Dragon's Den (Canada) - General Discussion

[aemom]

Episode 3:

I liked the safety guy and those vests wouldn't be a bad idea to throw over a Halloween costume.

Vodka guy clearly had a crappy product judging from their reaction. 

Sauce lady seemed disappointed, but took the feedback in stride.

I was surprised how excited everybody was about the grabber.

I thought that the active wear was nuts. The prices were crazy and I didn't look at those items and think they were worth that cost. I can't imagine spending that kind of money on workout wear, but clearly some people do.

No gong show again this week :-(

Edited October 15, 2017 by AEMom
Typo

[Amarsir]

They did NOT like that colored vodka. I knew Manjit would be tough on it, but nobody liked anything about his pitch. That's one of the worst reactions I can remember that didn't have a fundamentally ridiculous idea. 

Doing a followup on a product that got an external investor is new and interesting. I wonder why David didn't stay more involved, but it was kind of cool that the show was willing to follow the story.

[Taeolas]

Episode 4: Student special

I guess they only did the Gong show for the premier sadly. :( 

Student week was good this time. Four deals and two fails I think ? And three  six-dragon deals too. I'm not sure the kid with the book was really worth the deal, but he was charismatic as hell, and I'm sure he'll do well on the talk circuits.

No way Kevin would have jumped into a medical device, but these dragons had no problem doing so; they're clearly looking to get in on the ground floor and I think it's a good deal. 

The speed reading app would be interesting. I'm sure some of the dragons will drop but it could be interesting. 

I'm surprised Jim didn't jump into the hockey gear one, but the kids presented well and seem to have a decent product so they should do well with the Dragon Bump. 

The pillow pitch has some okay elements, but her design isn't right yet. I'd probably go wtih a 2 layer pillow, and design it so you unsnap one layer and tuck it into the pillow so you don't have pockets. You could probably design it with fold over pockets such that you wouldn't need snaps too. 

[UsernameFatigue]

I thought this was one of the best DD episodes in awhile. Though I will admit that I had no idea what the hockey gear kids were really selling, and what problem it solved. The one dud to me was the pillowcase. If you don't want acne caused by a dirty pillow, wash your face properly before you go to bed. It seemed like a product to me that was in search of a problem. And if the problem is you wash your sheets once a week and need a new pillow case after three days, simply turn over the one you are using and use the previously unused side. Problem solved. Well that, and properly washing your face. Duh. 

[aemom]

The pitches were either really good, or really bad.

Seriously, how long does it take to change a pillow case? Put your phone down for 1 minute and that's all the time you need. $80 for a pillow case?

[Amarsir]

That was very impressive, especially for a "student special" which I tend to be wary of. I don't think the book was anything great, but the kid himself was certainly worth an option. (If he gets big he may actually regret the speaking fee deal, although being under 18 I think he can undo it anyway when he reaches the age of majority.)

[aemom]

Episode 5:

Car repair app was interesting. I wonder if it will make it through due diligence. 

I knew that the fashion lady was going to be a bust as soon as she started her pitch.

The concussion stuff started off like a bunch of hocus pocus we've seen in the past, but there seemed to be a lot of studies already,  so it could be interesting. 

The memory device tied into the phone - I'm really curious to see how that makes it through due diligence. 

The wedding ladies seemed smart. They probably have a good business for themselves there.

[Amarsir]

This was a surprising episode. I was shocked the Fiix guys actually took an offer. (Although it may well fall through.) The further the concussion guys got the more disbelieving I was. And then they capped it by not wanting Arlene and her marketing expertise. 

The dresses though, yeah that was predictable. Arlene's rant felt off the mark to me, but the pitcher was doing a pretty bad job of what is a pretty simple "dresses to flatter all bodies" goal.

I don't think MYLE is a particularly good idea. Maybe there's a space for a wearable device that circumvents phone connections, but watches would still be the way to pick that up. And I think it's a bad choice for a small business to try to sell tech hardware when most of this seems to be software oriented. If Apple and Fitbit can't do this yet, future versions will and they don't need anything from him.

[aemom]

Episode 6:

The personal trainer thing is going to go nowhere.

The guitar thing was really cool.

The meatball thing was cool. Very simple to use.

The mattress was interesting, but I would never, ever buy a mattress that I couldn't try out first to make sure that I like the feel of it.

[Taeolas]

Yeah Personal trainers are a dime a dozen. 

The Guitar thing was cool and I can see that taking off. Shark Tank would've had Kevin testing it out in a flash (then again Kevin is more of an acoustic guitar player isn't he? Dragons Den may have lucked out with Michael knowing the electric strings). I'm not in the Industry, but I can see that device taking off.

 

The meatball thing was cool, but it may have already taken off. He's in the Den to get a second wave, which may or may not take off, depending on how long it's been since the first one. I don't think it's been long enough for enough new people to set up homes and load up on unitask kitchen gadgets. 

 

I agree; I only look for beds I can try first. But judging from the commercials on TV there seems to be a market for ordering a bed online just like those. Not sure the Canadiana aspect will be enough for them to do well, but they may have enough of a niche to survive. 

[Amarsir]

Alton Brown would not approve of a Unitasker meatball maker. I don't see it as a great sale, but apparently people did. If it has a second life, Michael will find it.

The guitar device was a great idea, and he scored great with Jim & Michael. I was slightly amused at Michelle presenting her offer like a sure thing and then losing out.

I remember hearing before that OMGs was a huge success, but this does sound like they've hit it as a huge brand. And yet I don't think they've penetrated the US much yet so there's a lot of potential.

Online order mattresses are a huge idea - 8 years ago.  Casper is probably the biggest and is reportedly planning an IPO at over $1 billion. And you get 100 days to return it if you don't like. Of course these guys weren't new either if they're hitting $20 million this year. And reportedly the whole industry has great margins too. The biggest challenge is marketing. (Which is why they went on Dragons Den and turned down a $10 million valuation. But they did go up to 7.5% on 3 Dragons, so maybe they're legit.)

Edited November 7, 2017 by Amarsir

[Taeolas]

I tried OMGs after they first appeared on the Den and started showing up in stores, and they are well worth it. I haven't picked up a bag in awhile, but they are really good and I'm glad they are doing well. They're in pretty much every candy aisle in the big stores around here (Except maybe Walmart; can't recall if I've seen them there or not). 

[aemom]

Episode 7:

The Den honours our nation’s heroes in this Heroes Special.

A former air force member is looking to target a deal in the Den, a couple of firefighters want to charm the Dragons with their cooling products and a former tank commander thinks his combat solution is investment worthy. Plus, a previous military officer aims to commission the right Dragon for his dangerous collection.

 

PITCHES IN THIS EPISODE

Capital Cooler Rentals

Coach4Cashflow.com

Jeff Alpaugh Custom

Nagi Cosmetics

RVezy

 

I thought that the cooler trucks were very cool and great for businesses who need temporary storage or for events. This could go well for them.

The investment guy. I couldn't figure out if you were supposed to mortgage your house, or consolidate your debt. What a mess!

The RV rentals seemed like an Airbnb version of it. It could do well. RVs are very popular. 

The makeup seemed like it would be a good small business for herself.  It is a very competitive space and she has a decent market size in Montreal. 

The shirts seemed interesting.  I kept waiting to see the online system where you would pick the fabric, the collar, the sleeve style, etc, to show how it was customizable,  but we never did. I think that was a missed boat. Boy that guy has energy in spades and tons of confidence.  He might do well with the shark's help.

For the update, I was glad to see that the helping app for people with illnesses was doing well. Anything that helps people is a good thing.

Edited November 10, 2017 by AEMom
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[Amarsir]

My problem with the makeup was, it sounds like the product already exists but stores weren’t carrying it. So her decision to manufacture will run into the problem instead of solving it.

[Taeolas]

The Cooler company seems like a great idea, and he should do well, especially with these dragons backing him. Most of the Dragons have businesses that would do well with him, even in the winter. 

The financial planner was all over the place and rightfully roasted. 

RV rentals will probably do well if he can grab enough mindspace fast. He'll probably do well in Canada, but likely won't grow much beyond there. 

The cosmetics is a small fish in a smaller pond at the moment. She'll do well enough in Montreal and maybe the rest of Canada, but as Amazon and similar expand online and in Canada, she's going to be eaten up. 

[Taeolas]

Seemed like the pitches this week were either not as clean as usual, or were editted badly. The very first one seemed very dull, but something got them excited. Still, I don't think I would be interested in buying a Self Driving Car addon package; for liability reasons and for mechanical reasons. If they can go anywhere, they'll be snapped up quickly in any case.

The Firemask seemed like an okay idea, but seemed off. I'm actually surprised it didn't get a deal.

The Tea deal has sadly already fallen apart. JIm's other Tea company has a non-compete clause which forced him to cancel the deal.

TrapTap seems like an intriguing idea for the leadfooted among us. A lot of details are as fuzzy as their ownership, but the concept is legit and legal. It's basically a mapping app, so there's no radar detection or anything else that would neuter police speed enforcement. 3 solid offers, but Michelle does seem to be the best to handle it. The fact that Jim was willing to invest was a huge green light for them; he's got the police background and he's absolutely roasted previous pitches for evading tickets. Once he realized what it was actually doing, he was in fully. I do wonder what Arlene's two questions were; she got out talked by the other dragons who were trying to clarify the first question. 

Nice update with Velofix; seems like its another Dragon success. Jim seems to have done very well with them. 

Not sure what the appeal is for these Loot Box clubs, but they seem popular. Nothing I'm interested in, but people jump at them like mad. 4 dragons at 40% though; I suspect that deal will fall apart as well. He would probably have been better to go for the 2 dragons, to at least have a more focused deal. 

[Amarsir]

I don't drive enough right now to pay for a self-driving car package, but I would totally invest if I could. Think they'd take my $25k for 0.5%?

Jim was totally stealing all the deals, and it was fun to see Michelle falling into the Kevin role of going "What are you doing to us!?" But then she actually got the TapTrap deal so happy endings for her.

Sneaker Subscription doesn't sound like a concept to me, but the guy's a hustler who's selling. And as overdone business trends go, I'll take Sneaker Subscription Box over "Uber for Sneakers".

[Kel Varnsen]

On 10/19/2017 at 2:06 PM, Amarsir said:

They did NOT like that colored vodka. I knew Manjit would be tough on it, but nobody liked anything about his pitch. That's one of the worst reactions I can remember that didn't have a fundamentally ridiculous idea. 

 

Manjit always seems to make sure to thoroughly trash any beverage product that comes in the den that she doesn't want to invest in. And it comes across as super petty, like got to make sure to trash the competition so they don't steal any of my market share. Plus her line at the end about how the alcohol business looks like fun, but you have to make a quality product made me laugh, especially since although I have never had it from everything I have read, Boxer beer and just about everything beer produced by Minhas is pretty bad.

On 10/19/2017 at 8:50 PM, Taeolas said:

No way Kevin would have jumped into a medical device, but these dragons had no problem doing so; they're clearly looking to get in on the ground floor and I think it's a good deal. 

That device might have been one of the most interesting pitches I have seen on the show in a long time, if not ever. I hope they do an update on that one soon since it was pretty impressive. The only thing I am wondering about that is setting up the service to monitor it and how that will work. Hopefully they can figure it out since it could be a real success that would help a lot of people. It also blew my mind that those guys were only in 1st year of engineering. I studied engineering, and in my first year I wasn't doing anything close to anything like that. Probably because I spent too much time drinking beer (although I am sure even the beer I was drinking back then was better than Boxer).

[Taeolas]

Woot! The Gong show is back! And very worthy gongs indeed.

The rescue kit, I think we saw one earlier on DD or Shark Tank that was much better setup and prepared. This was a cheap backpack filled with possibly perishable stuff.

The bottle toss... WTF was that? Other than a continuation of games failing in the den. 

And the Shoulder-ie stick, yeah maybe if it had better ways to control it and to stabilize it there might have been something, but what was presented... yeah that isn't going to work.

 

The last pitch... ugh that should've been in the gong shows. What a snake oil presentation. I'm really disappointed that the dragons bought in on that. I was really expecting Jim to chew them up since he seemed to be biting his lip. Really I expected them to chew them up and spit them up. I think the producers may have expected that too. I miss one of the older dragons. I can't remember which, Brett or Bruce I think, had a nose for snake oil like that and tore up a few pitchers like that. 

Thankfully the rest of the pitches were solid. The baby monitor is a good idea, just taking some existing tech and putting the pieces together, but seems very valid. 

The Jeans hanger also seems like a good idea. It's a unitasker device, but if you want to hang up your pants, it should do well. 

The Selfie swivle stick is a solid good idea. They should do well enough.

Twitch Plays Football seems interesting. Not my sort of thing. They royally messed up the valuation; if they had started lower they probably would have had a deal. Though I'm not sure if they'll have the endurance to really last once the Twitch fad fades. 

[Florinaldo]

So all 6 dragons fell for the "quantum entanglement" nonsense pitch? Even though it featured some well-worn flim-flam tricks like the calculated push on a body part to make it appear that the device or spray had an effect. With a little sprinkling of techno-babble to make it all sound so serious, a classic trick that works because the general science illiteracy of the potential rubes means they are not to able to realise that a scientific concept is used with no relationship to its real meaning and to the claims being made.

Aren't two of these people supposed to be engineers? I guess Sheldon Cooper's low opinion of engineers has some basis in reality.

[UsernameFatigue]

I liked the selfie swivle stick. The toddler monitor? Put a loud bell on the kid's door. My husband said "What if the kid decides to go out the window?". Lol. The women didn't seem all that bright to me. First they want Arlene or Manjit just because they are in Calgary, though they didn't offer the best deal. Then the one says "Lets just take Arlene's deal" even though once again it wasn't the best one. Then when they come back out, instead of asking both Arlene and Manjit if one of them would match Jim's offer, they ignore Arlene and only ask Manjit. They seemed very flighty to me. 

I wouldn't use the jean hanger because I hang my jeans over the bottom rung of a hanger, thus using only half the space that it would take to hang using that jean hanger. I also hang two pairs on one hanger with no problem, which also saves space. I am sure some will buy the hangers, but not me. 

I have no idea if the last pitch has any merit, though Joe and Michelle seemed to think it worked. I was happy they got a deal from 5 dragons if only to piss Manjit off. Her eye roll at the end was classic Manjit. She is such a sore loser. 

[Florinaldo]

Perhaps the eagerness of the 5 dragons, especially Jim who seemed to be nearly seething as he was biting his lip as Taeolas described, was because they intend to expose the quantum guy for the scamming con that he is during the due dilligence phase. Manjit's obvious disappointment may have been because she knows how often people have made fortunes selling worthless miracle products to a naive public (I do not know if her beers qualify), so she recognized a good money-making opportunity.

Edited November 24, 2017 by Florinaldo

[Taeolas]

But the due diligence phase isn't really publicized, so if they want to expose, that isn't the time to do it. Hell, the pitchers could just take the publicity and run and not even provide anything for the due diligence phase. 

If they want to expose the Flim Flamery, it should have been right then and there in the Den, like they've done before ( with "Healing Waters" and Crystals IIRC; though the Crystals did get a deal because it was basically a cheap deal)

 

I think for the Jeans hanger, the big advantage to it, is that it hangs the jeans up by the belt loops, so that is the only point of contact between the hanger and the jeans, letting them hang freely, with no creases or other marks from the folds or hanger. I haven't worn jeans in decades, and I'm not fashion conscious at all, so I have no idea how big a difference that makes, but apparently it's enough to make a dragon deal. 

[UsernameFatigue]

5 hours ago, Taeolas said:

But the due diligence phase isn't really publicized, so if they want to expose, that isn't the time to do it. Hell, the pitchers could just take the publicity and run and not even provide anything for the due diligence phase. 

If they want to expose the Flim Flamery, it should have been right then and there in the Den, like they've done before ( with "Healing Waters" and Crystals IIRC; though the Crystals did get a deal because it was basically a cheap deal)

 

I think for the Jeans hanger, the big advantage to it, is that it hangs the jeans up by the belt loops, so that is the only point of contact between the hanger and the jeans, letting them hang freely, with no creases or other marks from the folds or hanger. I haven't worn jeans in decades, and I'm not fashion conscious at all, so I have no idea how big a difference that makes, but apparently it's enough to make a dragon deal. 

All I wear pretty much is jeans, and dress pants when I have to. (Never wear dresses or skirts). I use thick plastic hangers, (rather than the thin wire ones) and never have a problem with creases. I also use my drying rack in my laundry room to dry jeans/pants, so would never hang them damp in my closet. But yes, I am sure they will sell some. I have a walk in closet but even at that, it is packed so would not give this product the space it would need to hang one pair of jeans the length of space you would need for a dress. 

Regarding the chiropractor's pitch, I think as the pitch went on Jim went from biting his lip to being intrigued. I have seen different products that appeared to be scams on the surface that actually did end up working, so personally I wouldn't write this product off. And it seems all of the dragons agreed. And yes, if they thought it was a scam they would not invest in the first place, since the place to express that opinion is in the den. 

Edited November 24, 2017 by UsernameFatigue

[Taeolas]

If they had an actual explanation for how their products worked, then maybe their pitch would have deserved more weight. But they just threw down Scientific buzzwords like "Quantum Entanglement" which is complete bullshit, and the dragons bought it hook line and sinker apparently. The 'tricks' they used are well known flimflamory too. Basically when they are pushing against someone they are either pushing into the person or pushing away, and that will affect whether they stay balanced or will go off balance. These clips and bracelets and what not have been sold for decades, debunked and resold again with the latest buzzwords. 

[Florinaldo]

13 hours ago, Taeolas said:

If they want to expose the Flim Flamery, it should have been right then and there in the Den, like they've done before ( with "Healing Waters" and Crystals IIRC; though the Crystals did get a deal because it was basically a cheap deal)

Although I watch the show only intermittently, I have seen at least one episode where they caught up with past deals and told viewers what happened during the due dilligence phase; a number of the deals fell through for various reasons, so who knows what will happen with this one.

The tricks and spiel used by the quantum guy have been practiced for a long time by medical quacks and faith healers to prove their curative powers, and also by motivational speakers to demonstrate that their particular approach/method/gimmick really works. Considering how many business conventions and gatherings the dragons must have attended over the years, I would be very surprised to learn that not one of them has ever been exposed to the last example, a frequent scourge during such events.

Unless they realised that this is just the sort of flim-flam that people readily buy into and they wanted to get in on a potentially lucrative venture.

Or they simply wanted to piss off Manjit by stealing the deal from under her.  ;-)

[Amarsir]

The trick behind their "Quantum Entanglement" science:

(5:17 to skip the setup and see the technique.)

[aemom]

Episode 10:

An art dealer showcases a picture perfect pitch, a Toronto designer hopes to zip away with a deal and an auto enthusiast is looking to drive sales with the right Dragon investment. Plus, an ice cream lover shows the Dragons how to roll!

I thought that the paintings were really cool and I agree that they can make a nice gift. 

The shirts were way too expensive and her valuation was nuts.

The carmidillo was stupid and of couse new-Kevin-Manjit told him so in no uncertain terms.

The ice cream was cool and the guy was great, but how long will this last? What is so different tasting about rolled ice cream? If it tastes the same, then I don't see why I wouldn't just scoop my favorite ice cream out of a tub and move on with my day.

[Taeolas]

Rolled Ice Cream is the latest fad, but I think a lot of its appeal is watching it being made and/or watching someone else making it. Doing it at home, I'm not sure will have much appeal, but maybe a few will want to do it. 

Most places you see it use an Antigriddle, this lets you do a few batches at home basically if you want. Still, like all fads, I'm sure it will do well for the next season, then disappear into people's cupboards. 

[Amarsir]

Part of the appeal of rolled ice cream is that you can basically create your own flavors and re-freeze it. Part is that being rolled is kind of a cool texture. But mostly it’s a fad, yes.

I enjoyed Joe and Arlene deferring to the others’ expertise as a way of bailing out on the awful pitch. And then of course Manjit just saying “screw it, this is dumb”.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 28/10/2017 at 9:08 PM, Amarsir said:

This was a surprising episode. I was shocked the Fiix guys actually took an offer. (Although it may well fall through.) The further the concussion guys got the more disbelieving I was. And then they capped it by not wanting Arlene and her marketing expertise. 

The only thing I was curious about with the Fix guys was how does their system handle a problem with your car where you don't know what needs fixing. The big selling point was the app gives you a repair quote, but how does it handle an engine light on or a funny noise from the engine.

I thought the concussion guys were smart taking Jim and Michael. Jim obviously has connections with pro sports and knows how to sell stuff. And remember from a few years ago Michael became the sponsor of the Canadian olympic ski team. Those kind of connestions to sports would be super valiable I think. Sure Arlene has marketing expertise, but I am also sure that Jim probably has a small army of marketing people working for him.

[Amarsir]

Jim made 3200% on the ugly Christmas sweaters! And we know the Shark Tank version Tipsy Elves is going strong for Robert. I don't blame Arlene for trying to snap this up quickly. But it didn't work, and I had to laugh at her when she withdrew her offer and said "You took too long to respond to me, so there's a lesson for you in this." Yeah Arlene, the lesson is by waiting he got a much better valuation.

The snowman was a little clunky but an idea with some potential. Wek's offer of a convertible isn't something we see very often on these shows, probably because it's a little too complex for most entrepreneurs to evaluate. But to lose all the offers like he did was a waste. We can't even say he was only on for publicity, because he doesn't have anything salable yet.

I was as shocked as all the Dragons when Wek made an offer on the mistletoe. Up until that point I was thinking it was a perfect candidate for the quick cut failures edit.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 28/10/2017 at 7:58 PM, AEMom said:

The memory device tied into the phone - I'm really curious to see how that makes it through due diligence. 

If it does then the first step would be securing a license from Paramount to make a Star Trek branded version. At which point they would sell a crap load of those things.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 07/11/2017 at 4:41 PM, Amarsir said:

 (Which is why they went on Dragons Den and turned down a $10 million valuation. But they did go up to 7.5% on 3 Dragons, so maybe they're legit.)

I had to laugh at Joe suggesting a 3 Dragon deal since it works massively in his favour. Michelle handles the online/app stuff, Arlene handles any traditional marketing, and he doesn't have to do anything but sit back and potentially make a bunch of money.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 14/11/2017 at 7:33 PM, Taeolas said:

RV rentals will probably do well if he can grab enough mindspace fast. He'll probably do well in Canada, but likely won't grow much beyond there. 

 

The only negative i could think of with the RV thing is how much insurance companies are going to put the screws to any rv owner who tries to make money renting theirs. Last time I changed my insurance in my car they already asked me if i am using it for any business purposes such as Uber. At least with that, if I was im the one behind the wheel so they can calculate their risk based on my driving record. If I'm renting my car or my rv unless im sending the driving record of the rentors wouldn't the insurer have to assume the worst possible renters?

[aemom]

The 2nd chance episode was interesting. 

I don't remember the dumb glasses from last time and they're still dumb.

I think Arlene really got burned by the selfie stick people last time and that's why she didn't want in with the deal.

The circus history was interesting,  but I expect that deal to fall through. 

The golf balls - no idea if they help, but for $20 you can try tem and see I suppose - and that's the whole idea.

The bike guy is smart and has cool ideas, but he can't present for shit and needs serious help in that area.

Edited to add : This episode further cemented my belief that Arlene and Manjit hate each other.

Edited January 13, 2018 by AEMom
Forgot something

[Amarsir]

13 hours ago, AEMom said:

I think Arlene really got burned by the selfie stick people last time and that's why she didn't want in with the deal.

It surely doesn't help, although it sounds to me like she just anticipates this being copied in all the dollar stores. (Which maybe was her problem with them last time too.)

Actually think the entrepreneurs should drop the deal this time. They gave away 25% of a royalty deal that's already done and for which the Dragons offer nothing. And took their investment for the Canadian side which the Dragons think will never pay off. Not a good deal. Perhaps if they'd structured it more creatively, like "30% of US until your money is paid back and then dropping to 5%, plus 30% of Canada in perpetuity".

[aemom]

I don't think that Engaged is going to do very well simply for the reason is that there is no repeat customer.  I see it being far easier to go into the shop than trying to design something online.  The guy was very sweet though wanting to do something to help his parents with their business, but I don't think this is the way to go.

The backpack in Africa thing was interesting in how polarized the Dragons were.  I tend to agree that at this point, her valuation was bonkers.

The meat guys seemed to have a good thing going, it can probably do well.

The car salesmen seemed woefully unprepared to answer questions.  I also don't see it being a big hit.

The exercise pants guy was cute and energetic and I think that he could have a nice little business for himself.

For the update: I'm pretty sure that I've seen every DD episode, but I have no recollection of the Fix Me Stick.  Seems like a neat product and they seem to be doing very well, so good for them!

Edited January 20, 2018 by AEMom
Typo

[UsernameFatigue]

I was as shocked as Arlene, Jim and Wek were that the other three dragons gave the backpack pitcher a deal. Even giving her a deal of $100,000 for 30 percent gave her a way bigger valuation than she deserved. I also thought it was odd that the solar panel was on the side of the backpack, and low even at that. But it is hardly a new product. I would be very surprised if this deal goes through.

I loved the exercise pant guy, and am glad he got a deal. (At least I think he did? Sometimes hard to remember when posting a couple of days after the show). I really think though that he should also branch out into shorts from the same material. I think they would be popular for biking, etc. 

I didn't undersatd the car buying pitch at all. Who would who would buy a car without test driving it first? Or do you go into a dealership, waste the salesman's time, and then buy online? I don't understand why a dealership would provide this info. I guess it cuts out the "middleman" of the salesperson and commission of that person, but why would someone work for a dealership that might cut them out of a possible sale? Not to mention salespeople take up valuable space in a dealership so why have them if you aren't using them, and they aren't making money? (In which case why would they stay?). What am I missing here? 

[aemom]

1 hour ago, UsernameFatigue said:

I loved the exercise pant guy, and am glad he got a deal. (At least I think he did? Sometimes hard to remember when posting a couple of days after the show). I really think though that he should also branch out into shorts from the same material. I think they would be popular for biking, etc

He took Arlene's deal of $25K in marketing services.  I also think he should branch out the line.

[UsernameFatigue]

2 hours ago, AEMom said:

He took Arlene's deal of $25K in marketing services.  I also think he should branch out the line.

Right, now I remember as I was surprised that he didn't take the cash deal from Michelle. 

I also loved how Michelle very quietly told Jim that he should not make a deal with the car guys, and that he listened. 

[Amarsir]

On 1/19/2018 at 5:31 PM, AEMom said:

For the update: I'm pretty sure that I've seen every DD episode, but I have no recollection of the Fix Me Stick.  Seems like a neat product and they seem to be doing very well, so good for them!

I do, and I remember being amused that it's the rare tech product that would sell way better offline. If I'm proactive enough to get a defensive product, I'll just install guard software and run a check myself. But someone who sees it at the store, whether they already have a problem or not, could very plausibly pick one up.

On 1/20/2018 at 11:22 AM, UsernameFatigue said:

I didn't undersatd the car buying pitch at all. Who would who would buy a car without test driving it first? Or do you go into a dealership, waste the salesman's time, and then buy online? I don't understand why a dealership would provide this info. I guess it cuts out the "middleman" of the salesperson and commission of that person, but why would someone work for a dealership that might cut them out of a possible sale? Not to mention salespeople take up valuable space in a dealership so why have them if you aren't using them, and they aren't making money? (In which case why would they stay?). What am I missing here? 

They have a bigger problem: their $2 million website at leapfrog.bid doesn't seem to do anything. It's a front page with an email address for would-be investors.

I'm sure there are people who would rather buy online and don't figure on learning much from a test drive. Especially when there is a warranty involved.  But man were they a mess.

[UsernameFatigue]

29 minutes ago, Amarsir said:

 

They have a bigger problem: their $2 million website at leapfrog.bid doesn't seem to do anything. It's a front page with an email address for would-be investors.

I'm sure there are people who would rather buy online and don't figure on learning much from a test drive. Especially when there is a warranty involved.  But man were they a mess.

Yikes regarding the website!

A test drive for me has nothing to do with a warranty. I want to know if the seats are comfortable, if visibility when driving is good, if I like the layout and sound of  the audio system, if the GPS and bluetooth are user friendly, etc. Some cars/SUVs I have thought I would like when seeing them online, but did not like at all when actually taking them for a test drive. 

[aemom]

The boot guy's shelving unit was cool, but I just didn't see how the other models he had worked the same way.

I was surprised that the beauty products people got as much traction as they did with the dragons.

I live in Quebec,  and I've never heard of Cook It. I just checked out her website.  I would personally never use a service like that, but her site seemed nice.

The electricity guys have an interesting thing going.

the bidet guys, meh.

[buffynut]

I forgot the show changed to Thursdays, so this last week was the first episode I've seen since the Christmas break.

The electricity guys definitely have an interesting thing.  If it manages to take off, they'll all be rich!

Yeah, not interested in the bidet guys.

The Cook It would probably work for busy families.

The boot guys shelving was too big for an average home, I think.

And I've forgotten the beauty production pitch.

[Amarsir]

Those electrical plugs were the kind of big deal we don't see very often. If that becomes the standard it could be the biggest success in any version of Dragons Den / Shark Tank.

I wasn't intrigued at all by the beauty products either, but they got a couple offers so it must have been more compelling in person.

[buffynut]

On 11/23/2017 at 9:42 PM, Taeolas said:

The last pitch... ugh that should've been in the gong shows. What a snake oil presentation. I'm really disappointed that the dragons bought in on that. I was really expecting Jim to chew them up since he seemed to be biting his lip. Really I expected them to chew them up and spit them up. I think the producers may have expected that too. I miss one of the older dragons. I can't remember which, Brett or Bruce I think, had a nose for snake oil like that and tore up a few pitchers like that.  

The deal fell through.  And Marketplace is doing an episode on it tonight.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/quantum-wellness-clips-marketplace-1.4513382

[aemom]

Episode 15:

I was surprised how hard the Dragons were on the gluten-free food ladies.

The water bottle didn't interest me personally,  but I could see people liking it and I did like the brothers.

I don't think that the cell phone app will go anywhere,  because they're too late. 

The swimming board looked interesting. 

The backpacks and lunchboxes looked so boring and impractical to me. That beige fabric would look filthy all the time and the prints on the bags didn't interest me at all. They were also really expensive.  My younger son is really hard on backpacks and I would have to buy him a new one every year. Then I decided to buy him the same brand that my older son happened to have because he'd had it for several years and I was hoping that one might be durable enough. Well they've both had their Swiss Army bags for many years now and they were nowhere near her prices.

Edited February 3, 2018 by AEMom
Clarification

[Ciarrai]

On 2/3/2018 at 6:50 AM, AEMom said:

Episode 15:

I was surprised how hard the Dragons were on the gluten-free food ladies.

 

I'm not. The mom had put hundreds of thousands into the business while the daughter had seemingly contributed not a single cent, and she and her husband were getting money out of it while her mom got nothing. They deserved the smackdown.

[Kel Varnsen]

On 11/23/2017 at 10:26 PM, Florinaldo said:

So all 6 dragons fell for the "quantum entanglement" nonsense pitch? Even though it featured some well-worn flim-flam tricks like the calculated push on a body part to make it appear that the device or spray had an effect. With a little sprinkling of techno-babble to make it all sound so serious, a classic trick that works because the general science illiteracy of the potential rubes means they are not to able to realise that a scientific concept is used with no relationship to its real meaning and to the claims being made.

Aren't two of these people supposed to be engineers? I guess Sheldon Cooper's low opinion of engineers has some basis in reality.

I finally saw this episode and that was painful. I can't believe it worked. The worst was Manjit who said something like how she loved science and this was science. Unless they had some actual research to show how there product work it's not science at all, and if you think it is you really don't understand the concept of science. The only thing that could have made it more of a sketchy scam was if instead of a spray they sold it as a "tonic".