaveDweller said:

I would never buy the sheets washing thing, but good for that woman for coming up with it and doing so well.

Once again, I wasn't sure how it was supposed to work based on the presentation. Do you attach one of them to each of the corners of the sheet, so if you're laundering 5 sets sheets you need 40 of them? Or, do all 4 corners of the same sheet get attached to 1 device, so you'd need 10 of them for 5 sets sheets? Either way, she didn't say how many came in a pack, so it's hard to know how much you'd need to spend for them if you're going to wash an entire family's worth of sheets at one time.

Personally, I've never really had a problem with sheets getting tangled in the wash, and I usually air dry them.

Edited November 7, 2021 by eel21788

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Wad-free device holds the four corners of a flat sheet or fitted, so one device per sheet.  Or two devices to wash the flat and fitted sheet set. 

The device is unavailable on Amazon, and 8% of the reviews are 1 star, 4% are 2 star, the major complaint is the price, and several users said they stopped working after multiple uses.   Several users said the device works on flat sheets, but fitted don't work as well. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[eel21788]

Just now, CrazyInAlabama said:

The Wad-free device holds the four corners of a flat sheet or fitted, so one device per sheet.  Or two devices to wash the flat and fitted sheet set.  

Thankx for the clarification.

[Jtrain]

I saw nothing special about the clothing, just another here today, gone tomorrow brand. Looked really average design. And as far as the sheet lady, it felt to me like Lori was almost talking to her like she was a child, felt condensing. 

[judyri]

7 hours ago, eel21788 said:

The Wad-free device holds the four corners of a flat sheet or fitted, so one device per sheet.  Or two devices to wash the flat and fitted sheet set. 

I mostly have problems with fitted sheets, so this would be in the 'not buy' category!

[Bookish Jen]

Now that the pandemic is lessening a bit, I doubt many people want to do things virtually all the time, especially a wedding. So Wedfuly really didn't impress me.

Maybe I'm lucky, but my sheets rarely twist up in the washer and dryer, so I wouldn't be interested in the Wad thing.

I don't know what other people's college experiences were like, but I went to a small college where class participation was key to doing well. And I can't imagine not participating in Zoom meetings at work. And as many of you brought up, there are legal and integrity issues of Beulr. I also get the feeling someone who ditches a class or meeting isn't quite going to catch up later. Plus, the kid bugged me. He reminded me of every single smug douche bro I've worked with. Ugh.

However, I did like the last presenter and his mom. His clothing is a bit expensive. I doubt I'm the demographic he's aiming at, but I really admired his hustle and maturity (not to mention his mom's support). I really appreciate how he actually pounded the pavement to sell his clothing rather on relying solely social media. No matter what, I hope he's successful in life. 

[I Want My MBTV]

On 11/7/2021 at 5:35 PM, Jtrain said:

And as far as the sheet lady, it felt to me like Lori was almost talking to her like she was a child, felt condensing. 

I feel like Lori talks to most people that way, especially right before she goes out.  I know it's not nice but I don't think I could ever do a deal with Lori (not that I have anything!) simply because I find her so dang tacky.  I don't think I could take her seriously.  I spent half the show trying to figure out what she had on her feet.  All that money and just...  

I wasn't super exited by anything presented but I liked not having a guest shark.  I've liked some of the guest sharks but Barbara, Robert and especially Daymond are my favorites and they always seem to be the ones rotated out when there's a guest.  I really wish I knew how that worked.  Like do the Sharks decide when they're not going to be on?  They're all Executive Producers so I'd think they'd all have the same power but Mark and Lori (who are always there - much to my dismay!) joined later so maybe they have more power?  

[DEL901]

Mark’s the only billionaire, so he is the one they can’t lose.   He also closes the most deals.  Robert is nice, but I seem to recall he completes the lowest percentage of his deals.  

[ljenkins782]

15 hours ago, I Want My MBTV said:

I feel like Lori talks to most people that way, especially right before she goes out.  I know it's not nice but I don't think I could ever do a deal with Lori (not that I have anything!) simply because I find her so dang tacky.  I don't think I could take her seriously.  I spent half the show trying to figure out what she had on her feet.  All that money and just...  

Yeah, there's something about Lori that just seems so try-hard or something. Her generic looks, those ridiculous shapewear dresses with the zippers, her constant references to how "healthy" she is, etc. She doesn't exude confidence and she should, with all that she's accomplished.

[bilgistic]

Taking this discussion to Lori's forum.

[aemom]

On 11/7/2021 at 2:18 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

The Wad-free device holds the four corners of a flat sheet or fitted, so one device per sheet.  Or two devices to wash the flat and fitted sheet set. 

The device is unavailable on Amazon, and 8% of the reviews are 1 star, 4% are 2 star, the major complaint is the price, and several users said they stopped working after multiple uses.   Several users said the device works on flat sheets, but fitted don't work as well. 

Funny, but I watched this show as I was folding laundry and I had just finished untwisting two sets of sheets from the dryer.

Would I buy this? No.

I was looking at the Amazon website (where it is currently unavailable to order), and one of the reviews shows a photo from someone who said that it ripped his sheets the second time he used it.  I could definitely see this happening depending on the fabric and size of the sheet.  The gadget looks like very firm plastic that doesn't have much give.

I don't see the wedding thing being popular after the pandemic.  I could see it being useful for let's say a christening or graduation party being held at home or a private hall - allowing family members or friends who live far away, but would like to participate, and can't make it there for the event.

Totally agree with the other posters that Sheet lady should have gone with Lori and Wedding lady with Kevin.  They would have been better fits.

Also not blown away by the clothing line of the young man, but I was impressed by him and his mom.  I hope that they do well with Daymond.

Buelr was just dumb. Go back to school, graduate, and then get a real job.  He thought that he was all that, but he's not.

[TM101]

Virtual weddings? Seriously? I can’t believe she got a deal. Clear example of a COVID short term pop business. Even in the NYC/NJ area where restrictions were the hardest, in person weddings are already coming back in force.  You can argue her sales YTD are the best they are going to get. Also, why was Laurie harping on the fact she was a woman so much and applauding her efforts? Sorry, but tons of woman with better ideas have come on the show too. Also, I didn’t understand the business. Do they plan the entire thing for you? Do they just show up and handle the tech/filming to show a live broadcast? I didn’t get it.

The college kid, I agree with the idea above that his “business” would be better suited for some underground college app. Solid and wacky idea but not an investable business and I do agree with the integrity standpoint.

Wad Free. Didn’t really care for this product but OK.

The clothing mom and son. Great hustle and Daymond is the best partner for them. Didn’t really get the price point and style and how they had so many sales but I would assume a 15 year with that heart and drive can win sales on his own.

Edited November 12, 2021 by TM101

[lh25]

Really didn't like the Buelr app.  I'm thinking the first time someone gets busted at work for using it, fired and tries to sue the company.  If they are smart, and want to continue, they will need all kinds of disclaimers.  And I agree it's a bit integrity issue.  And his video at the start of the presentation fell flat for me, it confused the sharks.

I think the Wedfully is going to have to struggle to make it post-pandemic.  Maybe something like send attendees cupcakes or something to feel a little more interactive. 

[Vermicious Knid]

Washington Post profile of Trey Brown and his Spergo. This kid has investors, grants, and mentors galore and doesn't need a partner. This was free advertising.

 

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By 2019, Brown was everywhere. Investment management firm Invesco featured Brown’s story in a documentary-style commercial that aired in heavy rotation on CNN, and Brown soon beamed from an Invesco billboard over Times Square in New York....In early 2020, on a whim, Brown suggested they fly to Miami for Super Bowl weekend. They headed down with three suitcases of Spergo gear that they fruitlessly dragged around their first day in South Beach. It all felt like a mistake until Brown saw that Sean “Diddy” Combs was in town. Through connections, they had previously texted. So, Brown FaceTimed him. “Trey said, ‘You’re the only person in Miami without Spergo on,’ ” Peterson remembers. “And Diddy said, ‘Well, bring it to me.’ ”...A few weeks later, Combs presented his first-ever Black Excellence Entrepreneurial grant — for $25,000 — to Brown in Los Angeles, where the duo taped a segment for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”...When the 76ers announced a new initiative this year to support local Black-owned businesses, Brown was one of the people Watson encouraged to apply. Of the 700 companies interested in the opportunity, Spergo was one of two selected for the “Buy Black Program.” Conceived as part of a larger strategy to combat racial injustice, the program uses the team’s marketing platform and resources to boost visibility and sales for its partners, explains David Gould, the 76ers’ chief diversity and impact officer.