Dragon's Den (Canada) - General Discussion

[aemom]

Season 14, Episode 1:

Tribu Experiental was up first - they organize stunt shows for a variety of situations.  At first he had no deal, but then Arlene called him back and they made a deal.

Cheekbone Beauty - An Indigenous woman who is making lipstick and putting profit back into organizations that help Indigenous youth.  Vince offered her a 50% deal.  The others felt that she was too early and didn't make her an offer and told her to refuse Vince's offer.  She did refuse.

Kanevas - I was really interested in this one because I have been looking for a black tote bag that doesn't cost a fortune with sections inside (to replace my old one), and when I found out how much they cost, I just couldn't spend that kind of money on a bag.  I checked out their website and it's great to be able to customize your bag like that, but just too pricey for me.  They were negotiating a joint deal with Michelle and Vince who wanted 20% and they said that they couldn't go below 15%.  Jim piped up that he would take that deal and it was done!

Pull Cord Buddy - This guy was an idiot.  He created this gizmo so that you can step on a handle to start your lawnmower instead of having to pull the rip corb.  He has sold a grand total of 12.  Yes TWELVE.  And has valued his company at $600K.  Jim offered to buy the company from him for $150K and he turned it down!  He was so unprepared for the pitch and negotiation, it was unbelievable.  Jim rescinded his offer after the Dragons all gave him shit for being an idiot.

Grobo - these fancy pants cupboards where you can grow your own weed.  They have bottles with chemicals and fancy lighting and you are prompted what to do next so that the plants grow well.  They got a deal with Lane and Manjit for 5% instead of the 4% they wanted.

[Amarsir]

On 9/27/2019 at 8:22 PM, aemom said:

Pull Cord Buddy - This guy was an idiot.  He created this gizmo so that you can step on a handle to start your lawnmower instead of having to pull the rip corb.  He has sold a grand total of 12.  Yes TWELVE.  And has valued his company at $600K.  Jim offered to buy the company from him for $150K and he turned it down!  He was so unprepared for the pitch and negotiation, it was unbelievable.  Jim rescinded his offer after the Dragons all gave him shit for being an idiot.

I can't remember when I've been so annoyed at a pitch. He did everything wrong.

• The invention was trivial. Not worthless, but c'mon.
• He believed the idea was worth all the value, not what you do with it.
• No clue how to sell.
• Terrible valuation.
• No clue how to negotiate
• Doesn't take advice.

I hope he doesn't need money in life because that would have been the easiest $150k anyone ever made.

Season 14, Episode 2

The Upseat Company - Nice product and a smart couple selling it. Sure would be easier to license but if that route didn't work they'll do well. 

Maternity Dream Sleepwear - The pitch was a surefire to get on the air with the great Lane demo, but he wasn't prepped with the product or the pitch.

Caribou Wooden Surfaces - I felt like he got beaten up more than he deserved. It's true he was trying to "sell" instead of just answering questions directly, but he saw the error of his ways. So ironically after a fight over whether he wanted a deal, he would have taken one but didn't get it.

Haystax Mortgage - Smart business, clever to see how dry the pitch was and break it up. Very early though.

Brigadiero Custom Chocolates - Interesting discussion on full automation. Michelle was right, they weren't thinking (yet) about sufficient scale. The first time this season where Jim comes in with "I'll give you what you asked for." And I think the first time Arlene swoops a deal despite a much higher ask.

[aemom]

On 10/5/2019 at 3:56 AM, Amarsir said:

The Upseat Company - Nice product and a smart couple selling it. Sure would be easier to license but if that route didn't work they'll do well. 

Michelle and then Lane were kind of offended with how the counter offers went, but in the end, I think that they will do well with Arlene.  It was a nice looking seat.

On 10/5/2019 at 3:56 AM, Amarsir said:

Maternity Dream Sleepwear - The pitch was a surefire to get on the air with the great Lane demo, but he wasn't prepped with the product or the pitch.

Such a dreadful pitch.  I could see it being easier to use than having to flip a giant body pillow from one side to another, but the pitch was bad, the demo was bad, the prototype was bad.  There's a lot of work there needed to clean it up to be a product worth pitching.

On 10/5/2019 at 3:56 AM, Amarsir said:

Caribou Wooden Surfaces - I felt like he got beaten up more than he deserved. It's true he was trying to "sell" instead of just answering questions directly, but he saw the error of his ways. So ironically after a fight over whether he wanted a deal, he would have taken one but didn't get it.

I was really surprised at how quickly they jumped down his throat.  Unless there was stuff edited out that we didn't see, they were upset about him trying to "sell" the product and not clear about answering some questions, but that happens fairly often.  Kudos to him for really keeping his cool when they started to freak out on him.  He seemed to have a very nice product and I know several people who like to have a butcher-block island in their kitchen, so there's definitely a market there that he can serve.

[aemom]

Season 14, Episode 3

Akuspike: This seemed very interesting.  It probably does help with certain things.  I looked them up online because the cost of the items were never mentioned on the show.  The ball is $40 USD and the mat $90 USD - so not cheap at all.  Not a product for the average Joe.

Fulhaus: Are people really setting up so many AirBnB that they want to rent the stuff?  I originally thought that this was a setup for buildings with corporate type apartments.  It seems very complicated.

The Unscented Company: She seems to have a good head on her shoulders and she can probably do quite well.

The Knight Knights:  I think that he would have gotten a deal if his valuation wasn't so nuts.  It was a good idea and he's right - you could add a castle and other stuff and continue the adventures of the knights.  As Lane said, if nothing else, it's a good lifestyle business and the publicity on the show could drive business.  He's got a 2nd book on his website.  My sons are way too old, but I might have given this a whirl when they were younger.  They did love knights back then.

Tiara Shower Cap: I am not their market because the one thing that I must do every day is wash my hair, otherwise I feel dreadful.  But I know many women who don't, and would love this product.

Edited October 14, 2019 by aemom
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[aemom]

Season 14, Episode 4

Hush Blankets: I've seen this sort of thing before, and these were rather nice.  The Dragons were all fighting over them - you don't see that happen very often.  Good for them.

Feels Like Friday: I feel like there was more going on in the pitch that was edited out for TV, because they seemed to jump on him for stuff that I've seen other people do.

Thawrih: Manjit was kind of a bitch to her - Manjit is definitely the mean one.  I even think she's meaner than Kevin, because I have seen Kevin shed a tear from time to time, but never Manjit.  Hopefully, she does well for her 40% that she gave up.

DaVinci Stick: If he had come with a lower valuation, he might have been ok?  This was basically yet another exercise type thing like a thigh master.  Not worthy of the level of wrath he got, but not worthy of that much money.

Shade Sails Canada: Very cool.  I wonder if they did the stuff at the water park we go to.  It looks the same.  Good on them - and I like that they use the fabric remnants to make bags and stuff - that's smart and environmentally responsible!

[Amarsir]

A guy comes in with a stick and their biggest problem is that he didn't know his numbers? I kinda wanted this to be more of a trainwreck than it was.

On 10/18/2019 at 9:18 PM, aemom said:

Thawrih: Manjit was kind of a bitch to her - Manjit is definitely the mean one.  I even think she's meaner than Kevin, because I have seen Kevin shed a tear from time to time, but never Manjit.  Hopefully, she does well for her 40% that she gave up.

I wonder if this deal fell apart before signing. That kind of bad blood isn't a good way to start out a business partnership.

[Amarsir]

Season 14, Episode 5. Family Special (although you might not notice by watching)

Eve's Crackers: $9 per bag is really expensive. I wouldn't pay that. But if they have customers that do, that's a lot of room for new margin if Arlene helps bring the costs down.

Hire and Fire Your Kids: I'm surprised they got a deal. I know it's just gamifying, but "fire your kids" is such harsh language it feels uncomfortable. (Which I think Jim mentioned.)

Two Sisters on a Mission: Many times we've seen parents using their kids as a presentation prop and basically talking through them. But these girls were pretty confident speaking for themselves. Sounds like a decent business and perhaps with a name change can have a long future. I hope Vince's kids are actually interested in being involved on at least some minor level.

Sprout Collection: Toygaroo got Mark and Kevin both on Shark Tank. And they folded because rent-by-mail is such a capital-intensive business. I don't see this business working out much better, especially when they get heavily into the stage of needing to replace worn out items. It seems like a good idea but that's a hurdle no one seems able to fix yet.

Fresk-O Cheese: Tasting must be believing because I don't get it.

[aemom]

Season 14, Episode 6

Tasty Buds: Novelty chocolate.  Not sure why people were so excited, but whatever

Walter: This seemed interesting and the Dragons were really into it.  The guys seemed smart and I hope everyone does well.

Good Food for Good: How much ketchup and BBQ sauce do you actually put on something so that reducing the sugar actually makes a real difference in your diet to shell out that much money for it?  I do like that they are buying meals for needy people based on sales.

Ruddy Lad: The guy was a bit of a nut, but hopefully he does well with Vince.  They're both in Montreal which helps.

Unbelts: She seemed nice and smart and I'm glad she got a deal.

Re-appearance of the gong show!

Original Wine Balm.  I'm sure that when people are drinking wine, all they are thinking about is it staining your teeth <eyeroll>.  Blueberries and blue slushies are much worse than that.

CanStruct: Interesting idea except for the open pop cans which always have residue in them as well as the sharp edges they mentioned.  Thanks, but no thanks.

Balloonology: The explosive version of the Thighmaster, lol

I really dislike Manjit.  She is definitely the mean one - way meaner than Kevin ever was - but she struck me as heartless in this episode.  I wish I could remember exactly what she said to set me off.

On 10/29/2019 at 10:43 PM, Amarsir said:

Season 14, Episode 5. Family Special (although you might not notice by watching)

Not sure why my PVR didn't record this one - I'll have to catch it on the repeats.

[UsernameFatigue]

I am glad that the Unbelt lady got a deal as well. I actually have 5 or so of these belts in different colours, bought 2-4 years ago. The first name of the product was Flatter Me Belts, which I actually thought was a better name. In any case they are so comfortable, and I like that the buckle lies flat and does not protrude under your clothes if you are wearing something over the belt. 

I dislike Manjit more every year. She really is insufferable. Has she ever been able to get through an episode without rolling her eyes at someone - usually a fellow dragon? This time I think it was Lane who was the object of her disdain because he was worried about kids with regards to the Tasty Buds. Frankly the product made no sense to me. If you don't smoke weed, you likely have no use for a novelty chocolate that looks like it. If you do smoke weed, you likely want the real thing. I can only guess that they are positioning themselves to enter the edibles market, and that is their real interest. But I think Lane is quite right to think that kids could be attracted to this, especially when the come out with a version that actually contains weed. Excuse me while I roll my eyes at Manjit.

I also agree that she is worse than Kevin. Kevin may have pulled "You're dead to me" once too often, or told a pitcher that their idea was garbage, but he wasn't disrespectful to his fellow Dragons. He also has a sense of humour about himself. It is funny that you mention Kevin, aemon, as I was just thinking that I like Kevin on Shark Tank way more than I like Cuban, who I also think is an arrogant asshole the majority of the time. 

[aemom]

30 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Kevin may have pulled "You're dead to me" once too often, or told a pitcher that their idea was garbage, but he wasn't disrespectful to his fellow Dragons. He also has a sense of humour about himself. It is funny that you mention Kevin, aemon, as I was just thinking that I like Kevin on Shark Tank way more than I like Cuban, who I also think is an arrogant asshole the majority of the time. 

Agreed!

[aemom]

Season 14, Episode 7

The Future is Bamboo: This seemed very interesting and she was 100% right.  I'm not paying $10 for a toothbrush, but I would pay a little bit more for something environmentally friendly.  I was surprised that more dragons weren't interested because they seemed to be doing fairly well.

Nudnik: The recycled clothing for kids.  This was an interesting idea as well - to use all the cuttings and whatnot from the manufacturers to make clothes.

Operation Take Two: This reminded me of the group of kids who came in one year to get money for their salad dressing and I think it's making a killing now.  Hopefully, these kids can do well with their project as well.

Norden: The coats looked nice and it's a cool idea that they're made entirely of water bottles.  But they made a big mistake not bringing the majority share holder to the den

Ramea Barrier Walls:  Three dragons were out.  Then Jim and Vince make separate offers - then combine, the other dragons start dissing the offer and then swoop back in to get a deal.  That was kind of nuts.  I didn't think that the barriers were so great, and I don't think that I've seen one out in the real world yet, but they're doing well, so good luck to them.

No gong show. 😞

[aemom]

Season 15, Episode 3

Cheer District: They spent so much money on that app.  The premise is good - since it's true that cheerleading in the US is very popular, but with what they already spent, they are just bleeding money.  I don't know if they can save it.

Cuban Lunch: I have never heard of these chocolate bars nor have I ever heard of my parents speak about them.  If I see one in the store, I will definitely pick one up to try.  I think that their deal was good.

Ra-zor Slide Pro: This was a cool gizmo and I would probably look into it since there is a lot of potential to save money on razors.  I was surprised that Manjit of all people was the one who made the deal with this guy and Lane even commented that she was nice about it.  I think she saw the potential to make a lot with this because I think that the potential is definitely there.

Wild Tea Kombucha: They blew the pitch big time.  Nerves totally unravelled them.  Lesson to future pitchers: Practice, practice, practice - and then do some dry-runs in front of people who will ask you questions and expect you to spit your numbers back at them.

Kabo Fresh Dog Food: I was surprised that pricewise, they weren't too much more expensive than standard dog food.  They seemed to be doing really well and the dragons were falling over each other to cut them a good deal - and their valuation was smart - which probably contributed to the offers.  Good for them - the brothers seemed nice and smart. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by aemom
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[Taeolas]

So what are people's feelings on the new Den? 

On the one hand, I do sort've miss the Industrial Warehouse look of the old one, and the new one feels a bit too much Shark Tank. 

On the other hand, it is growing on me, and seems to be well set up to be COVID proof. The COVID protections in general seem to be working well, especially the remote presenters. 

While I don't miss Kevin (Jim and Arlene seem to be taking on the crumungingly dragon role well, while not going TOO far), I do still miss Robert. The current dragons are great, but we don't really have a "Puppy Dog Dragon" (or maybe the "Class clown Dragon") like Robert tends to be; the one who will joyously jump into anything and everything the presenters might want a dragon to try.

[aemom]

On 11/11/2020 at 11:23 AM, Taeolas said:

So what are people's feelings on the new Den? 

On the one hand, I do sort've miss the Industrial Warehouse look of the old one, and the new one feels a bit too much Shark Tank. 

On the other hand, it is growing on me, and seems to be well set up to be COVID proof. The COVID protections in general seem to be working well, especially the remote presenters. 

While I don't miss Kevin (Jim and Arlene seem to be taking on the crumungingly dragon role well, while not going TOO far), I do still miss Robert. The current dragons are great, but we don't really have a "Puppy Dog Dragon" (or maybe the "Class clown Dragon") like Robert tends to be; the one who will joyously jump into anything and everything the presenters might want a dragon to try.

I think that Michelle is the one most likely to try out things these days, but she's nowhere near Robert's level in terms of interest.

The new set is fine with me - and the big screen for remote pitchers is good.

What I thought was interesting, is that on a previous episode, Manjit got up out of her chair and walked over to Michelle to whisper about doing a deal together.  I'm not sure exactly what level of quarantine they were doing during filming, but it would have freaked me the hell out to have someone up in my face like that, especially without a mask.  Michelle did not seem freaked out, which is good for her.

[Taeolas]

4 hours ago, aemom said:

What I thought was interesting, is that on a previous episode, Manjit got up out of her chair and walked over to Michelle to whisper about doing a deal together.  I'm not sure exactly what level of quarantine they were doing during filming, but it would have freaked me the hell out to have someone up in my face like that, especially without a mask.  Michelle did not seem freaked out, which is good for her.

 

Approaching the other dragons (and especially the presenters) is probably pretty verboten with COVID protections, but likely something that can be 'bent' for careful situations. They don't want the dragons getting up all the time; but as long as it is rare, it's okay. The dragons themselves are probably being extra cautions in general and expect the other dragons to reflect their cautiousness, so a bit of careful mingling in rare cases is okayish. 

Presenters on the other hand are more likely STRICTLY verboten from approaching the dragons, because they are less isolated compared to the cast and crew of DD. 

[aemom]

Season 15, Episode 4

Sobo: The soup lady seemed to have a good business going and I think that she will do well.

Massago: I agree with the Dragons.  I can't imagine why they want to expand into other services yet.  Kill it across the country in massages first, then think about adding stuff.

Hard Bacon: Lane made an excellent point about security.  There would (or should be) be a lot of technical details with this pitch that would likely have been edited out, but if there weren't, that would be enough reason to pass.

Essence Luxe: I was really shocked that she took Manjit's deal over Michele.  Michele is the queen of eCommerce, and she only wanted 20% as opposed to Manjit's 25%.  I'm sure Manjit will help her, but I'm shaking my head over that one.

Country Liberty: The guy is smart about how he goes about drumming up business.  Even if your stuff is the same as everybody's else's stuff, if you can get people to buy YOUR things, then you're winning.  Lane and Jim should be good for him.

[Taeolas]

Hard Bacon, when he came on and said "you give us access to your financial information", alarm bells went off.

When he said he had no one covering security, and that they didn't store anything so they didn't need it, I was LOL-NOPEing it out of there at warp speed. What a mess of a company. 

I'm out in Fredericton. Once the Country Liberty deal was aired, there was a lot of chatter about it both on CBC sites and on the local facebook groups. They certainly made a splash and I expect they'll do well even if the Dragon Deal falls through. (no idea what the status of it is)

[UsernameFatigue]

I was hoping someone might have posted about the last (I think it was) episode of the season. I can't imagine that the deal that Lane made with the VW bus guy will go through. Seemed like Lane was only giving him a deal based on nostalgia rather than any kind of a business plan. 

I thought that the Tutu lady's business would reach a very narrow group of women. Not all women like frilly tutu-ish wear - personally I hate it. In addition, she is ignoring 50 percent of women who might experience post partum depression by offering nothing that might help women who have given birth to boys.  I kept waiting for a dragon to state to obvious. 

Neither hubby or I got the draw of having a couple of celebrities endorse (in a round about way) a pot business. I was with Arlene when she was shocked that Manjit made a deal. Oh, and the pitcher was sooooo annoying. 

Loved the granite guy, and so glad he got a deal with 5 out of 6 dragons. And that he didn't go with Vince who more often than not annoys the crap out of me. I must say though that the dragons seemed ready to have the season end. There was more than the usual amount of eye rolling, and not only from the queen of  eye rolling, Manjit. 

[Taeolas]

I could see the VW Bed and Busness business doing okay, especially with a dragon backer. It's not going to take fire across Canada or anything; but it's a nice niche business that should boost local tourism (especially with a DD boost). It's like the old themed car-hotels that were aped in Cars on the old pre-Interstate highways. 

The Granite business should do well. I suspect some of the dragons will drop out ultimately, but he had the better offer with the big group.

[UsernameFatigue]

1 hour ago, Taeolas said:

I could see the VW Bed and Busness business doing okay, especially with a dragon backer. It's not going to take fire across Canada or anything; but it's a nice niche business that should boost local tourism (especially with a DD boost). It's like the old themed car-hotels that were aped in Cars on the old pre-Interstate highways. 

 

I don't think the business will actually come to fruition though, as I think the guy has next to no business sense and I don't see Lane wanting to be a babysitter or do most of the work. The guy didn't even have land, and there would be some red tape to setting up such a business. Golden is pretty much a tourist town already, so I don't see it as something that would add value. But even if it might, I don't see it actually happening with that particular pitcher. 

Edited December 21, 2020 by UsernameFatigue

[aemom]

Season 16 - Episode 1:

Zygg E-Bikes

Seemed like it was well thought out product and plan.  He got a $1M deal with Manjit - on the contingency that if he broke it, it would cost him 200K.  She was convinced that he was there for publicity.

HiBNB

Cannabis-friendly BnB.  I agreed with the dragons that this was dumb-dumb-dumb and she went home without a deal.

SwiftGrade

Loved this guy.  His app to scan the homework was very cool and because he was asking for such a reasonable valuation, they were all falling over each other trying to get a deal.  I believe that he wound up getting better than he asked for with three dragons.  Good for him!

 

Pop-Up Chapel Co.

This seemed kind of weird - because I also would not want to just let someone else plan my wedding, but they seem to be gaining some traction so good for them

Basecamp Cards
I really loved the idea of these cards and she was doing really well!  I went on to her website right after the show to order a pack of cards: $13.95 + $18.96 shipping?

What?  For a tiny deck of cards?

I sent an email figuring that something had gone nuts on the website.  As of now, it still shows such a crazy shipping value and nobody ever answered my email.  I am very surprised by all that... 

Edited October 25, 2021 by aemom
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[UsernameFatigue]

I am so glad to see a post about the first episode of this season! 

Regarding the Basecamp Cards, I just went on the website to order as well. I was ordering one set each of edition one and edition two. They came up at $17.95 per deck, plus $13.25 in shipping fees. And $2.46 in taxes, for a total of $51.61. Even at shipping two decks I thought the $13.25 was a bit steep, I know that Canada Post prices for shipping are often high even for small packages, but I decided to hold off for now. Please post here if you get a reply, aemom! 

My thoughts were similar to yours above. Didn't the pop up chapel lady say that she had done 170 weddings over 4 years? Since she does 10 weddings a day at the venue, that is only 17 days of weddings over that time period which is not a lot. And what happens if she doesn't have 10 weddings to fill a particular venue on a given day? Does that mean she is losing money, or does she charge more? Too many unanswered questions, but in the end it certainly isn't something that would have interested me when I was planning my wedding.

I thought the high BNB idea was ridiculous, and the SwiftGrade guy was brilliant. Talk about two ends of the spectrum, with ideas and valuations. 

[aemom]

14 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I am so glad to see a post about the first episode of this season! 

Regarding the Basecamp Cards, I just went on the website to order as well. I was ordering one set each of edition one and edition two. They came up at $17.95 per deck, plus $13.25 in shipping fees. And $2.46 in taxes, for a total of $51.61. Even at shipping two decks I thought the $13.25 was a bit steep, I know that Canada Post prices for shipping are often high even for small packages, but I decided to hold off for now. Please post here if you get a reply, aemom! 

I got a response last night and she mentioned that she knows that the shipping prices are absolutely insane and that she was hoping to be moving to a different Canadian shipper in a couple of weeks and would be able to offer better prices.

She asked whereabouts I was located - that she might be able to point me in a direction of a retailer.  She thanked me for the support and apologized for the inconvenience.

I sent her my postal code - we'll see what happens.

Personally, I would have squared up the shipping problem before I was on DD, but it's not my business...

 

14 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I thought the high BNB idea was ridiculous, and the SwiftGrade guy was brilliant. Talk about two ends of the spectrum, with ideas and valuations. 

Indeed.  I had the very same thought as well. :)

[UsernameFatigue]

Thank you for the info, aemom. I did get an email as I had not completed the transaction, so I think I will email back as well to see if their is a supplier close to me. 

[aemom]

Season 16 - Episode 2

LVL Up Studio

It made sense to me that Vince made a deal with them since he's in Montreal as well and can keep an eye on things, but I don't know that this is such a big money-maker.  I know that I would not set foot in an exercise space these days, but maybe that's just me...

Also $30 a class?  I would never pay that much for a group exercise class.

Common Sense Toilet Company

I have a very hard time believing that closing the lid before you flush is almost as bad as keeping it open.  We do keep our lids closed, but our toothbrushes are also in the cupboard, not sitting out on the counter.

Wide the Brand

I liked him and I'm sure that men face these dressing challenges as well.  I hope that he does well with Arlene.

Wildlife Outdoor Adventures

I think that was a decent idea, but I agree with Michelle, that there not a lot in that box for the price.  For $45-50, I would expect more.  I think that was part of the problem - they need to keep the cost that high so that the entire business doesn't collapse because their cost of acquisition is expensive.

Mobile Business Express

Very cool idea by a hardworking immigrant who came to Canada with nothing.  I think that Wes will be a good partner for him.

 

Basecamp cards - I haven't heard anything back since I sent them my postal code.  I think that you need to have all your ducks in a row before your DD episode airs.  I wonder how much revenue she lost because people went to buy the cards, saw the insane shipping costs, and said "no freaking way am I ordering these at that price."

[Taeolas]

I did like the comment about Jim and the impact he's had through all the years he was on the show. 

I also like they haven't tried to pivot one of the dragons to his old role. Arlene is now the Elder Dragon on the board now both in terms of number of seasons and age, but she has her role and investment style well defined, so she wasn't changing. 

 

All in all, I like the balance of our Den at the moment. 6 dragons, 3 men, 3 women, and all ages and domains. It's a much better balance (IMO) than Shark Tank has. And IMO they now have a much better set than Shark Tank too. :) 

 

Since DD doesn't tend to do Guest Dragons, it may never happen. But I sort've want to see Robert come back for a visit some episode, just to see how things have changed and to trade barbs with Arlene a bit. Mr (NOT!) Wonderful can stay south of the border, down Mexico way as far as I'm concerned. Since Shark Tank had a UK Dragon on this season (and acknowledged he was a Dragon; something Shark Tank has never done for Kevin or Robert), if Robert wanted to swing back to the Great White North, I'm sure something could be arranged. 

[UsernameFatigue]

5 hours ago, aemom said:

 

 

Basecamp cards - I haven't heard anything back since I sent them my postal code.  I think that you need to have all your ducks in a row before your DD episode airs.  I wonder how much revenue she lost because people went to buy the cards, saw the insane shipping costs, and said "no freaking way am I ordering these at that price."

They never got back to me either. The funny thing is I live in the city where they are made, or at least where the pitcher lives. I asked if there was a retail store where I could buy them. I could drive to the friggin' address on their website in less than 20 minutes and buy them in person (theoretically) so I am not spending over $13 to have the cards mailed to me. I also contacted a local independent store that sells games, etc. and they had never heard of them, but said another lady had been in that morning asking for the cards as well. So I directed the store to the website to contact them. Had I liked the first two sets that I was going to order, I would have bought several more sets as presents as I think the cards are a great idea. But their lack of communication is not impressing me.

 

[UsernameFatigue]

5 hours ago, aemom said:

Season 16 - Episode 2

LVL Up Studio

It made sense to me that Vince made a deal with them since he's in Montreal as well and can keep an eye on things, but I don't know that this is such a big money-maker.  I know that I would not set foot in an exercise space these days, but maybe that's just me...

Also $30 a class?  I would never pay that much for a group exercise class.

Common Sense Toilet Company

I have a very hard time believing that closing the lid before you flush is almost as bad as keeping it open.  We do keep our lids closed, but our toothbrushes are also in the cupboard, not sitting out on the counter.

Wide the Brand

I liked him and I'm sure that men face these dressing challenges as well.  I hope that he does well with Arlene.

Wildlife Outdoor Adventures

I think that was a decent idea, but I agree with Michelle, that there not a lot in that box for the price.  For $45-50, I would expect more.  I think that was part of the problem - they need to keep the cost that high so that the entire business doesn't collapse because their cost of acquisition is expensive.

Mobile Business Express

Very cool idea by a hardworking immigrant who came to Canada with nothing.  I think that Wes will be a good partner for him.

 

 

I didn't like the fitness studio, and question the amount of calories they claim a 30 minute workout would burn. For that intensity, I would think someone would have to be in pretty good shape to start with, or risk getting hurt. Also I think the pandemic has changed how many people work out. I know several people including two nieces who bought peloton bikes and now exercise at home to online workouts, and love the convenience of it. Personally I prefer to get my exercise through sports and outdoor activities, so gyms have never interested me. 

I thought the Common Sense Toilet Company founder was lacking in common sense. I just kept picturing my back touching this ring as it protrudes from the underside of the toilet seat lid, as I sit on the biffy doing my business.  Eeeewwwww. I kept waiting for a Dragon to point that out. Another solution in search of a problem.

I liked the guy selling the clothing line for husky men, but find the problem for people like my hubby is that he can find very nice clothes, particularly at a store called Big and Tall, but since he is tall but not big the clothes are usually too wide for him. It is hard finding clothes just for tall I find. But more power to him as men should be able to look just as nice as women if they care to. 

[aemom]

58 minutes ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I liked the guy selling the clothing line for husky men, but find the problem for people like my hubby is that he can find very nice clothes, particularly at a store called Big and Tall, but since he is tall but not big the clothes are usually too wide for him. It is hard finding clothes just for tall I find. But more power to him as men should be able to look just as nice as women if they care to. 

I have the same problem with my sons who are both over six feet tall but are very thin. Trying to find 30"x34" pants in store is quite difficult and we basically only shop at one store now to buy pants because we can't find them any anywhere else.

[aemom]

Season 16 - Episode 3

Lol - I cannot remember who got a deal or not except that I recall that the idiot concrete guys did not.

Virtual Run

I am familiar with another company doing the same thing.  It's interesting, but the last thing I need is gathering a collection of "medals" in my house.  Someone made a deal with him, but I don't remember who, lol.

Sodcrete Urban Innovations

Wow.  These guys thought that they had invented sliced bread.  It was just ugly, green concrete and I cannot fathom who would buy this or why anyone would want it.

GH The Leveller

Interesting idea, and I could see it being used for any kind of outdoor platform.

The HydroFlyer

I think that it was Wes who mentioned rentals at hotels would be good for this, and I'm inclined to agree - so they probably got a deal with Wes.  Not something I'm interested in at all.

Ellie Bianca

Zzzzz when it comes to yet another skincare line, especially something as pricey as this one.

 

[UsernameFatigue]

I was hoping there might be a comment or two about last night's show. DD is getting its share of duds so far this season. The gaming platform guy was out to lunch, on top of being rude and condescending to the dragons. That is sure to get you a deal in the den. Sheesh. I also found him slimy. Which is why I couldn't understand why Wes was so hard on the Coinmiles guy. He should have heaped all that scorn on the gaming guy. I thought Wes was quite rude, so unless some things were edited out, I didn't get his attitude. 

Speaking of attitude, Manjit was full of it last night. And a lot aimed at her fellow dragons. Lots of eye rolling going on, which is her specialty. I did love that Arlene gave it right back to her when Manjit claimed that she was the only dragon that specialized in manufacturing. So glad that the hair care product guys went with Arlene, despite getting identical offers from Arlene and Manjit. That made the episode for me. I find Manjit to be insufferable most of the time. 

 

Edited November 19, 2021 by UsernameFatigue

[Taeolas]

I do like that unlike in the Shark Tank, for the most part the Dragon's don't get into shouting matches (too often). Arlene is mature enough to wait (however frustrating it must have been) for Manjit to finish her self promotion before she made her own deal back. It really did feel like an Elder dragon waiting for the young'uns to finish their posturing before swooping in to take their share. 

Not much to say about the pitches in general. The gaming platform felt like it was a solution in search for a problem. He probably prepared as beset he could, but he clearly didn't have enough business experience to sell properly and prove it. Likely if he could've gotten some kids/teens in to play games as the demo it may have helped. 

 

And a note on last week's episode with Sodcrete, Yeouch! did those pitchers ever burn their bridges big time. No big shouting match, and the Dragons gave a lot of good advice, but the concrete guys felt they had invented sliced bread, when they only had a mediocre mousetrap at best. Most of the time the pitchers will say "You missed the opportunity" or something like that; but these guys felt really insulting to the dragons in the post-den interview. 

[aemom]

I haven't seen yesterday's episode yet, but for last week - I also didn't see the whole gaming thing.  My son - a big gamer - happened to walk in the room as he was on and kind of gave him the side eye.  I fail to see how hunching over is going to make you feel good?

The plastic emergency vehicles was interesting.

Coinmiles - I'm really not interested in bitcoin stuff, but he seemed very knowledgeable and I also didn't get why people were so hard on him.

The soup lady was very lucky to get her offer.  She just did not get that her valuation was whacked out and after Wes was very generous with his offer, she still managed to bargain him down.

The hair products guys were hilarious, but I just didn't see the whole need for the bag format of the product.  They had other stuff on the table that was in bottles.  I can totally believe that they may have a premium product, but I would focus more on pushing the product itself, and not the packaging.  I also think that they should star in videos - it would get some good attention.

[UsernameFatigue]

I didn't really understand the plastic emergency vehicle. How would one know how safe it was if it was in an accident? For most emergency vehicles there are people sitting in the back- fire trucks, ambulances which carry both a paramedic and patient in the back, even police cars if they are transporting someone they have arrested. I was surprised than none of the dragons asked that question. 

I agree that the soup lady was lucky to get a deal. She is lucky Wes was on the panel. Though I generally like Wes  I find him a bit all over the place with regards to some pitchers that he is rude to, and others that he maybe should be more leery of that he gives a pass to.  Of course that is true of all dragons but Wes seems to exhibit it more, Maybe because he is new. 

Speaking of Wes, I never did hear back from the Basecamp Cards young lady, despite two emails and another indicating that I was waiting for an answer when I got an email reminding me that I had no completed the transaction. I am not impressed with the customer service, and would love to give feedback to Wes since the actual business owner doesn't see to care. 

[aemom]

On 11/26/2021 at 6:35 PM, UsernameFatigue said:

Speaking of Wes, I never did hear back from the Basecamp Cards young lady, despite two emails and another indicating that I was waiting for an answer when I got an email reminding me that I had no completed the transaction. I am not impressed with the customer service, and would love to give feedback to Wes since the actual business owner doesn't see to care. 

I didn't hear back from her either.  Her loss.  Wes is on Twitter if you want to go that route.

Season 16 - Episode 6

The truck options were interesting - they certainly appeared to be sturdy.  Not my wheelhouse at all, so no idea how much it will fly.

Yougopoly:  If they actually did well and Monopoly got wind of this, they would stomp them like cockroaches for the spin on the name (to paraphrase Mr. Wonderful).  Some board games are doing very well again - but this game didn't seem to be it one to add to the pile - and it didn't even come in a proper box.  If you want to teach kids financial literacy - then focus on that - why are you talking about entrepreneurship?  Even entrepreneurs need to learn about rent/mortgages, budgeting, insurance, credit cards, etc.  The game should focus on those aspects.  The family could not see what a dud this was.

Dear Snackers and AppleFlats: Meh. I was not terribly excited to try these at all.  YMMV.

Sobrii: Very interesting.  Alcohol free gin with no calories!  If you're drinking for the buzz, then this isn't for you, but if they can branch out to other alcohol flavors, I think that it could be huge.  I do think that there is a sizeable enough group of people would like to enjoy a cocktail, without having to worry about their blood alcohol level or the calories.  Manjit was the best partner for him.

Edited December 1, 2021 by aemom
Typo

[aemom]

Season 16 - Episode 7

Costa Vegan Foods:

Vince as a partner made sense.  Vince said that he was changing everything but the name - curious how this will end up.

TruReal

This guy is a terrible pitcher.  The idea is interesting, but his meandering pitch along with his condescending tone of voice was a huge turnoff.  I'm not surprised that he went home empty handed - especially with what little sales he had.

Dr. Liza Shoes

I have a love/hate relationship with shoes and have several pairs of heels sitting in a closet that I've worn once or twice because they are so uncomfortable.  I would not mind paying more for a pair of heels that I knew would be comfortable and could get a lot of wear out of.  I'm not really interested in paying a lot for shoes and then paying to ship them back if the size isn't quite right, etc.  So if I could try them on in person at a retail location - I'd be tempted to check them out.  So - I disagree that going into retail is a bad move.

Smartbinio

This seems like it could be a very smart way to go.  There may be some tinkering needed with the model - but I think that it could work.

Willful

Very interesting idea.  I was curious if they had info specific for Quebec since the laws are different and they do - so, they've done their homework.  Definitely a smart option for a simple will - like a single person with few assets.

Edited December 8, 2021 by aemom
Typo

[Taeolas]

Yeah, I'm still not all that clear on what the TruReal guy was pitching, and I've no interest to find out more. Seems like just another attempt to consolidate and take advantage of all the various fraction and points systems out there. 

 

SmartBin, I'm surprised Vince didn't understand what the advantage was. It's a way to use  your cleaning resources more efficiently through the day, instead of checking every bin at set  times during the day, you'll instead know which bins are getting full and can schedule the pickup appropriately. It'll also give you more data on where you may need more bins or more pickups, (because they fill up faster each day). Then again, Vince is a theatre guy, so the nature of his business he knows where and when the surges will be (When shows let out), and he doesn't need more bin details than that; unlike more dynamic places like amusement parks or malls or airports or office towers. 

 

I think I've heard a pitch similar to Willful before; probably on Sharks Tank. So a Canadian version makes sense, and if they can thread both the Quebec and the Rest of Canada legal systems, all the better for everyone. 

[UsernameFatigue]

The TruReal guy was one of the worst pitchers I think I have seen on DD. And they have had some doozies, even just this season. 

Online wills in Canada already exist. Canadian Legal Wills is one online site, seems to be pretty much the same as Willful. And of course there have been kits around for making a will for ages.  Not sure if someone wants to forgo using a lawyer than Willful isn't already duplicating available alternatives. 

The shoes wouldn't interest me, but I did think it was interesting that the pitcher said that older clients would not buy online, as I would think older clients would not really be her target market? If someone is retired, how often are they likely to want to wear heels anyway? Personally I never wear anything higher than a couple of inches, and even that is almost never. Lol. I did think they were ridiculously expensive though. Weren't the short boots over $500? For $500 I would want a name brand. But then I have never paid anywhere near that for boots or shoes. 

[aemom]

Season 16 - Episode 8

On today's episode - so many pitchers who don't have their numbers straight!

Roo and You:

I have to agree with the female pitcher - I would have loved this when my kids were younger.  My problem is that I'm not sure that I would have had a place to store this - our house is fairly small.  But, my sons would have had a blast building forts and whatnot with this.  I think that they'll do well.  Good for them!

Ultimate Hockey Fans

I'm kind of surprised that they didn't get a deal.  I think that a lot of people would buy these fans.  Not me - because it's not my thing, but I know a lot of hockey fans.

Hutsy

Usually when there is a tech pitch and they ask for a weird percent, they don't have a lot of wiggle room to make a deal with a Dragon, but he was very quick to take Wes' offer of 25%.  I really had no idea that some people rely so much on this type of service, so if his fleeces them much less, then that's great for society.

Backwoods Glamping

They would have gotten a deal if not for their 30% partner who is contributing nothing and taking more away from the business.  How will they ever get rid of him?  This guy is laughing all the way to the bank.  I feel sorry for them - how could they have been so blind not to see it?

Rosen's Cinnamon Buns.

Yum....... cinnamon buns.  She sold her business to them for $300K but she still owns the brand and will "get a royalty."  Well, that's clear as mud about how that is going to work.  It would be nice to get an update one day.

Speaking of updates - the young composting guys.  I remember really liking their bin when they were on and I'm happy to see that they branched out and did really well - good for them!

[UsernameFatigue]

So sad that the season is over already! I really enjoyed the last two shows, there were some great pitches. Can't remember them now of course - need aemom's great recaps. 😃

Edited December 21, 2021 by UsernameFatigue

[Taeolas]

Considering the NHL has taken a COVID break, I wonder if CBC is regretting burning 2 eps at once last week. Then again, this is Christmas Week , so they usually try to cram as many Christmas shows as possible; so they probably aren't hurting too much. 

And yeah, it was a good season all around. Some great and interesting pitches, and some entertaining pitches, and some educational "how NOT to make pitches and NOT impress the Dragons" pitches. 

 

We've got a good set of Dragons at the moment, they've found their niches and seem to complement each other's coverages and weaknesses. It's also a pretty good coverage of Canada  (I'd maybe want a Dragon from the Maritimes, but I can't think of an investor out here who might qualify) 

[LakeGal]

Robert is back.

[Taeolas]

Between Robert or Kevin, I'll take Robert back any day. So I'm happy to see him back. 

He probably found it a bit strange to be back in the Den and only "recognize" Arlene.  He is still in the tank too apparently, but I'm wondering if this will be his last season there; it feels like he's been having less and less time there, as he tends to get swapped for guest Sharks. 

Interesting the Lobster guy went with Arlene in the end. He passed on a strong offer from Robert and Guzzo. 

The eye gadget sounds interesting. Michelle seems to be a good fit for them. 

The Parked guys had a good idea for the App... but yeah they really shot themselves in the foot. I almost wish Jim was still there to give them the Mr Lube-job when they said they wanted to go B&M AND App based. 

The Sprinkles company is interesting. The valuation was really tough to hit I'm sure.  I'm surprised they had as many offers as they did. The dragons pushed for some hard deals, but Arlene should be a good deal. Hopefully Arlene doesn't get too stuck on the Royalties. She's best in the role as the Elder Dragon now I think. She seemed honestly surprised to have the deal taken. 

Anyways, Robert didn't make any deals, but he does seem to be vibing well with the other dragons. I'm happy to see him back.

[aemom]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:04 AM, UsernameFatigue said:

So sad that the season is over already! I really enjoyed the last two shows, there were some great pitches. Can't remember them now of course - need aemom's great recaps. 😃

I just saw this now.  Thank you for the compliment @UsernameFatigue, though it's almost a year late. 🤪

I don't know what happened to my PVR, but it taped none of this current season and just realized that it's already over.

Ironically those infernal BaseCamp cards emailed me about a Black Friday special (first time in a year I've heard from them) and that's what made me think - "Are there new DD episodes?"

So - I'm catching up now by watching them on CBC Gem - HATE THE ADS - and I'm partway through Episode 2.

Episode 1 thoughts:

I have zero interest in eating lobster, but they all seemed very excited about the product and good on him for the deal with Arlene.  He seemed like a super nice guy

Eye gadgets seemed cool, and as much time as I spend on a screen for work and my hobby, I've never had the problem, so not for me.

We do use sprinkles here for Christmas cookies, but so much on other stuff anymore.  I hope she does well, she seemed very competent.

The Parked Auto guys - I first thought that they were teaming up with existing shops with that app to drive business.  Shops get business, the guys get a cut, you chauffeur my car around, everyone wins! Great idea! But they want to open actual shops to do the oil changes with?  Seems like a huge mistake to me.

[UsernameFatigue]

13 hours ago, aemom said:

I just saw this now.  Thank you for the compliment @UsernameFatigue, though it's almost a year late. 🤪

I don't know what happened to my PVR, but it taped none of this current season and just realized that it's already over.

Ironically those infernal BaseCamp cards emailed me about a Black Friday special (first time in a year I've heard from them) and that's what made me think - "Are there new DD episodes?"

So - I'm catching up now by watching them on CBC Gem - HATE THE ADS - and I'm partway through Episode 2.

Episode 1 thoughts:

I have zero interest in eating lobster, but they all seemed very excited about the product and good on him for the deal with Arlene.  He seemed like a super nice guy

Eye gadgets seemed cool, and as much time as I spend on a screen for work and my hobby, I've never had the problem, so not for me.

We do use sprinkles here for Christmas cookies, but so much on other stuff anymore.  I hope she does well, she seemed very competent.

The Parked Auto guys - I first thought that they were teaming up with existing shops with that app to drive business.  Shops get business, the guys get a cut, you chauffeur my car around, everyone wins! Great idea! But they want to open actual shops to do the oil changes with?  Seems like a huge mistake to me.

I did watch the episodes this season, but do not remember any of the pitches from epi one. Hopefully if you get a chance to recap the rest of the episodes AEMOM, some will ring a bell. I did love having Robert back on the show! 

I had to laugh at your comment regarding BaseCamp Cards. I too received an email regarding a Black Friday sale after not hearing from them in a year. I was very interested in buying a couple of decks for xmas presents last year, but when I went to order online the amount to ship was absolutely ridiculous. I actually live where they are located, so emailed to ask if I could pick up the cards locally. I even checked a local independent games store, and they had never heard of them. I never did hear back anything from my email enquiry. 

After getting the recent email I checked the local games store and see they now have them in stock, so I may still purchase a deck to try them out. Not at all impressed though by BaseCamp Cards  lack of customer service last year! 

Edited December 1, 2022 by UsernameFatigue

[aemom]

6 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I had to laugh at your comment regarding BaseCamp Cards. I too received an email regarding a Black Friday sale after not hearing from them in a year. I was very interested in buying a couple of decks for xmas presents last year, but when I went to order online the amount to ship was absolutely ridiculous. I actually live where they are located, so emailed to ask if I could pick up the cards locally. I even checked a local independent games store, and they had never heard of them. I never did hear back anything from my email enquiry. 

After getting the recent email I checked the local games store and see they now have them in stock, so I may still purchase a deck to try them out. Not at all impressed though by BaseCamp Cards  lack of customer service last year! 

I went back to their website this year because I was curious if shipping was still insane, and it was less - only $8 instead of something like $18 - but still crazy for a tiny box of cards.

Interestingly, they have them on Amazon with free shipping if you spend the usual $35.  So I may toss them into my next order to try them out at Christmas once and for all.

[aemom]

Season 17, Episode 2

Cocktail Bomb Shop

Wow, she's making a killing with these.  So it costs you $5+tax to make your own drink - I guess part of the appeal is watching it fizz up.  I avoid drinking calories at all costs, so not something of interest to me.

Mossify

Such a weird pitch.  Again, not something that really interested me.

No Story Lost

This was interesting.  Fabulous idea, but the price - $1,500 for the base model is WAY, WAY, WAY out of reach for most people.  I think that if you really wanted to have a souvenir like this, you could do your own interviews, write things up - get help there if writing is not your strong suit - put a bunch of pages together and then send it to a printer.  The books also seemed rather small for the price, though Manjit's seemed a bit larger than the one in the photo.

Manba

I like peanut butter, but I don't like spicy foods, so not for me.  I wish them well, because I think that there is a market for their product.

Unightie

She was very charming, but this is clearly a one-woman-business for her to make a little money on the side.  Great product for serious campers.  Not something that is investible.

[aemom]

Season 17, Episode 3

Ryna

Wow, these ladies seriously hustled their deal.  Good on them if they can get away with it.  I think that they were definitely on to something.  I've never had a roommate, but I can see how complicated the process can be, and I watch People's Court, so I've seen the ramifications of a bad setup many times 😃

The Rod Caddy

I know nothing about fishing at all, so I cannot say anything about this.  I think that the Dragons are right - they would have had more traction if people were really interested?  He should start making a bunch of silly, TikTok videos or something to see if he can set something on fire.

Train Fitness

Very interesting idea.  These are the types of exercises that I do, but I don't really have a hard time counting my reps and logging them.  Would I pay an app every month to do that for me?  It's doubtful, but I don't tend to be the average bear in a lot of things.

Manmade

All I know about men's underwear is that I buy it for the men in my house when it starts getting ratty or someone actually complains.  I just buy the same stuff over and over again.  I cracked up over the BSTL (I ALSO learned something new).

Rabbittown

I can't drink alcohol anymore (my body gives me the finger when I do, so I just stopped), but I am not motivated to drink a lot of calories from these types of drinks.  The woman seemed very nice and competent, so I hope she does well.  I will stick to my Heineken Zero, which has been doing the job for me.

[aemom]

So I finished watching all the episodes. Some interesting pitches.

The reusable Hot Pockets - twenty years ago I had a baby bottle warmer that worked the same way - it was a cylinder that wrapped around the bottle and you boiled it afterwards.

The houseplants were interesting, and I really liked her.

I don't think that baby bidet thing will really go anywhere here in North America. 

The mattress reselling was interesting 

Those people with the plants in a glass box offering 1% of the company - eyeroll. The pitch wasn't even good!

The device to cut the rings off was fascinating. I had no idea that it was such a big problem. 

@UsernameFatigue I ordered those Basecamp cards from Amazon - free shipping with my $35 order! 😀 We're going to try them out over the holidays.

[UsernameFatigue]

15 hours ago, aemom said:

 

@UsernameFatigue I ordered those Basecamp cards from Amazon - free shipping with my $35 order! 😀 We're going to try them out over the holidays.

I bought the cards as well as they now sell them in our local toy store. They had both editions, I bought the first edition. We will try them as well over the holidays. We will have to compare notes on how well our friends/family liked them.

Unfortunately I only remember bits and pieces of the pitches this season, not enough to comment on them.  I did laugh at your statement that you avoid drinking your calories at all costs as I do the same. I always say that I would rather eat my calories than drink them. Lol. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by UsernameFatigue