Dragon's Den (Canada) - General Discussion

[GreyBunny]

Wow.  Jody the crappy bra woman is rude, rude, RUDE.   Contrary to what she said before she walked in, she didn't learn to listen, she just runs her mouth and won't shut up.  Manjit is right, she's uncoachable.

[rcc]

I don't understand why they brought back the bra woman. She wasn't great the first time around, worse the second. Waste of time. Another waste was the arrogant furniture guy.

 

Manjit was rather harsh to everyone last night I thought.

[Amarsir]

I kind of like the furniture guy, although less so this time than his first appearance.  It's a bad pitch, but a decent business from a guy who wasn't pretending to be anything he isn't. That was my opinion last year and I stand by it. I just didn't need to see it twice.

 

I wish we got to know more about why Jim dropped out - twice. They've said before what a success Holy Crap is and it was nice to see them again. And I wouldn't mind if it got around to my local US supermarket. (Currently on Amazon, but $1.30 per ounce is a little more than I want to spend. I can get whole grains from Uncle Sam cereal for a third the price and buy American. :)  )

 

I have to laugh though - if you go to their website the biggest thing there is a huge picture of Manjit. Good for her for embracing it, but you have to scroll way down to even find the product, and then there's a video of her a little below that. Very Lori Grenier, but I guess that means it works.

[UsernameFatigue]

Manjit was rather harsh to everyone last night I thought.

 

No kidding! I agree that the crappy bra woman was 'uncoachable' but when Manjit started saying the same thing about the fitness guy just because he didn't agree with her opinion (and neither did Joe) I just shook my head. Manjit came across as as 'uncoachable' - and almost as unlikeable -  as the crappy bra lady in that epi. I would also like to know why the deal with the Holy Crap people and Jim fell through for the second time.  Manjit certainly seems to have taken over the business. Good I guess if that is what the couple wanted but don't know if I would have gone that route, especially since they still seem to be fairly involved.

[rcc]

Yes, I find it strange that Jim wanted to work with the people and twice nothing came of it.

[GreyBunny]

I was happy to see the Holy Crap people again. I'm also curious why things fell through a second time with Jim.

 

if you go to their website the biggest thing there is a huge picture of Manjit. Good for her for embracing it, but you have to scroll way down to even find the product,

 

Oh, I know.  Manjit's photo that takes up half the page screams, "Look at me!" rather than, "Here's this great product."

[The Crazed Spruce]

Former Dragon (and current Shark) Kevin O'Leary might be running for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

 

“I thought at some point, someone is going to say to me, if you can be such a critic, why don’t you do better? Why don’t you try it?” CBC News quoted Mr. O’Leary as saying. “I thought to myself, hmmm, maybe I should.”

Mr. O’Leary also said he was inspired by the Donald Trump campaign in the U.S. Republican race, saying he thinks Mr. Trump is “smart as a fox.”

[EverCat]

Ever since they got the new dragons I find myself laughing so hard at least once an episode.  This time it was the guy with his Styloli (? - the convertible hat).  Michele and Joe just looked so absurd and that hat was fugly.   Also, I couldn't understand why the butt cream pharmacist didn't take Jim's offer when he was meeting the assman's  equity  investment offer.  Who wants to invest in a guy who has to call his wife first?  Bad move when he ended up giving up more of his company.

[Amarsir]

Ever since they got the new dragons I find myself laughing so hard at least once an episode.  This time it was the guy with his Styloli (? - the convertible hat).  Michele and Joe just looked so absurd and that hat was fugly.

I wonder if that maybe has something to do with the reformat. Styoli seems like it might have gotten a mini-segment in past seasons, or at minimum would have been cut shorter to make room for the montage.  Letting it breathe made for a funny segment.

 

Joe in the camo was also hilarious. That's not his kind of product but I like that he was willing to dive into it and that they seem to be ramping up OK.

[GreyBunny]

Who wants to invest in a guy who has to call his wife first?

Maybe because it's her money and business too.  If I were married and my husband wanted to become an entrepreneur and it took my money and my time for it to happen, I'd want him to consult me before giving away a big chunk of what I worked for. 

[Amarsir]

Maybe because it's her money and business too.  If I were married and my husband wanted to become an entrepreneur and it took my money and my time for it to happen, I'd want him to consult me before giving away a big chunk of what I worked for. 

It's probably also relevant that this is a second business for him. If the cream was his only job and he thought about it 24/7 then I'd expect him to know better than anyone if the deal works. But as a side business his wife isn't that much less involved than he is. So the call stems not only from her own stake in the outcome but also from his doubt.

[rcc]

How about Michelle running into the pit to amend her offer. Jim couldn't believe it and he even said it's the first time in 10 years. I doubt Arlene would ever have done that. 

 

Michelle is young and ambitious. I like her and it was funny the way she just took off like that.

[UsernameFatigue]

I thought it was hilarious that Manjit glared at Michelle for running to the pit to amend her offer, and then she did the same thing with regards to another pitch later. I agree with the poster upthread though that Arlene would never have done that, and I hope it isn't a trend.

 

I wondered too why the butt cream guy called his wife when Jim was giving him what he asked for, but Mr User thought that he might we wondering if he should change the packaging etc. That said I would be surprised if the deal goes through with three dragons involved.

[Amarsir]

You know, I like the crazier array of pitches in Dragons Den a lot more than the 8 layers of pre-screening for Shark Tank.  "Sex toys in an hour" and a headband with no sales just seem different from the constant stream of apps and Bed Bath & Beyond shelf products.

 

That said, fire suppression - with and without Christmas tree specifics - is not new at all. And I feel like the business becomes immune to critique because the idea is noble. So that didn't satisfy my investment scrutiny for the final spot.

 

I did an Escape Room event last year in New Jersey, and they'd gotten the idea from somewhere in Europe. So it's clearly all over. There's nothing wrong with seeking investment for a chain, but a new operation of an established business is the opposite of an appealing investment.  You need personal experience in an unused space.

[rcc]

I watched one episode of Shark Tank to see Kevin O'Leary. I never liked Robert on Dragon's Den so I didn't care about him over there either. Mr. Wonderful Kevin was blunt and not the nicest man in the world but he is smart. Something likeable about him especially with Arlene and their disagreements and banter.

 

Dragon's Den is the original and the best and Shark Tank is just a copy cat IMO. 

 

I like the new dragons for the most part and I hope Jim never leaves.

 

Last night was a good episode especially the emotion with the firefighter's device.

[GreyBunny]

I was happy to see the baseball guys again.  When they talked about the success of their first business pitch, the drywall axe, I loved the "I can't believe I didn't get a piece of that!" look on Wekerle's face.

Edited January 22, 2016 by GreyBunny

[rcc]

I had to laugh when that tourism company wannabe gave his pitch. Jim was disgusted and the others rolled their eyes. He was oblivious to it all.

[The Crazed Spruce]

I work in the hospitality industry in a semi-rural area, and we do business with several wilderness travel groups, and there's no way in hell that tourism package was economically feasible, at least not at the price point they were offering up. $2,200 for a five-day, all-expenses-paid (including air fare from England!) package would barely break even. It's no wonder they couldn't sign up any lodges or hotels.

Let's break it down. The typical hotel room costs about $150 per night, and meals would probably come to about $50 ($10 for breakfast, $20 for lunch, $20 for dinner). There's also transportation from the airport to the campsite (maybe $100 either way), boat rental (let's say $50 a day), and equipment rental (about $25 a day). That comes to roughly $1,475, not counting the flight from Europe. So in order to break even, the airfare from London would have to cost less than $365 either way. And somehow I doubt an intercontinental flight is quite that cheap.

[Amarsir]

I enjoyed the tourism guys. We don't get as many goofy pitches anymore.

 

I was actually just looking at round trip from NY to Rome for $400. Oil is cheap right now. If they got a supplier deal for the lodging the cost isn't completely implausible, although I agree they aren't leaving a lot of margin. (I'm also granting that they were doing a "prices start at ..." statement, not quoting the likely price for most situations.)  The problem is that the bulk of the work has to take place via sales overseas, and they aren't there. Their vague idea isn't a business.

 

The cookie business was interesting. Frozen Yogurt businesses are very fad dependent and are definitely in decline now. Make your own Cupcake shops have appeared and are having similar problems. I think cookies could work if they have a way of doing a fast bake, but Manjit is right to want her money back quickly. 

[rcc]

A mermaid pitch! I thought I've seen everything on this show. LOL

 

The paint franchise business really looked to be a profitable one and Jim thinks so too. He only took 5% and he never goes that low.

 

I wondered what Joe's accent was. He hails from Morocco.

[Amarsir]

The paint franchise business really looked to be a profitable one and Jim thinks so too. He only took 5% and he never goes that low.

I'm surprised too. Either he considers this a completely hands-off investment or he has the franchise infrastructure so set up that it's easily delegated. It does sound like a good business, but 5% is so rare for anyone to take.

 

That was a nice followup on Quinta Quinoa. It's nice to see some behind-the-scenes on a Vikram investment. Especially since there aren't that many to choose from!

[rcc]

I like to see the follow ups too. Sometimes the entrepreneurs don't even take the dragon's money and do it on their own anyway. But, I did like that Vikram did help somebody since he wasn't the most eager to part with his money.

[rcc]

I liked that couple with the deer product. Jim will help them and I liked that he respected how hard they worked and wanted to give them a chance. Jim (and Arlene) have always been my favorites. I liked Brett too. They are there to make a deal but they also have some compassion for hard working people.

[GreyBunny]

I was really disgusted by the fur coat sisters and even more disgusted how the Dragons were drooling over the furs, especially Manjit who put on a big production about being a vegetarian.  "Ethically sourced"  uh...unless the fur was taken after the animals died peacefully and naturally in their sleep of old age after a long and happy life, there is no such thing as ethically sourced fur.  That segment really stank, it was the WORST and most nauseating thing I have ever seen on that show. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by GreyBunny

[rcc]

I didn't like that fur segment either. Wek grabbed a coat off the rack and wanted to buy it. Then he buried his face into the fur the rest of the segment. 

[UsernameFatigue]

I have never really warmed to the new dragons, and have never been a fan of Jim's or Wek's. Now I know why. The have no souls. How anyone in this day and age can promote fur is beyond me. And that not one of the 5 of them spoke up for the animals is beyond disgusting. There is absolutely no need to kill an animal so that a moronic human can wear their fur. And by moronic I mean Wek, Manjit and MIchelle who were all draped in dead animals. Obviously while Manjit claims to be a vegetarian it has nothing to do with animal welfare. I really miss Robert and David in times like this - I think either or both would have stood up against the needless torture of animals to feed the vanity of stupid people.

On the DD facebook page there are quite a few comments on this segment, including many people who have said they will no longer watch due to CBC promoting this business by letting these sisters on, and all of the dragons drooling over the fur of murdered animals. I have never seen a segment that disgusted me more.

Edited February 15, 2016 by UsernameFatigue

[The Crazed Spruce]

Updates on past pitchers who are putting their investments to good use and fan favorites.

[Amarsir]

It seems they caught the Shark Tank disease of "everyone is successful after our show". I preferred older update specials which included more visits with people who were told "no" - some of whom were still grinding and some who stopped.  Also there were a lot of updates we'd already seen in regular shows.

 

Overall I'm happy for the ones doing well, but as a show it was pretty disappointing.

[rcc]

I noticed the old updates too. I agree, disappointing.

[Amarsir]

So this had a couple of the goofball pitches DD used to relish. I'm still not completely clear what that emergency service guy was selling. And the Greek/Roman whatever brothers were clearly not worried about looking goofy.

Michelle's clearly the most competitive Dragon now, right? She's got Bruce's tech swagger but with a "what do you mean 'no'?" we haven't seen here since Robert. I like it, it's an energy the den could use.

[rcc]

I like Michelle's competitive nature too. Good choice for the new Den.

[The Crazed Spruce]

A business looks for a share of the Dragons' loot; an entrepreneur looks for a sweet deal; a company tries to get the Dragons to send them some money.

Y'don't say....

[Amarsir]

I had to go back to remind myself what the pitches were this episode. (Helped by that awesome description as The Crazed Spruce noted.)

 

Canadian Paypal: I don't understand why this is even an idea. Canada and the US are not so separate that offering a country-specific brand offers any benefits I can see. Especially if you're also carving off all business operations and just want person-to-person sharing.

 

Pirates of the Great Lakes: Strikes me as a typical lifestyle business. No one's ever going to make big money doing it but if you enjoy it you can make a living.

 

Scan my Dog: I miss Kevin. Only Mr. Wonderful can deliver the kind of a beatdown this guy needed.

 

Pig Out Chocolate: A serious business that I wasn't surprised to get an investment. But there are thousands of premium microbrew chocolate companies. I don't know if Michele and Manjit have a plan, but I guess with 50% they can create one.

 

Will's Jams: I remember his pitch, but I wouldn't have called it hitting that level of success. "6 figure revenue" doesn't necessarily translate into what hsould have been an investment, but he sounds successful.

 

Swim teacher housecalls: This is one of those where I would never jump on the idea, but the income proves it.  And then expanding to other activities is a good idea. That's a tough call: Jim at 10% or Michele + Joe at 15%.  She probably made the right call though. Jim's knowledge of franchises probably translates well to signing up new trainers around the continent.

Edited March 15, 2016 by Amarsir

[aemom]

I was really surprised that Manjit the vegetarian seemed to be snuggling up in her coat. I don't think that I've ever heard of a vegetarian who thought it was okay to wear fur.

Montreal (where the sisters are from) had a huge fur business dating back to the fur trade. That business has diminished over the years, but it's still going. I think that's why their business is doing well, because so much of the fur business is in Montreal.

When my grandparents came to this country as immigrants, that was where they managed to find jobs. I've never been interested in fur, I really think it's kind of creepy. I would be okay with their business if they were just refurbishing fur (the animal is already gone at this point), but they're also doing new stuff.

So, I can fully appreciate the outrage, but at the same time, the industry put food on my family's table, so I can't hate on it too much personally.

Edited March 16, 2016 by AEMom

[EverCat]

I'm glad Jim finally made the deal with the guy who had the hockey Calves protector socks. Same with the chemist who had the water ingredients nail polish, seems like a really good idea.I didn't think much of the product named amazeballs. I picture knocking back a glass with those in it and ending up cracking a tooth. And did he say his last name was phallic? That can't be his real last name can it?

[rcc]

I agree with the deals they made especially the hockey sock deal. The balls in the glass idea doesn't sound too bright IMO. Break a tooth, crack the glass, anything could happen.

 

 

 

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I have never really warmed to the new dragons, and have never been a fan of Jim's or Wek's. Now I know why. The have no souls. How anyone in this day and age can promote fur is beyond me.

Except as they pointed out how is it any different then wearing leather or eating beef, or even using a feather pillow? Why do those things not carry the same stigma for most people?

I thought the family concept was dumb considering many of the pitches on most shows are families.

[Amarsir]

I will say that the Amazeballs guy's method was interesting: he was thinking about the word and decided to come up with a product for it. Given that Whiskey ice balls are usually round and Whiskey Stones already exist, I can see why he'd get the idea.  And thermal gel cores sounds promising.

 

However, I'm surprised none of the Dragons caught a factual error he made. "It's a sphere which has more surface area which distributes the energy much better." Spheres have the lowest surface-area-to-volume ratio of any shape. Cubes have more, and if you picture something with spikes you can see how that would have still more surface area. (Not that you'd want it in your drink.)  This is why whiskey ice is made round: so it will have *less* surface area and not melt quickly.

 

So what he designed is completely backwards. Compared to cubes it will cool slower, not faster. (At least he admitted he's not an engineer.)

 

---

 

I like that Jim called the guys back and made a deal. But since he offered 30% and settled for 25, I don't know what was stopping him the first time.

 

----

 

I also didn't catch how Unstick is unique with stuff like Silpat on the market. Is it thinner / more shapeable?

[rcc]

I'm glad Wek gave that bike guy a chance. The amount of money he asked for isn't much for the dragons and I'm glad he stepped up.

 

Manjit was very critical of everyone tonight. But, she found an investment she liked at the very end. Cocktails of course.

[The Crazed Spruce]

That show about models fighting in an exotic location sounded like something straight out of 30 Rock. No surprise at all that the Dragons rejected it.

[Kel Varnsen]

The only advantage the money transfer thing might have is that it might involve a few fewer steps than paypal or an interac e-transfer. Otherwise why use another thing that has access to my account.

The dog thing was stupid, mostly because if i see a stray dog, i would be reluctant to get close enough to it to take a pic of its collar.

The swim teacher one was cool. Jim was probably a good choice. And if she works out of his office in Dallas even if her business fails, Jim probably picks up a talented new employee.

[rcc]

Not a good group of pitches last night. The animal dentist being the worst.

 

Valuations were too high and I think Jim was getting impatient with them.

[aemom]

Manjit was very critical of everyone tonight.

I find that she is the new "mean one." She's not as bad as Kevin, but I find that she can be quite mean and critical.

[Amarsir]

It's been a while since we've seen someone so out of touch with their numbers that they said "I have a sheet I can show you." She didn't even know the franchise projections to say it. I doubt they would have bought in anyway, but probably would have been kinder.

[aemom]

There wasn't a lot to this episode, but it was nice to see them again.

I'm glad that they replaced Jennifer with Arlene, because she used to say the same thing to each pitcher: I don't understand the business, so I'm out.

She only made one group deal when she was on if memory serves.

[rcc]

Jennifer was bad. Arlene has been the best dragon IMO. Brett is right up there too.

[aemom]

Those women with the nursing tops really blew it. They had Jim and then lost him when they continued to suck up to Arlene and pretended that Jim hadn't even made an offer.

An expensive but valuable lesson.

[Amarsir]

Oh nice! I'd been looking for a premiere date and hadn't seen anything firm yet.

[aemom]

Dianne Buckner is still doing the voice overs but was nowhere to be seen. I wonder what happened? 

The cereal people should have taken the deal and the last woman did quite nicely with her site and her deal.

The plastic dudes kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Like they were so incredibly amazing to be helping these poor impoverished people. Like we should bow down and applaud them or something. Lots of people help others but aren't so smug about it. 

The bamboo mascot made me think of Gumby.

[Amarsir]

Bamboo guy needed help. More than any Dragons have time to give, but guidance he would happily have accepted. I'm not sure I agree with their assessment that he wasn't driven. I think he wanted to run with the ball but couldn't figure out how.

The plastic pitch was awful. 30 staffed locations with no sales? Bull. Prove you can do something before telling me how awesome you are for doing it.

Just an unverified gut feeling but I felt the Dragons were all a lot more conversational with each other than last year. It's nice seeing that bit of growth.