S07.E17: SmartPlate, Bee Free Honee, Float Baby, MTailor

[yeswedo]

An entrepreneur pitches a smart plate containing food-recognition technology that could solve all your dieting problems; two energetic women have created a sweetener that tastes like honey, but is not made by bees; the Sharks crack up at the sight of an entrepreneur's unique spa business for babies; and a perhaps too-confident Stanford grad believes he's at the forefront of where high tech meets fashion for men's custom shirts. In a follow-up on Ilumi, the company in which Mark Cuban invested in during Season 5, we see how their wirelessly controlled LED lights have illuminated the business world.

[readster]

Taking bets now how much Uber will be mentioned in every pitch.

[hoosiermommy]

Taking bets now how much Uber will be mentioned in every pitch.

I got my wine all ready for my drinking game and....nothing. I finally gave in and drank without an "Uber" prompt.

[Quickbeam]

I was curious why no one asked the mtailor guy if his program would work for women.

The baby spa thing was just stupid. Mark was right....sell the stuff, let people do this at home.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Quickbeam

[Eolivet]

"Please just leave."

 

Wow. There have been some arrogant people pitching on Shark Tank, but few seemed to have irritated the sharks as much as the MTailor guy. He should go into business with the Copa da Vino guy they all hated and tried to invest in, too. Individual wine in a cup while you wait for your individual shirt to be made!

[roctavia]

I wonder if selling the baby float stuff would be a liability... like if you sell it, and somebody doesn't use it right, letting their baby drown or get injured, I don't think much would protect the seller/maker from getting the pants sued off of her, no matter how many warnings etc. came with the floaty ring.

 

The Mtailor guy was ridiculous... I even missed the end of the pitch cause I couldn't stand to watch any more. The technology is interesting, and I could see it having far more applications for women- since women's sizing is so crazy... a custom fit dress would be amazing. But the manufacturing side of that would be tricky.

 

The plate thing sounded interesting when the pitch began, but it just went down hill from there.

 

The honey substitute sounds like a good product, especially if it can have an environmental impact on helping the bees. They got a pretty great deal getting three sharks.

[Jamoche]

I was curious why no one asked the mtailor guy if his program would work for women.

 

*Seriously*. If they could do tops and pants, I would be so on it. I've tried the custom web options because my iPhone lives in a cargo pant side pocket but cargo pants go in and out of style constantly, and measuring yourself is awkward. Not to mention fitted shirts that *fit*.

[mjc570]

I didn't get the point of the smart plate- if you're eating at home, you can easily obtain the weight and nutritional data of your food before you put it on your plate. How would you use it when eating out - dump your food on it? I can see the value of an app that lets you scan ( take a picture) of your food and looks up the nutrition. If your phone can take a picture, why does your plate need to do so? Aside from the ridiculous price, it didn't even seem like it was an actual product yet.

I really got the feeling that there was an awful lot of editing going on. I have lots of questions about all the pitches.

I liked the bee(less) ladies, but didn't really understand how their product helps bees. It may make up for a honey shortage because of the bee decrease and meet vegan requirements, but is there any evidence that harvesting honey is harmful? Don't the bees just make more honey?

[Jamoche]

I liked the bee(less) ladies, but didn't really understand how their product helps bees. It may make up for a honey shortage because of the bee decrease and meet vegan requirements, but is there any evidence that harvesting honey is harmful? Don't the bees just make more honey?

Bees over-produce honey normally, so no, harvesting it is not harmful.

[walnutqueen]

Bees over-produce honey normally, so no, harvesting it is not harmful.

 

Damon pointed out that if you harvest more than 20% of the honey, it can collapse the hive.

[Primetimer]

While the people making a honey substitute have no problem securing a deal with the Sharks, the same can't be said for other would-be wheeler-dealers appearing on this week's episode.

Read the story

[starri]

Well, my previous post got eaten.

 

Hot takes:

 

-I loved the Bee Women, and I'm not even their target customer.

 

-Float Baby Woman's website is the only place--the only place--on the entire Internet that has any reference to that study she cited.  

 

-Chris Sacca should have invested in MTailor, so he and the founder could merge into Douchebag Voltron.

 

-Do we really need a $200 plate to know that eating a bunch of pizza is bad for us?

[mwell345]

Am I the only one that though that the shirt for the guy they measured fit horribly ?

[walnutqueen]

Am I the only one that though that the shirt for the guy they measured fit horribly ?

 

It looked tight and bunched up around the torso and arms - not a clean look at all.

[mjc570]

 

Am I the only one that though that the shirt for the guy they measured fit horribly ?

No, I thought it was pretty obvious. 

[Latverian Diplomat]

I liked the bee(less) ladies, but didn't really understand how their product helps bees. It may make up for a honey shortage because of the bee decrease and meet vegan requirements, but is there any evidence that harvesting honey is harmful? Don't the bees just make more honey?

 

 

Bees over-produce honey normally, so no, harvesting it is not harmful.

 

 

Damon pointed out that if you harvest more than 20% of the honey, it can collapse the hive.

 

In fact, by removing a revenue source, you are actually reducing the incentive to keep bees. Honey comes from kept honeybees, presumably raised by people who know how much to take out (in fact, I believe they can also do things like supply cheaper sugar syrup to replace some of the honey they take).

 

If beekeepers can't make a living, how does that help bees?

[starri]

Bees live in the wild, too.

 

And I believe there are beekeepers who use them for pollinating crops.

Edited February 13, 2016 by starri

[designing1]

My first thought on the plate was how would one wash a plate that has all that technology built in? Is it removable for cleaning, and if it is, how fast will it break or become unreliable with all that inserting and removing. OK, that was maybe my second thought after "Really? Who needs this?"

 

Though I don't fully understand the effect on the bees of the world, I liked the honey substitute as an alternative for anyone who is allergic to real honey -- and for hardcore vegans, who I didn't realize wouldn't eat honey because it's produced by bees.

 

I don't understand why the infant floaty spa can't just be done at home with a full tub and the proper float device. Do new parents really need to start scheduling time to dress baby, gather all 4,000 items baby needs to hit the road, and drive to the spa just so the kid can float in a tub with other kids? I'd probably be quite concerned about the cleanliness of the spa, given all the peeing and pooping that will happen in those tubs.

 

The shirt dude was an arrogant, annoying SOB and the custom shirt that Mr. Muscle modeled fit terribly. Maybe he went hardcore at the gym when he found out he'd be on TV and they didn't think to get him a new custom shirt. Or maybe the software isn't that great. The sweaty shirt the presenter was wearing certainly didn't seem like anything special.

[Shibori]

Amy Poehler floating babies and Martin Shkreli selling shirts.

I was fascinated by the baby lady's right eyebrow. It had a life of its own!

Edited February 13, 2016 by Shibori

[Jamoche]

Bees live in the wild, too.

 

And I believe there are beekeepers who use them for pollinating crops.

Honeybees have been domesticated; they don't survive in the wild very well. Pollinating crops by itself doesn't make enough money for the beekeepers.

[anonymiss]

Uber Chris didn't mention it at all and instead outed himself as a former vegan and Veggie Grill investor. I begrudgingly might like him for that now. Veggie Grill is great.

 

I enjoyed all the snark in this episode--when Mark took over the Bee Free deal and said Barbara was there for "hand-holding," when Barbara tried cutting Chris out of his own deal, and when the shirt guy set the tone for his pitch by insulting FUBU and so on.

[Gregg247]

If the male model for MTailor had come out wearing a shirt covered in tassles, rhinestones, and sparkly things, you just know Chris Sacca would have made a deal on the spot.  Finally, a never-ending source of singing-cowboy clothing!!!

[starri]

I enjoyed all the snark in this episode--when Mark took over the Bee Free deal and said Barbara was there for "hand-holding," when Barbara tried cutting Chris out of his own deal, and when the shirt guy set the tone for his pitch by insulting FUBU and so on.

Kevin:  "Find someone else who wants to work with you."

 

Daymond:  "*cough*Myself*cough*"

[UsernameFatigue]

Shark Tank really should have pitched  this episode as "Solutions for problems that don't exist".

 

Didn't understand the smart plate at all. You can only use it at home (unless you want to carry it around which seems unlikely) and I if I want to know the calories, fat content etc. of what I am eating I want to know that BEFORE it hits my plate. Once it is on my plate I am eating it regardless.

 

The honey ladies - I am not sure about saving bees. Seems more like they want to replace honey. It is a product I would try though. I do think it is funny that the one lady discovered it by screwing up a recipe.

 

The baby spa lady? Wasn't she something? I loved that the sharks were laughing at the video. I seriously doubt her claims as well. Apparently it has been shown that babies that were put in this type of spa were much further along with whatever measurements were taken at 5 years than babies that didn't use the spa. Since this particular personal one was only invented 5 years ago in Japan one would think her data must come from hospital NCUs. One would think though that there are likely other external factors in this claim, like maybe the babies born at hospitals that used this treatment maybe are in better areas, have parents who have more advantages in life that their children are able to be exposed to over the next 5 years? Just a thought.

 

Wow, the arrogance of the MTailor guy made Cuban look more like the affable Robert (who I sorely missed). I did like that Uber guy asked him if he was just trying to take advantage of the Sharks as opposed to the deal he gave his investors. And I agree with all above - the custom shirt the model wore looked like crap - bunchy and too small. I know that is a trend for young guys to want to wear tight shirts, but it is not a good look. And you can already buy dress shirts off the rack that are either regular fit or slim fit. And my hubby has always worn 'big and tall' shirts as he is tall and has a long torso and arms. But I agree with others that this would be something more for women than men. My hubby has worn the same size shirt and pants for the 18 years we have been together and can go into any store and buy off the rack. On the other hand I have three different sizes of clothing I am currently wearing depending on the make/label - and all fit me exactly the same. Ugh.

Edited February 14, 2016 by UsernameFatigue

[zxy556575]

What I didn't understand about the faux honey is why? How many of you keep honey on hand? I personally don't, and the only thing I remember using it on is peanut butter and honey toast when I was a kid. And maybe adding some to hot tea once in a while. I'm sure people do cook with it, but it primarily seems to be used as a "healthier" replacement for sugar, but BeeFree is just sugar disguised to taste like honey. Seems like a roundabout and expensive way to sweeten something.

 

... Okay, I went to the Sue Bee site and looked at some of their recipe suggestions -- most are deserts with some savory items like Creamy Honey Tomato Soup, which please.

[bilgistic]

About the "honee": "cane sugar" is just ye olde sugar, and it is not vegan unless it is organic, which I see no mention of on Bee Free's website. White sugar is processed via "bone char" (you'll likely see it on the list of ingredients on your bag of sugar), which is animal bone--definitely not vegetarian and certainly not vegan. Organic sugar and beet sugar are not processed with bone char, and are vegan. Honey isn't vegan but is vegetarian, and a good substitute for white sugar, with some possible health benefits.

A source re: sugar and veganism: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2007issue4/2007_issue4_sugar.php

Edited February 14, 2016 by bilgistic

[starri]

They mentioned during their pitch that they used vegan sugar.

 

 

And maybe adding some to hot tea once in a while. I'm sure people do cook with it, but it primarily seems to be used as a "healthier" replacement for sugar, but BeeFree is just sugar disguised to taste like honey. Seems like a roundabout and expensive way to sweeten something.

It's really not terribly expensive (which is one plus it has over most of the food products that make into the Tank), and it actually has slightly less sugar than natural honey.

[bilgistic]

They mentioned during their pitch that they used vegan sugar.

I know they did, but what I'm saying is that I'm not seeing any proof of that. Sugar must be organic or beet sugar to be vegan. They aren't using beet sugar (sugar made from beets); they're using cane sugar. They aren't using organic sugar or they'd have said it and/or it would be on their website. The processing of non-organic sugar makes it not vegan.

[kieranpigpig]

What I didn't understand about the faux honey is why? How many of you keep honey on hand?

I have honey but only for one purpose for my herbal teas, usually the sleepy time ones at night, it is the perfect compliment for that. I think it is something in the honey that is soothing and helps with relaxation. Otherwise I use organic sugar for anything else including my mixture to feed the hummingbirds (honey is not to be used in their feeders) That said I would try the substitute honey made from apples for sweetening tea or whatever I would use honey for. Not a bad idea as it is another way to sweeten with what is essentially fruitose.

 

The rest of the pitches were ridiculous.

[Spunkygal]

What I didn't understand about the faux honey is why? How many of you keep honey on hand?

I do!! I keep it on hand throughout the winter for my hot toddies! Hmmmmm, time for one now.......

[TimetoShine]

@lordonia at home? No, because I'm not a fan but my office has honey in every kitchen and kitchenette (around 6). 

[LittleIggy]

I think the Float Baby woman said they used an individual tub for each baby so I don't know why they showed three babies in one tub (except that it was funny). If someone used the flotation ring on a baby at home and he/she drowned, of course there would be a lawsuit.

The Mtailor douche bro should have worn a black shirt so his flop sweat wouldn't show.

[marny]

I keep honey on hand all the time. It's a common ingredient in salad dressings and Asian recipes (not to mention BBQ sauces). Since I'm not a vegan, I see no need for a sub in my life, but there's definitely a significant market.

[theatremouse]

I was sort of amused when whoever it was said the Mtailor guy didn't look nervous at all? Or whatever it was they said. They accused him of being too cool as a cucumber, and I'm like...with dude's flop sweat staring you in the face through that purple shirt?

Also when he was doing the demo, he commented on picking the purple color and pointed out he was wearing it...but then the guy they took the picture of and supposedly were demoing the shirt-process for came out in a different color shirt. I know obviously it was all premade before since you can't apparate a shirt in 3 seconds, but stick to your demo's own narrative, dude!

[ratgirlagogo]

I thought the cane sugar "honey" was also a less than necessary product.  I'm not in the market for it because I use honey all the time, more than I use cane sugar - it blends better in cooking, has some helpful nutritional and medicinal value that sugar doesn't, and I like the taste..  I get mine from the farmers' market and it's cheaper than even most supermarket honey.

 

But vegans already have a variety of substitute sugar syrups readily available, rice syrup and agave syrup for just two examples, both of which seem to be cheaper than this product.  Also, while sugar cane isn't pollinated by bees, apples are - so maybe I wasn't understanding something?  Since their website does look perfectly earnest in its intent.

 

Given the current number of unhappy Uber drivers going out on strike in various east coast cities  this might not be the most politic time to be talking it up on TV, so the lack of Uber mentions just kind of made me laugh.

Edited February 14, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[fivestone]

What I didn't understand about the faux honey is why? How many of you keep honey on hand?

 

We do and so does pretty much everyone else we know, but I think that's a cultural thing. My husband's grandfather is a beekeeper so he gifts us honey, honey soap, and other items regularly. That said, if I saw Bee Free in the store, I'd probably buy it out of sheer curiosity (but I would never tell Grampa).

[PepperMonkey]

UGH, this show.

 

At least it was Lori-free, so that was a MAJOR bonus for me!

 

Daymond is still my current favourite shark, with his bee love and his home-y NY colloquialisms: "We used to eat out of a trash can lid." "We used to play with bricks and pretend they were Frisbees." et. al.

 

I'm growing to hate Chris Sacca. I can't hate his cowboy shirts because I, myself, am a vintage cowboy shirt lover. Here's the major difference: mine weren't actually VINTAGE when I acquired them!! I fell in love with HBarC when I was a young teenager in middle school and loved wearing them skin tight and spangly with my low cut huge bell bottom jeans. I still have them ALL and they look almost new. I guess because I didn't wear them every single day as Chris seems to do. It's his "look" I suppose.

[Jamoche]

But vegans already have a variety of substitute sugar syrups readily available, rice syrup and agave syrup for just two examples, both of which seem to be cheaper than this product.  Also, while sugar cane isn't pollinated by bees, apples are - so maybe I wasn't understanding something? 

Vegans aren't against bees doing pollination, just in eating anything directly produced by them.

 

I mostly use honey in cooking, and I assume there's a reason the recipe calls for it and not for just any sugar syrup. Aside from the vegan aspect I see no use for it. It's like using artificial vanilla instead of the real thing: why bother?

[ratgirlagogo]

 

Vegans aren't against bees doing pollination, just in eating anything directly produced by them.

Yes, I understand that part of the vegan argument. I don't agree but I do understand it.  What I don't understand is how using this product is going to improve the treatment of bees when one of its ingredients requires bee pollination of exactly the kind their website deplores.  Apples aren't just randomly pollinated by wild bees, they're deliberately pollinated by human application of domesticated bees.  I'd rather support small honey farmers (as I already do) and small  farming as much as I can to help turn around the bee disaster.

Edited February 14, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[nobodyyoucare]

 

just in eating anything directly produced by them

Do vegans even know what honey is? Its bee puke. Perfectly natural the bees even eat it later. 

[Jesse]

It's taking the product of the bees' work that's the issue.  

[needschocolate]

I can understand getting your suit tailored, but is it really that necessary to get your shirts tailored? Men's shirts comes in a wide selection of sizes already and they are usually tucked in, so it isn't that important that it fit the waist perfectly.  Besides, it seems most men want the shirt to be a little loose - looser than the shirts those guys were wearing. I suppose it would be nice to get the color you want with the type of collar and cuff that you want, but they might have less returns if they just let people specify color, fabric, sleeve length, collar type, collar measurement, instead of having their phone take measurements.  

 

Speaking of measurements, I can see how the software would be able to get the ratios of the different measurements -  such as the waist measurement is 1.5 times the arm length (I am completely making up that ratio), but how would it know if it is a 30 inch arm and a 45 inch waist or a 20 inch arm and a 30 inch waist.  I know it takes a picture of the background, but I don't see how that helps.  I had the same thought with the food app.  If it takes a picture on the special plate, it knows how big the slice of pizza is, but if you just take a picture of a slice of pizza with your phone, how does it know if it is one of those big 12 inch slices on a 13 inch plate or a a 7 inch slice on an 8 inch plate?

 

The food measuring guy's pitch ended up being -  "I have a great idea for a plate that will tell you how many calories you are consuming and, if you can't have the plate with you, you can take pictures with your phone and find out how many calories, except we haven't actually made a working model and we don't know how to add in the calories that can't be filmed, like the amount of oil or sugar in the recipe."  He should have just started off with "I think I have a great idea but I can't make it work so I need you guys to spend money on it." 

 

Actually, that could have been the Baby Spa lady's pitch too - "I love my idea but I need you to tell me what to do." I loved the look on her face when Mark asked about the grind.  I didn't know what he meant until he explained it, so I may have had the same look on my face, but that is the only thing she and I have in common.  I can see how the exercise a baby gets "treading" water for 20 minutes could help build muscle that leads to them sitting, crawling, and/or walking sooner, but brain development? Nah, unless you are reading a book to them as they swim.  And most swim schools have Mommy and Me classes that are probably less than $65 for 20 minutes in the water.  If she really has a better float device, she should market it to hospitals for babies that need this sort of therapy (assuming there is a need for it).

 

I mostly use honey in cooking, and I assume there's a reason the recipe calls for it and not for just any sugar syrup. Aside from the vegan aspect I see no use for it. It's like using artificial vanilla instead of the real thing: why bother?

 

The reason for using the Bee Free Honey is the same as the reason for using imitation vanilla  - it is cheaper. You get, basically, the same taste for less money.  Honey has a distinctive flavor, so you don't want to substitute a different sugar if you need honey for the taste.  But, if you use a lot of honey (example, you own a baklava company) you could save money using Bee Free instead the real stuff.  

 

I am not sure there is much of a market for Bee Free for home use. Vegans would buy it.  However, there a theory that honey is healthier than other sugars - I don't how if that is true, but a lot of people seem to believe it (a lot of people also believe gluten is the work of the devil).  I don't know if the price of a small bottle of Bee Free would be enough cheaper to make people purchase something they think is less healthy.  On the other hand, if they can convince people that Bee Free helps save the bees, people may be willing to pay extra for it.  

 

I don't know if using Bee Free helps or hurts the bee population.  In the bee ladies' defense, I don't remember them saying that it helps the bees, I thought it was brought up by one of the sharks and the other sharks held on to it.  I got annoyed at Kevin (and he has been less annoying lately) for harping on them for having so little in sales for 16 years of business, especially after she pointed out (again) that the mistake that lead to bee free honey happened 16 years ago, and they haven't been trying to sell it for that long. At least the other sharks were able to understand.  

[designing1]

I'd be curious about the shelf life of the Bee Free. I always have honey in the house, mainly for yogurt and tea, so a jar lasts a long time. Honey never spoils; it may crystallize, but a little heat and it's good as new. With an ingredient list of organic apples, lemon juice, and cane sugar (I really don't need more cane sugar in my diet!), I wonder how long it stays fresh. It's still a great idea for vegans and those with honey allergies.

[Amarsir]

Didn't understand the smart plate at all. You can only use it at home (unless you want to carry it around which seems unlikely) and I if I want to know the calories, fat content etc. of what I am eating I want to know that BEFORE it hits my plate. Once it is on my plate I am eating it regardless.

A lot of people - myself included - log everything we eat. Fitbit and MyFitnessPal and similar resources will keep the total and let you know how you're doing against daily goals. 

 

But I am highly skeptical about that product. First, there are several reasons it would be better as a phone app like they suggested. (Which I think may already exist; not sure.)  But second, there's too many things you can't tell. Your app is going to know if I used light salad dressing vs regular? If I baked something with yogurt or applesauce instead of oil? And what of things that don't fit in the plate, like my beverage?

 

So you have to at best say it's a companion tool. But if it's just a piece I already have a kitchen scale and measuring cups. And an eye for portion size with lots of reference lists when I eat out.  As someone squarely in their target market, I can't imagine buying that plate.

 

It's taking the product of the bees' work that's the issue.  

What if the bees are paid a living wage?

[ae2]

Regarding the BeeFree being cheaper... is it? They claimed some ridiculously high prices for honey.

 

The prices they quoted for their product were comparable with farmer's market honey where I live, and a little higher than store bought honey. 

[starri]

It's regularly $6/bottle on their website.  I'm not a mass-market honey purchaser, but I imagine that's probably cheaper than whatever small-batch artisanal craft honey that's made from hipster bees would cost you at Whole Foods.

[UsernameFatigue]

A lot of people - myself included - log everything we eat.

 

That is my point. If someone - whether because they are dieting or just as a habit want to know what they are eating calorie, fat, etc. wise they want to know BEFORE it is on their plate. Ninety nine percent of the time I don't eat anything that I do not know its makeup before I even decide to eat it. I know how much of it I am going to eat and dish out that much accordingly. Once it is on my plate I already know what I am eating so the plate would be useless to me. And as you have pointed out it does not know for example what salad dressing you might be using which can vary widely in calorie and fat content. Useless item IMO.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

It's regularly $6/bottle on their website.  I'm not a mass-market honey purchaser, but I imagine that's probably cheaper than whatever small-batch artisanal craft honey that's made from hipster bees would cost you at Whole Foods

BeeFree is six dollars for a twelve ounce jar - the honey I buy at the Union Square Greenmarket direct from the beekeepers is five dollars a pound. You can pay a lot more than that for various kinds of honey at places like Whole Foods - but that honey-purchasing market isn't the market for this stuff anyway.  As I said, for the vegans who would be the market for this, rice syrup and agave syrup are (usually) cheaper than this product.

 

But, if you use a lot of honey (example, you own a baklava company) you could save money using Bee Free instead the real stuff.

The wholesale market for honey substitutes already has much cheaper mass-produced sugar syrup products available to them.  Some of which have  in recent years been fraudulently sold in supermarkets as honey:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/#.VsIrPvkrIdV

I think whatever market the BeeFree women are going for is the retail market.

Edited February 15, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[Jamoche]

The reason for using the Bee Free Honey is the same as the reason for using imitation vanilla  - it is cheaper. 

For home cooking it's not significantly cheaper, and if I'm going to the trouble of making something at home (which I don't do that often) I'm going for the best ingredients I can. Why spent an hour on ice cream if it's going to taste no better than the cheap store brands? (I've got a reputation with my friends for great ice cream :) )

 

And the baklava company had better put "imitation" on their labels, because honey is what you expect to find there.

[starri]

BeeFree is six dollars for a twelve ounce jar - the honey I buy at the Union Square Greenmarket direct from the beekeepers is five dollars a pound. You can pay a lot more than that for various kinds of honey at places like Whole Foods - but that honey-purchasing market isn't the market for this stuff anyway.  As I said, for the vegans who would be the market for this, rice syrup and agave syrup are (usually) cheaper than this product.

If they're going after the retail market, they're going after the Whole Foods crowd first, and anything designed to make the purchaser feel smug is exactly what the Whole Foods buyer wants.