S07.E02: O'Dang Hummus, Mikki Bey Eyelash Extensions, LOLIWARE, Splikity

[yeswedo]

A recent college graduate has a twist on the traditional hummus; a passionate aesthetician pitches her eyelash extensions business; two friends believe their edible cups are a delicious alternative to a disposable version; and two brothers donned tuxedos pitching their solution to the forgotten computer password. Also, an update on The Red Dress Boutique, in which Mark Cuban invested during Season 6.

[KaveDweller]

I can't believe Lori said she wanted to offer the "women's perspective" on the internet password aggregate thing. Then followed by saying that lots of women don't know about technology and wanted something easy.  Although it made me feel better that all the guy sharks thought it was a ridiculous thing to say.

 

I also liked Barbara telling that eyelash woman not to cry in business, even if the sharks often change their minds when an entrepreneur cried in the tank.

 

Those edible cups girls seemed totally floored by the offers they got.  

Edited October 3, 2015 by KaveDweller

[roseha]

 

I can't believe Lori said she wanted to offer the "women's perspective" on the internet password aggregate thin. g Then followed by saying

 

 

that women don't understand technology?  Of all the stupid statements she has ever made, that really tops the list. 

Edited October 3, 2015 by roseha

[Eolivet]

Why did the Internet security guys get laughed out of the tank (other than their sartorial sense), and yet people were totally respectful of last week's "Beware of the scary dudes with scanners coming to steal your credit card info!" They were pretty much selling the same thing the card scanner dude was selling (peace of mind for consumers). I mean, don't get me wrong -- I thought Splikity (which sounds like something my cat coughed up) was ridiculous, and maybe it was hubris to try and pitch Internet security to two behemoths in the space. But I mean...they really weren't the most egregious product ever to pitch on Shark Tank.

 

But overall, I liked the show. I liked that at least one of the sharks was interested in each product, even if the product didn't get a deal. I infinitely prefer that over the "let's point and laugh at this joke product" pitches. Hopefully we've seen the last of those.

[KaveDweller]

Why did the Internet security guys get laughed out of the tank (other than their sartorial sense), and yet people were totally respectful of last week's "Beware of the scary dudes with scanners coming to steal your credit card info!" 

 

I think last week's guy just came across better personally/had better presentation. These guys said right away they didn't have a background in technology (which sounds bad, even if it's a great product) and then wouldn't answer questions because of their NDA.  The Sharks don't like not having their questions answered, even if there's a legitimate reason for it. I bet if they had one of the techs working for them their to answer questions they would have gotten a little more respect.

Edited October 3, 2015 by KaveDweller

[bilgistic]

It enraged me when Barbara said that "a woman gives up her power in business when she cries". Plenty of men have cried in the Tank and she didn't say that to them. Crying is a byproduct of an emotion, just like a smile or laugh is. Stop belittling women.

I didn't understand why anyone should want or invest in Splickity. It's hardly a novel idea. I use LastPass, which is free on the PC, and I know of at least one other password vault program. I'm a woman, too. Can you imagine I know about anything technical?!

Edited October 3, 2015 by bilgistic

[roctavia]

I was okay with the hard time the password guys were getting... how many programs are already out there like that? And honestly, having your phone or tablet or whatever always automatically log you in to things doesn't seem more secure to me... but I'm just a woman, so what do I know. Lori's attitude about women and technology was irritating as hell. I think there are people of both genders who aren't so tech savvy and might find use in an app like this, but it's hardly anything new.

The hummus guy had a good attitude... it was sort of hilarious to me that Mark didn't even get to make an offer :P Whatever, dude, you high pressure people all the time, you snooze you lose.

I do feel bad for Robert about the edible cup deal... he was the first one to jump on it and came up with the multiple sharks deal, but then got cut out of it. Some weeks I like Barbara and others I don't... her attitude this week- about how not picking her for a food product was a huge mistake, and her thing about crying with the eyelash lady was very grating. I didn't like her so much this week.

Not sure if I think the edible cups are all that... I suppose just for a party or dessert, but I feel like it would end up sticky or mushy if you held onto it for too long. It could expand into other things though, like an edible plate or bowl. I don't think it could replace traditional dishware or cups, since I don't know how well they'd hold up for a longer period of time. It's certainly a novel product though.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Jjrmt

[Kromm]

Lori isn't just the Queen of QVC. From tonight's performance, she also seems like the Queen of Stupid.

[atir]

I'm with you on the potential (very real) sticky problem. Loved that the 2 women were students at Parsons (crossover with Project Runway??). But the stickiness didn't get addressed on tv. And I'm curious how gelatin is vegan.

Cool school project tho.

[Kromm]

And I'm curious how gelatin is vegan.

It's not really gelatin. They just refer to it as gelatin because it's a SIMILAR product and they presume on people's pre-existing relationship with that product.

[LAgator77]

I think it's pretty obvious if women spent less time gluing fake shit to their face, they'd probably be able to remember all those pesky passwords!

[Kenz]

My Mac Safari remembers usernames and passwords without any fancy set-up. I assumed this would be common on PC's too. Those Splikity ( dumb name) guys really had a poor presentation, but I kind of felt sorry for them for the tongue lashing they received.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Kenz

[phoenix780]

The password guys- did they say their app didn't require any passwords?  Or is it like all the others with a master password?  I kept waiting for them to say it was based on facial recognition or something, and I don't remember them distinguishing it in any way.  It was just a gambit to get on Shark Tank and hope that would give them instant brand name value, I think.

 

And yeah, kudos to Lori and Barbara for reinforcing stereotypes about women and technology.  That was fan-tastic.  If I were a hacker I'd immediately set about trying to get into their accounts, if they really are that uninformed it'd probably be pretty easy to break into their stuff.

[designing1]

Were I ever to go on this show and be offered a deal by Lori, I'd be tempted to turn her down and tell her she's dead to me because of that "girls don't get tech and can't remember passwords" crap. What the hell?!?!

 

I was none too fond of Barbara, either, who somewhat agreed with her (something like "yes, some people have trouble with it" right after Lori's nonsense -- though we don't know how it was edited and she might have been referring to the elderly) and lecturing that woman about crying while men have done their share of crying on this show without receiving a lecture. On the other hand, Barbara seems to have had her face refreshed again and her plastic surgeon should get some sort of award, because she looks great.

 

I wondered about the gelatin products as well. When I think "gelatin", I think "keep it cold." Maybe vegan gelatin behaves differently, but I can just imagine folks chatting at a cocktail party as their glasses begin to stick to their hands. Or someone using them for hot drinks or food, with disastrous results.

[augmentedfourth]

I didn't understand why anyone should want or invest in Splickity. It's hardly a novel idea. I use LastPass, which is free on the PC, and I know of at least one other password vault program. I'm a woman, too. Can you imagine I know about anything technical?!

Same here on both counts. There's one adult in this house who deals with anything even remotely involving the computers (routers, networks, printers, etc.), and it sure as hell isn't my husband. I said all throughout that pitch that there were plenty of free apps available that did basically the same thing. I don't mind the trashing those guys got, because I didn't think it was undeserved - maybe a new contender for Worst Pitch Ever?

 

I usually don't have a problem with Lori, but UGH, she did not come off well with her "woman's perspective".

 

For the other products - I do like hummus and fancy salad dressings, so I'd be willing to give that stuff a try. The guy seemed to have his act together, and I think he made a good deal. Mark's pouting was amusing, and as my husband said, when's the last time we saw an update on a food product with Mark involved? When the edible cup girls first walked on, their voices and personalities grated on me, but as time passed, I liked both them and their product. Obviously it's not going to be an every day thing, but for the novelty aspect, and the idea that it's a fun thing to have at a party or event, I thought it was priced just right. If I remember, maybe I'll plan something with them the next time we have people over.

 

Despite my ladybits, I have zero interest in eyelash extensions. Maybe my technical know-how cancels that out. I have mixed feelings about the crying speech, but I think the eyelash woman would be wise to listen to Mark and grow her business that way. (And get on those patents, if possible! I think she might have fared better if she'd had the patent in hand before her appearance.)

[Primetimer]

It used to be if you wanted a deal from the Sharks, all you had to do was just add water in the form of tears. But Barbara Corcoran is tired of all these crying jags, making her history's Greatest Shark.

Read the story

[jackjill89]

I really think that the brothers lost the respect when they entered the tank in tuxes. They looked stupid. 

[piewarmer]

 

Despite my ladybits, I have zero interest in eyelash extensions. Maybe my technical know-how cancels that out. I have mixed feelings about the crying speech, but I think the eyelash woman would be wise to listen to Mark and grow her business that way. (And get on those patents, if possible! I think she might have fared better if she'd had the patent in hand before her appearance.)

 

Oops, looks like we both got ladybytes instead.

 

I do know that eyelash extensions are hugely popular, and maybe a pitch that focused on the value of that salon-service sector and either the ability to replicate/franchise the salon itself, and/or sales of the patented product to salon professionals could have resonated more with the sharks.

[RemoteControlFreak]

Did Lori Greiner really assert that a questionably-designed password security system would appeal to women because women need something simple to use?  Should I resign my tech job on Monday because I'm a woman  and I just learned that I'm not able to continue developing cutting-edge technology?

 

Lori, you're dead to me.

Edited October 3, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[anonymiss]

Might be a sign right off the bat that O'Dang Hummus guy can get ahead of himself/must not watch the show enough because Mark always waits in the wings to give the best deal. He's a great salesman though because I crave his product.

It's hard to see people get steamrolled but those inexperienced security brothers really showed their age in their inability to rebound and be cogent after Mark went out. I appreciated Mark and Robert's honesty rather than the placating ignorance of Lori and Barb. No, not just women but plenty of average females and males are novice users.

I get "3d Russian" mink eyelash extensions that cost a lot, look amazing, and last at least a month. The salon and their competitors are super busy all the time. They can take around 3 hours to apply though so she has a valuable selling point there but hers looked more like the regular fake extensions. She didn't do a compelling job of showing them the product. Where are the giant before and after shots? She also didn't do extensions for the lower lids so there was no balance to her face or the models'.

I want Loliware: vegan, gf, refined sugar-free, and yummy? Sign me up. THe name though isn't right. Why is it named for a baby clothing company? I cringe seeing people not know when to stop selling. Mark: "Let me decide who's in."

Edited October 3, 2015 by anonymiss

[theatremouse]

I really think that the brothers lost the respect when they entered the tank in tuxes. They looked stupid.

When they said the thing about "looking their best" I kept expecting there to be some punchline, like they were doing schtick and it'd have a point. (at least in the editing of it) because they were getting cut off and sort of ripped to shreds, I wondered if maybe they didn't get to the part of the spiel where that would've made sense. As in, if they'd just done their robotically-overwritten-over-rehearsed speech from beginning to end maybe the tux thing would've somehow come into play? And not just something the sharks were bound to ask them about since they looked ridiculous.

Or maybe they're just idiots and really thought it would make them stand out and not look foolish. It's like, dude, overdressed is a real thing. Being overdressed is not "your best", it makes you look like you don't understand social convention for attire, which...in a business meeting, makes you look like an idiot.

Lori and Barbara both infuriated me and I wanted a feminist horde to descend upon them.

It was a dicey move to begin with to walk into a room knowing Mark and Robert would be there and not have better answers. The thing is, from what they said, it sounded like their product basically depends on consumers not understanding security and wanting convenience. So they seemed to be using all the current standards (they kept repeating that) so they could reasonably use the phrase "secure" in conjunction with their product, and there is nothing special about them. They just want to build a brand and maybe win a decent mark share among the existing competition. Which I guess, ok fine maybe you can/will/do. But this is not impressive to the sharks, and especially not those who literally deal in security as part of their main business.

So, the one vaguely marginal reasonable point Lori almost had (or least, the angle she seemed to be coming from is), sure there's a market for this type of product*. OK fine.

But then Robert and Mark's points, which were much more interesting, were: yes there is a market and it already exists and you're not doing anything special or new so why should I bother with you specifically?

So it made me especially sad that Lori both: made the argument that there's a gender divide on tech in general, and that the sharks themselves happened to then be divided on gender on the show. Because Lori seemed to be wanting to hear the guys out based on the notion that their premise was sound, and not being a tech person herself, seemed willing to give them a chance, perhaps not realizing that they're basically pitching "sliced bread is a really good idea; we bake it first and then slice it with a machine". And because Mark was so aggressively calling their bullshit they got into this weird huffy divide, when really the objection from one side of the room was totally irrelevant to her momentary defense.

*I don't even want to give her this much credit but I sort of wonder if what she really meant when she said "women do BLAH" is "from a marketing standpoint it is easy for me to target x million women because of BLAH and that is a strategy I expect to work frequently enough to make a profit off those women" rather than her actually believing the gross generalization she made exactly as she phrased it. Because of course from an investor standpoint, it doesn't matter if all women or even a majority of women are as she described. What matters is if there's a large enough population of such women with a propensity to spend money because of it.

Edited October 3, 2015 by theatremouse

[Kromm]

Google "Lastpass". It seems to already do what these folks were selling and have the pre-existing market leadership position. Except that I'm also sure Symantec/Norton has also had something like this as part of it's offerings for years too (called something like "Identity Safe").

So these guys have only innovated in how to best make themselves (and seemingly Lori) look like idiots.

[hkit]

Why did the Internet security guys get laughed out of the tank (other than their sartorial sense), and yet people were totally respectful of last week's "Beware of the scary dudes with scanners coming to steal your credit card info!" They were pretty much selling the same thing the card scanner dude was selling (peace of mind for consumers). 

 

Woman with 20 years in the security field checking in (and Lori can shove her "women's perspective" where the sun don't shine). While they may seem like a similar industry, they are actually very different products. Convenience/ease of use vs. Identity Theft.

 

This week they were selling a password keychain. Nothing unique about that. It has so many competitors that there isn't any substantial market share it could hope to gain and make a profit for an investor. I thought that Mark and company were unnecessarily harsh on them, but that's the risk you take when you walk into Shark Tank pitching a product in a shark's wheelhouse. They are not selling peace of mind, as much as convenience.

 

Last week's product, Signal Vault, is an RFID blocker - there are a handful of competing products out there too. However, most of what I've seen are wallets that aren't that attractive. It was a clever solution to a problem that is just beginning to be understood by the consumer. And, as you mentioned, this is the peace of mind. 

[TimetoShine]

Lori's a dummy but I really appreciate Robert's response: "Security is a non-gender issue."

 

Also, Loliware is one of the few products in the Tank that I'm interested in.

 

I was upset that the crying girl didn't seem to have any tears.

Edited October 3, 2015 by corinne

[RemoteControlFreak]

Kevin hit it on the nail when he said "Don't cry for money. It never cries for you."

 

There is also definitely a double-standard for men and women when it comes to crying in business.  Men are allowed to cry because it goes against the male stereotype and shows their softer side.  But when women cry, it reinforces the weak stereotype.

 

Unfortunately, Barbara perpetuated this double-standard by her blanket statement that women can't cry in business.  We've seen her respond favorably on Shark Tank when a male or female presenters cry.  

 

The problem is that eye-lash girl cried because she didn't get a deal and the sharks told her she didn't have a good business.  She was self-pitying and begging.

 

If she teared up slightly when, for example, stating that she started the business after the death of a loved one and that inspired her to do something good for herself and the world, I'm pretty sure Barbara would have had a different reaction.

 

And the edible cups?  It's disgusting.  Where has the cup been? How many hands have been on it. What germs were on the table it was sitting on?  

[Latverian Diplomat]

I didn't get why a "service" was automatically not an investment opportunity. Franchising exists. I mean, it was unclear what Mikki wanted the money for, and the whole thing is heavily edited, but they seemed to say that they would never invest in anything in the service space.

 

Are they only interested in consumer goods that can "go viral" and ramp up quickly?

[MakeMeLaugh]

(A) What do those edible cups and plates taste like and (b) who in their right minds and older than a five-year-old would even want to eat something compared loosely to fruit rollups (which has many more fun uses than dishware)? Palate cleansers? $600k for a fad product? But, sure, why not! (per Tara Ariano in Under the Dome series finale recap).

I had already noticed Lori's phenomenally long eyelashes before Mikki made her pitch. If the idea of $200 false eyelashes doesn't make people bat an eye (heh), I don't want to hear anyone complaing about their cable bills anymore.

Hummus in Publix. Who'dathunk it 25 years ago. Go O'Dang. I don't get the name but maybe I missed something. And he should have left his jacket off or at least unbuttoned so we could have seen what was an apparently punny but clever teeshirt. A big Yay that he didn't give a shit about Mark Cuban's coy late entry into the bidding.

I don't care about Splikity--won't keyed-in passwords and usernames be in the "what's that" column along with rotary dial landline phones in five years or so?

Edited October 3, 2015 by MakeMeLaugh

[starri]

One word:  Dashlane.  Same exact product, $10 cheaper for the year, and it remembers and encrypts your credit card numbers in addition to passwords.  Plus with an iPad or iPhone, you can use TouchID to unlock it, and it works with the mobile version of Safari.

 

I didn't think Barbara came off particularly well, but even as the owner of a set of testicles and therefore better equipped to understand technology, Lori made me want to put my foot through the TV.  I don't like her, I have never liked her, and it bugs the hell out of me that even when she tries to be outspoken for women entrepreneurs, she does it in the most condescending way possible.  I also loathe the dismissive way she always calls Barbara "Barb," which none of the male Sharks do.

 

Products:

 

Hummus.  I do have to admit that looked really good.  It's just a shame there aren't any Publix in the Northeast.

 

Splikity.  Apart from the fact that there are already plenty of products that do the same damn thing (see above), the name is A) awful, and B) says nothing about security in the name.  Perhaps the two bros should have brought one of their programmers to do the pitch with them, because they just seemed really out of their depth.  With that said, Mark and Robert were both total assholes to them.

 

Mikki Bey.  In spite of the tears, and the fact that as the owner of a pair of testicles, fake eyelashes are not really for me (despite what Mikki Bey said), I couldn't help liking her.  And I do agree with most of the sharks, even without an investable business, I do think she's capable of making it happen for herself.

 

Loliware.  I guess it would be a fun novelty at a party once or twice. I could see it being a fun thing for a wedding.  But the deal the women got totally mystified me, but good for them for getting it.

[RemoteControlFreak]

... ... And he should have left his jacket off or at least unbuttoned so we could have seen what was an apparently punny but clever teeshirt.  ... ...

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2015/08/13/odang-look-who-landed-a-big-deal-with-publix.html

 

[Dots And Stripes]

Why did the Internet security guys get laughed out of the tank (other than their sartorial sense), and yet people were totally respectful of last week's "Beware of the scary dudes with scanners coming to steal your credit card info!" They were pretty much selling the same thing the card scanner dude was selling (peace of mind for consumers). I mean, don't get me wrong -- I thought Splikity (which sounds like something my cat coughed up) was ridiculous, and maybe it was hubris to try and pitch Internet security to two behemoths in the space. But I mean...they really weren't the most egregious product ever to pitch on Shark Tank.

 

To me, the difference is if the card guy from last week is wrong, then his customers are equally vulnerable when using his product as they were without it. With the password guys, their customers could be more vulnerable for using the product. The problem with a service that stores all of a persons passwords is what Mark identified, a hacker just goes to one place and can get access to everything. Every credit card, every bank account, every piece of personal identification online. That's why I think the sharks were so right to be concerned with the security of the product. If this company doesn't stay ahead of hackers, they could open themselves up for liability.

 

That pitch did make me uncomfortable though. You don't want to invest. Fine. I don't think those presenters were bad guys or trying to pull one over on the sharks. They were in over their heads. I think that level of reaming should be reserved for the people who come trying to run a scam.

 

I absolutely loved the Loliware pitch just because it put Robert in full on Charlie Brown mode. I loved the chaos of all of the sharks positioning against each other and that the entrepreneurs had a very clear choice: Barbara or Robert. Poor Robert set up the deal only to have Barbara yank it away from him. 

[zillabreeze]

 

And the edible cups?  It's disgusting.  Where has the cup been? How many hands have been on it. What germs were on the table it was sitting on?

THANK YOU, REMOTE!  That was exactly what I thought.  Go to a party, shake hands with people, hold the cup awhile, then EAT it??? Gross!  Not in a million.

Besides that, edible shotglasses have been in gift catalogs & shops for years.

 

F- Off Lori.  Go hawk your cheap, cheesy crap on QVC and STFU.  I am female and old; nothing electronic has ever stumped me for long.  When a woman acts "tech stupid" it's not cute or endearing, it's pathetic.

 

I guess next time some young dude comes slinking into my office with a pornsite virus on his laptop, I'll say I can't help him because my eyelash extensions are messing with my vision.

Edited October 3, 2015 by zillabreeze

[bilgistic]

From my limited understanding because I don't wear lash extensions but have read about them, I believe they actually stress your existing lashes because of the extra weight.

[Kiss my mutt]

I thought the loliware presentation was great though I have to admit it looks a little silly to be eating your dishes especially at a formal event but kids would totally love this. Great for home room parties and such.

Those dudes in the tuxes were such dimwits. When they started a sentence with "him and us" I just tuned out. I'm surprised their tech wizards didn't tell them that this product already exists. No way would someone pay $4.99 a month. Maybe for a single app but not as a subscription. Plus, nitpicking here, at least they could have shaved or gotten haircuts to go with their tuxes. Boy, that makes me sound old.

I was interested in the eyelash extensions because it sounded like she had a way to shorten the amount of time it takes to get them applied. There is no way I could make a time commitment of two hours and then coming back every few weeks.

I missed the hummus guy. :(

[Kromm]

And the edible cups?  It's disgusting.  Where has the cup been? How many hands have been on it. What germs were on the table it was sitting on?

While nobody can count on someone else's good behavior, one assumes the manufacturer's recommendation here would be single use. You unpack it from sterile packaging, pour the drink, and then they eat it after. They're not reused between customers, and presumably would have the same food safety concerns as anything else.

I'd also package them with (non-edible) coasters, perhaps, to alleviate the possible hygienic problem of dirty tables.

[RemoteControlFreak]

Going out on a limb here, but given the level of cluelessness of the tuxedo boys, is it possible that there entire business is a front for an identity theft and security hacking scheme?  Are there so-called tech expert employees snowing the boys into paying them to get money to develop a crappy security system that the workers then exploit for their own devious gains?  

[TudorQueen]

This episode annoyed me a lot, which is not my usual reaction to Shark Tank. Everyone seemed on edge, no one listened to anyone, Lori and Barbara were actually insulting to women all over, and those guys with the tuxes and the unneeded Password storage system actually gave me the creeps.

I did like Hummus Guy and would love to try his products, but we don't have Publix here.

[atir]

It would never have occurred to me to make hummus using black beans, so thanks for that, Jesse O'Dang (I realize that's not his name but I don't get the product name). Anyway I may experiment with that. I assume there is oil in the hummus just not in the salad dressing.

[MakeMeLaugh]

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2015/08/13/odang-look-who-landed-a-big-deal-with-publix.html

 

Thanks, RemoteControlFreak--that's a cool shirt but not the one he wore on the show (it was green and different wording). Inspired by your efforts I found a photo of it which I am not able to post (something about the URL not being acceptable) but it says, "It'll be a bummus if you don't try our hummus".

Edited October 3, 2015 by MakeMeLaugh

[Kromm]

It would never have occurred to me to make hummus using black beans, so thanks for that, Jesse O'Dang (I realize that's not his name but I don't get the product name). Anyway I may experiment with that. I assume there is oil in the hummus just not in the salad dressing.

Since "hummus" LITERALLY means "Chickpeas", clearly calling something made from black beans that is a misnomer.  A marketing trick.  Not that it may not be good, but they're clearly simply borrowing the name to describe their category.

They may not get away with calling it that forever. For years a  Lebanese group has been trying to prevent even the Israelis from using the name.  Imagine what they might think of some upstart Americans, who aren't even using Chickpeas.

 

EDIT - Okay, it looks like it's just one variety with black beans. So it's only a small cheat.

Edited October 3, 2015 by Kromm

[basiltherat]

"Hummus" has become a generic term like Kleenex or Xerox.  I would love to try the black bean too! 

 

When I heard Lolaware, I thought I remembered a deal for a sippy cup called "lolla" something or other.

[starri]

Lollacup.  Yeah, I thought of them too.

 

My husband jumped to Lolita.

[Kromm]

"Hummus" has become a generic term like Kleenex or Xerox. 

If that were strictly true though, there'd be a lawsuit in using it.

 

The Lebanese would like that to be the case, but it's not quite there yet.

[Jersey Guy 87]

My Mac Safari remembers usernames and passwords without any fancy set-up. I assumed this would be common on PC's too. Those Splikity ( dumb name) guys really had a poor presentation, but I kind of felt sorry for them for the tongue lashing they received.

 

The idea of their product is it works on multiple computers/devices for the same user - I can use it on my phone, my laptop, my desktop, etc. and it will store all my passwords for me.  The problem is there are multiple products like this already on the market, most of them can articulate their advantages better than "we have AES 256 bit encryption" and they are cheaper or at least no more money (Lastpass, for instance, is free on computers but I believe you have to pay to use it on a phone or tablet).  Despite being asked multiple times they never answered what was unique about it (and yes, they got cut off a lot but it was always after saying AES 256 bit encryption so I'm not giving them the benefit of the doubt).

 

I really think that the brothers lost the respect when they entered the tank in tuxes. They looked stupid. 

 

That didn't help anything but their complete lack of knowledge about their product cost them even more respect.  They had no idea what they were pitching and couldn't answer a single question from Mark or Robert.  It's not like they didn't know at least one of them would be on the show and ask some tough questions.

[Latverian Diplomat]

Going out on a limb here, but given the level of cluelessness of the tuxedo boys, is it possible that there entire business is a front for an identity theft and security hacking scheme?  Are there so-called tech expert employees snowing the boys into paying them to get money to develop a crappy security system that the workers then exploit for their own devious gains?  

Anything's possible, but there are a ton of tech startups run by people who don't know what they are doing, are doing something already being done better by someone else, or are working on an idea with obvious drawbacks they are in denial about. They are doomed, but that doesn't mean they can't get funding and burn through capital for a while. It's not criminal, it's just a matter of knowing enough to get funding, but not enough to see why your idea can't work.

 

Cuban has seen this a bajillion times, and that's why he was out so quickly. He recognized the type.

 

In fairness, tech entrepreneurs get told "that won't work out" all the time. So a certain amount of ridiculous optimism really helps. But for every success, there are tons of failures where the people who said "that won't work out" were right. 

[Latverian Diplomat]

"Hummus" has become a generic term like Kleenex or Xerox.  I would love to try the black bean too! 

 

It's way more generic than that. It's a (simple) dish. It's like taco, pizza. or chili.

 

Nobody got sued over "Choco Tacos". pizza bagels, or chili dogs.

[RemoteControlFreak]

Anything's possible, but there are a ton of tech startups run by people who don't know what they are doing, are doing something already being done better by someone else, or are working on an idea with obvious drawbacks they are in denial about. They are doomed, but that doesn't mean they can't get funding and burn through capital for a while. It's not criminal, it's just a matter of knowing enough to get funding, but not enough to see why your idea can't work.

 

Cuban has seen this a bajillion times, and that's why he was out so quickly. He recognized the type.

 

In fairness, tech entrepreneurs get told "that won't work out" all the time. So a certain amount of ridiculous optimism really helps. But for every success, there are tons of failures where the people who said "that won't work out" were right. 

Not what I meant.

[Shibori]

Lori's an embarrassment. I really wish they'd get rid of her.

I'm a total crier, but I actually agree with Barbara, at least in this case (though not in the absolute). I don't mind the ones that get weepy because their business/product was the result of something legitimately sad. It's quite another to come in with a negligible business plan and expect to get by on a teary "I'm just like you, Sharks!" I thought she was ridiculous, and just kept getting herself more wound up. Given we know that some of these pitches can go on for quite some time, can you imagine how painful the unedited pitch was in real time?

I also don't think you should expect the Sharks to write your business plan for you. If you can't show a path for a service business to get yo investable revenues (like through franchising), it shouldn't be on the Sharks to suggest that for you. And $2,000/week in revenue with the cost of maintaining a salon isn't going to get investors jumping without a detailed plan.

Edited October 4, 2015 by Shibori

[RemoteControlFreak]

Thanks, RemoteControlFreak--that's a cool shirt but not the one he wore on the show (it was green and different wording). Inspired by your efforts I found a photo of it which I am not able to post (something about the URL not being acceptable) but it says, "It'll be a bummus if you don't try our hummus".

This?  

 

[Amarsir]

Nice to see you're all way ahead of me on Lori. I yelled at the TV. I never do that. Not only do women not know tech, but they're easier to sell something flawed to because of it? Ugh. (And her tone of voice there too already betrayed that she'd be going out. I can always tell when she gets overly saccharine that it's just talk.)

 

Why did the Internet security guys get laughed out of the tank (other than their sartorial sense), and yet people were totally respectful of last week's "Beware of the scary dudes with scanners coming to steal your credit card info!" They were pretty much selling the same thing the card scanner dude was selling (peace of mind for consumers).

I think the key difference is that scanner guy sold a working product that nobody needs, while these had a flawed product that people already use.  Card scanning was rightly picked apart on these forums, but at least he's overprotecting rather than under.

 

Might be a sign right off the bat that O'Dang Hummus guy can get ahead of himself/must not watch the show enough because Mark always waits in the wings to give the best deal. He's a great salesman though because I crave his product.

I like Mark but I'm happy to see his wait-and-see approach backfire. (And if anything he pushed them into taking the 20% rather than trying to stick at 25.)

 

Also he was a good salesman. For the hummus I'm more likely to steal his recipe for my own than to buy his, but those salad dressing might be worth chasing down.

 

I didn't get why a "service" was automatically not an investment opportunity. Franchising exists. I mean, it was unclear what Mikki wanted the money for, and the whole thing is heavily edited, but they seemed to say that they would never invest in anything in the service space.

 

Are they only interested in consumer goods that can "go viral" and ramp up quickly?

Probably. I was thinking that any of the other countries' Shark Tank versions might have made that deal. But this US show is too big for incremental growth like that. They want something they can put on shelves in Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Staples.

 

Going out on a limb here, but given the level of cluelessness of the tuxedo boys, is it possible that there entire business is a front for an identity theft and security hacking scheme?  Are there so-called tech expert employees snowing the boys into paying them to get money to develop a crappy security system that the workers then exploit for their own devious gains?  

Probably not, but you and I should get together and pitch that movie to Miramax!

 

It would never have occurred to me to make hummus using black beans, so thanks for that, Jesse O'Dang (I realize that's not his name but I don't get the product name). Anyway I may experiment with that. I assume there is oil in the hummus just not in the salad dressing.

He said "30 calories per serving". Typical listed serving for hummus is 2T. I highly doubt there's oil in it if the calories are that low. (If he did a cheat with 1T servings, then maybe.)  Also it can be done without oil. I'm currently working on a jar of Herr's brand which I got at Dollar Tree of all places, and no oil. (And it's good! Heavier on cumin than some, but good.)

[RemoteControlFreak]

"Hummus" has become a generic term like Kleenex or Xerox.  I would love to try the black bean too! 

No, it's different. In the case of Kleenex or Xerox, a specific brand name is used to describe all products of that type, regardless of the brand. So all brands of facial tissue are called Kleenex and documents made with any brand of photocopier are called a Xerox.

 

Hummus is not a brand name.  It is the arabic word for "chickpeas."