S07.E29: Pete & Pedro, PMS Bites, Felt, PavLok

[yeswedo]

A woman hopes the Sharks will make a deal for her chocolate treats that are perfect for women who want to satisfy cravings; a Season 4 entrepreneur returns for a second chance to pitch the Shark's his new business, a line of men's hair products; a man who is desperate for capital, plans to warm the Sharks' hearts with an app that allows users to electronically send handwritten cards; and a man believes he has created a unique way to break bad habits with self-zapping wristbands. Also, recaps and updates featuring the various entrepreneurs that appeared during Season 7.

Season finale!

[starri]

4 minutes ago, yeswedo said:

A woman hopes the Sharks will make a deal for her chocolate treats that are perfect for women who want to satisfy cravings

Why do they do this to me?  Let's gender everything!

[tiredofwork]

Pavlok dude was nothing more than a producer plant for filler, not real, no way.

Glad for Felt guy.  He was sincere and I believe he can and will make it work.

Edited May 21, 2016 by tiredofwork

[Eolivet]

What this season of Shark Tank taught me is that next season, I want is an entrepreneur who has developed an on-demand car service just for weddings. Then Kevin O'Leary and Chris Sacca can trip over each other trying to out-name-drop their favorite ventures, and we can all reap the drinking game benefits. It will be called..."Something Uber-Wonderful."

See ya in the fall, Shark Tankers!

[rhys]

Wow that was weird. I don't like it when people with disabilities are disparaged, but Pavlok dude was unbearable. Is this the first time anyone's cussed?

[bilgistic]

I'm in the middle of watching this and I'm so fucking angry as a woman and PMS sufferer. I've not even finished the segment, but I had to come and BITCH about how IRRITABLE it makes me when all five Sharks, including two WOMEN dismiss a product aimed at half the population because "you're losing half the market". Oh, well, I guess everyone is sporty and wants various non-surf or skateboards, or the latest way to protect/spy on your entitled child because everyone has children, or we all want new ways to package wine because we all drink alcohol, or want to wear ties--what about half the market that doesn't wear a precocious 10-year-old's bowties?? Or use Dude Wipes?? Shark Tank, you can fuck right off with your dismissal of women and their PMS!

[augmentedfourth]

Uh, I don't think the sharks (or the show) were being dismissive of women and PMS. They actually complimented her on her product, which she brought up in her exit interview. Except for a few cutesy feel-good stories, the sharks' number one interest is making money, and they were just pointing out that the way she's marketing her product is alienating a large number of potential consumers. Whether or not you want to argue about niche markets...meh.

 

As a woman, I found her entire pitch obnoxious and I'm glad she didn't get a deal. I'm not being dismissive of PMS or its sufferers, but I HATE the age-old "belief" that women can't be trusted to get anything done one week out of the month. Or if a woman has a valid complaint about something and dares to speak up about it, claiming that she must be PMS-ing. Joking about Lori being "irritable" when the woman said that was the #1 symptom was gross. Also, if you are suffering from PMS? Eating one of this woman's snacks likely isn't going to do a damn thing, regardless of what herbs and spices she threw in there. I worried that Lori or Barbara was going to be interested in this crap, and I was thrilled (and delighted to be proven wrong) when they were the first ones out.

[KaveDweller]

I thought Mark was being kind of a dick to the Pavlok guy. He had a point, but he didn't need to be so rude about it. I was actually glad the guy was being strong arguing back. However. He totally lost me with what he said to Kevin. I realize Kevin isn't the nicest Shark, but it was a legitimate offer and Pavlok guy shouldn't have dismissed him like that, especially after admitting he liked the deal. But it's one thing to chose one Shark over another, but to dismiss your only offer because you don't like the guy? At least pretend it's about the deal.

I like the idea behind Felt, but isn't it kind of the opposite of what his pitch said. It's really nice to get a card that was personally addressed/written, but writing on your tablet and reusing the info is actually not personally addressing things. A person is going to see that it was printed out. And since most people don't know other people's handwriting, they may think it is just one of those computer fonts meant to look like handwriting. Of course, I was once at a bridal shower where each guest was asked to address an envelope that the bride would use for thank you notes. So, a recycled screen capture of writing an address is a big step up from that.

I am curious about what the Felt guy said though. He said he needs an investment so he can pay his rent. Can he actually do that? Isn't the investment for the actual business and not just to take as some form of salary?

[mjc570]

Sorry, I think calling it PMS Bites really is unnecessary restrictive.  Not only does it leave out men, children, non-menstruating women, restricting it to PMS days is also limiting.  Of course it is appropriate for products that are directed to specific conditions - but this is just a health treat (and very similar to the ones I like for breakfast,  made with dates, cocoa, chia, flax etc) with some "medicinal" herbs.  I liked Lori's idea of changing the name, but also pointing out in the marketing that it may provide some relief.  For that matter, maybe the entrepreneur could make a more expansive line, with different herbs and seasonings for different conditions, the way tea is marketed, to expand the potential market.  I  really liked the woman, though, and thought her pitch was clever and original.

I thought the last guy, with the shock watch, was a little weird, but I think he was probably correct about working with Kevin.  On the other hand, his valuation was ridiculous, and he might have been better off taking the deal.  I have to admit, if they were cheaper, I might buy one since I have a number of habits I could break with some conditioning. Of course a rubber band around the wrist probably works the same, but its hard to find one that's not too loose or too tight. 

[bilgistic]

I stand by my comments. Saying she's "losing half the market" by focusing on a woman's product is what really chapped my ass and set me off. It was just fine for the first guy to market MEN'S hair products with no mention of "losing half the market".

I don't like the name "PMS Bites", either, but the way they acted was dismissive of women, period. Pun intended.

Edited May 21, 2016 by bilgistic

[bilgistic]

Breaking news: Lori just tweeted that she invested in PMS Bites and renamed them "PMS Stuffins".

[roctavia]

Man... this season was lame.... I know there are always wacky products and ideas, which is what I watch for because I couldn't care less about the deal making... but there wasn't anything all that thrilling or at least interesting this season.

Add me to the people annoyed with "PMS Bites" the name is stupid and her market is very narrow... was Mark on her case about the herbs being snake oil?

The Pavlov guy was awful, but Mark was going so overboard with his 'these aren't your studies" stuff, it was really unappealing to watch. Given that this is a band for aversion therapy and not some weird pill, I don't think he had to be so crazy about how it doesn't work... he admitted himself that aversion therapy works, why wouldn't a negative stimulus work similarly? Copper bracelets and ADD herbal supplements have no science behind any of what they do, at least this guys concept had some merit. I am glad that the sharks usually don't fall for the kooky pseudo science stuff... but I'm sure there have been other products without research to back up their claims... the back massager thing, the posture thing etc. that didn't get so hammered by the sharks.  The presentation was terrible, and maybe that's why they were so hard on him, but it was a weird way to end the season.

[LotusFlower]

27 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

I stand by my comments. Saying she's "losing half the market" by focusing on a woman's product is what really chapped my ass and set me off. It was just fine for the first guy to market MEN'S hair products with no mention of "losing half the market".

I don't like the name "PMS Bites", either, but the way they acted was dismissive of women, period. Pun intended.

I totally agree.  I don't even see how this is a debate - every episode features pitches geared to a specific target audience.  Yes, men and children and are not part of this audience, but that still leaves millions of potential customers.  How is this different from products geared for kids, or men, or surfers, or....you get the idea.

[anonymiss]

1 hour ago, bilgistic said:

I'm in the middle of watching this and I'm so fucking angry as a woman and PMS sufferer. I've not even finished the segment, but I had to come and BITCH about how IRRITABLE it makes me when all five Sharks, including two WOMEN dismiss a product aimed at half the population because "you're losing half the market". Oh, well, I guess everyone is sporty and wants various non-surf or skateboards, or the latest way to protect/spy on your entitled child because everyone has children, or we all want new ways to package wine because we all drink alcohol, or want to wear ties--what about half the market that doesn't wear a precocious 10-year-old's bowties?? Or use Dude Wipes?? Shark Tank, you can fuck right off with your dismissal of women and their PMS!

I was reminded of Luna Bars and how I used to love them, and whenever I'd offer or recommend them to a male, he'd balk at the feminine packaging and verbiage. "Wait, isn't this only for women?" No matter what assurances I gave, they wouldn't try it. It's like they thought they'd lose testosterone. So I think there's something to what Lori said in relation to food products, anyway. (Now Luna has changed the package to be much more neutral.) 

I was also glad she didn't get a deal because she really had nothing new and danced around the competition question, hoping the Sharks wouldn't know there's a plethora of products at Whole Foods and the like already in the market.

The last guy--it seemed like Mark was right but I wouldn't be able to tell because of how he never let him finish a thought. Also, I'm confused as to why it's so snakelike. If aversion therapy is proven effective, and this is based on it, how is that such a scam? 

[K-9]

From Pavlok's website: 

Quote

Oh by the way --- one shark we didn't get to meet, because he was already a Pavlok fan.

[bilgistic]

I don't begin to understand anything Mark does, but I think his issue was that the guy was saying that "81% of the band users quit X bad habit within five days...or seven days," but it wasn't based upon actual controlled studies with the product. The guy kept saying "medical" and "scientific", as if that made his doohickey more valid. He had "preorders" (after seven seasons, I still don't know what that is...something with crowdfunding?), but only anecdotal claims. That's all I was able to piece together in that mess.

And "Pavlok" isn't as clever a name as he thinks it is. Yeah, Pavlov's dog, but where does the "lock" part come in? Pavshok? Zapz?

Edited May 21, 2016 by bilgistic

[starri]

5 hours ago, anonymiss said:

The last guy--it seemed like Mark was right but I wouldn't be able to tell because of how he never let him finish a thought. Also, I'm confused as to why it's so snakelike. If aversion therapy is proven effective, and this is based on it, how is that such a scam? 

For the same reason that PMS Bites would have been a scam if they said that the herbs they used treated PMS.  There are data that says certain supplements are biologically active (St John's Wort is probably the biggest one, assuming that what's on the label is what's in the cookie), but there's nothing that says taking it actually does anything to help with PMS.  Aversion therapy is a thing, but he's making medical claims for his specific device using nothing but anecdotes, which is illegal.  Mark was being an ass, but he wasn't totally wrong.

What a mouth Kevin has on him.  I curse like a sailor, but I'm not sure going on a rant like that really won anything for Kevin.  The guy was totally rude, and I wonder if there was something else that was cut out, but I don't know what caused Kevin to explode like that.

It's only a shame Sacca wasn't there for the YouTube guy (who I don't remember at all), because I would have loved to here how online influencers relate to Instagram and Uber.  Because, you know, influencers are a totally new concept and will clearly be a sustainable forever.  Disruption!

I'm honestly surprised Felt didn't come in targeting Kevin.  I mean, he wants weddings, Kevin pushes wedding, step three, PROFIT!  Also, perhaps this is my Emily Post speaking, but as much as I frigging hate Thank You cards, and don't expect them when I give gifts, I would rather see no effort than a gift-recipient just doing it online.  If you can't go to Hallmark and stamp the damn thing yourself, why bother?  Christmas cards, fine.  But I guess we needed to disrupt Big Card.

As a man, I don't know if I'm competent to comment on PMS Bites beyond my general disdain for the woo of herbs.  And I do think the name is terrible.

[mjc570]

1 hour ago, starri said:

*  * *

As a man, I don't know if I'm competent to comment on PMS Bites beyond my general disdain for the woo of herbs.  And I do think the name is terrible.

As a woman, I can tell you it's totally accurate! 

[Primetimer]

Season 7 ends like so many of the 28 episodes that preceded it, with a guy who's got no business being on the show wasting everybody's time.

View the full article

[starri]

Wait, wait, wait, the manbunned Felt Guy's name was "Tomer?"  I heard "Homer," which is unfortunately enough, but "Tomer!?!?!"

[Trepie]

$200 is ridiculous for Pavlok, unless it can be programmed to automatically shock you when you go to certain website or something. Even then it's limited.

I know a lot of people have achieved perfectly good results by snapping themselves with a rubber band, which is practically free.  Mark was right that this product is snake oil. Unless they can prove it works better, it's a total rip-off. 

[seacliffsal]

Most of these pitches annoyed me.  However, PMS Bites just made me confused.  Disclaimer: I am a female who has experienced horrific cramps.  However, the presenter overstated the average length of PMS, and implied that her bites would relieve the symptoms of PMS.  But, she also acknowledged that her bites were created to satisfy cravings that women may have during their PMS.  And once she name her price point-$7 for three bites..., if the bites really do relieve PMS symptoms, then women would need more than three.  Her presentation seemed very disjointed and she kept changing what the bites did.  

None of the presentations really appealed to me.  And, I am so tired of the complete over-evaluations (Pavlock, I'm looking at you).  Not every idea is worth millions of dollars...

[jackjill89]

You want to try aversion therapy? Put a rubber band on your wrist and snap it when you start to do something you shouldn't. Easy, free and it does work. You don't need to spend $200 to shock yourself, although I have no studies that say you'll break your bad habit in 5-7 days :) 

19 minutes ago, Trepie said:

$200 is ridiculous for Pavlok, unless it can be programmed to automatically shock you when you go to certain website or something. Even then it's limited.

I know a lot of people have achieved perfectly good results by snapping themselves with a rubber band, which is practically free.  Mark was right that this product is snake oil. Unless they can prove it works better, it's a total rip-off. 

Great minds! I was just writing about this!

[Trepie]

2 minutes ago, jackjill89 said:

You want to try aversion therapy? Put a rubber band on your wrist and snap it when you start to do something you shouldn't. Easy, free and it does work. You don't need to spend $200 to shock yourself, although I have no studies that say you'll break your bad habit in 5-7 days :) 

Great minds! I was just writing about this!

ha!  Now he's trying to raise money for a shocking alarm clock. But it won't just wake you up, it will totally make you a morning person!!

[anonymiss]

5 minutes ago, Trepie said:

ha!  Now he's trying to raise money for a shocking alarm clock. But it won't just wake you up, it will totally make you a morning person!!

That was weird because an alarm clock function seems to go against the aims of Pavlovian Conditioning. I thought you'd want a positive stimulus to want to wake up whereas a negative one (a shock) would make you averse to waking up, wouldn't it? 

The device actually made me think of Amy Schumer's Slap Chef joke (one of a few she allegedly stole): "Slap Chef--it slaps the food out of your stupid mouth!"

Edited May 21, 2016 by anonymiss

[Trepie]

11 minutes ago, anonymiss said:

That was weird because an alarm clock function seems to go against the aims of Pavlovian Conditioning. I thought you'd want a positive stimulus to want to wake up whereas a negative one (a shock) would make you averse to waking up, wouldn't it? 

The device actually made me think of Amy Schumer's Slap Chef joke (one of a few she allegedly stole): "Slap Chef--it slaps the food out of your stupid mouth!"

Yeah this is total anecdote but I started waking up more easily when I started using motivating music instead of a jarring buzzer. 

[Jamoche]

Quote

getting fair value from Kevin is like finding a rainbow-farting unicorn.

Which, thanks to another Shark Tank product, happens 90% of the times you're trying to watch a cute kitten Youtube video. Not sure whether Squatty Potty or Tipsy Elves annoy me more; one of them shows up everywhere, but the other is more annoying when it does.

[Auntie Anxiety]

There's an article in Daily Mail (U.K.) today about Pavlok and apparently people are buying and using it. One application was that it shocks you if you spend more money than you should be spending.  Maybe our legislators in Washington can buy it at a bulk rate and get shocked whenever they decide to waste taxpayer money.

[LakeGal]

I always suspected that Lori had no feelings.  Pavlok guy just proved it.  He turned up the shock and the other 3 Sharks (Mark never put his on) wearing the bracelet were jumping and telling him to turn it off because it hurt.  Lori sat there calmly saying she didn't feel anything.  It was the funniest part of the episode. 

[RemoteControlFreak]

So many problems with today's episode.

PMS Bites is a failure not because it only serves half the population -- actually more like 35% of the population when you eliminate pre-pubertal and post-menopausal women.  It's a failure because it is a product that anyone would enjoy, yet it's being marketed specifically to women with PMS.  It's not like, say, mustache wax or a baby bottle (both of which I think  have been on shark tank) that can only serve a specific niche.  So the entrepreneur is missing the opportunity to sell to a larger market merely by her labeling.  

I also question the stated fact that 90% of women experience such severe PMS symptoms that they're driving to eat junk food and would spend $15 on six pieces of gluten free-vegan candy instead.

I'm not cynical enough to think Pavlok is a fake plant, but his product is complete fake.  For years, people have used rubber bands that they snap on their wrist to help stop undesirable habits. There is probably some scientific evidence that this works for some people.  But who would spend $200 for essentially the same thing?  There might be some value if it were built into fully-functional wrist tracker like a Fitbit or Jawbone, but a standalone device is stupid.  Plus the seller was a complete dick.

[OpieTaylor]

15 hours ago, tiredofwork said:

Pavlok dude was nothing more than a producer plant for filler, not real, no way.

I'm suspicious that the rejection of Kevin, followed by Kevin's outrage and remarks, were NON-reality TV. It felt staged. Add to that Mark's OTT disgust with the guy.  Or maybe those things really happened and the producers waited to show it as the season finale, thinking that the shock value would be exciting.  I didn't enjoy it.

[bilgistic]

6 minutes ago, RemoteControlFreak said:

I also question the stated fact that 90% of women experience such severe PMS symptoms that they're driving to eat junk food and would spend $15 on six pieces of gluten free-vegan candy instead.

I'm not necessarily saying it'd be my first choice, but when I'm curled up in the fetal position in extreme cramping pain DAYS before my period even starts, I'd be open to trying anything. Herbs, elephant tranquilizers, handgun, napalm, whatever. Nearly every woman in my family suffers/ed the same symptoms.

[zxy556575]

Thanks to Philip Michaels for a season's worth of recapping insights and valor!

[Amarsir]

The PMS Bites name was overly-restrictive, but the product wasn't. Rename it to target women in general, make sure it contains some amount of nutrients women need outside that time of the month, and just imply on the package and marketing that it's good for PMS. Serve your target market but don't restrict to it.

That said, I think the price and likely competition are issue enough.

For the Pavlok, gosh it sure would be nice if the person rejecting Kevin like that didn't have such an already contentious product. Many would like to see him reap what he sows for some of his more vicious rejections. But not from someone making specific claims he can't back up with a valuation he can't justify.

[KaveDweller]

14 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I stand by my comments. Saying she's "losing half the market" by focusing on a woman's product is what really chapped my ass and set me off. It was just fine for the first guy to market MEN'S hair products with no mention of "losing half the market".

I don't like the name "PMS Bites", either, but the way they acted was dismissive of women, period. Pun intended.

I think the issue the Sharks had was that it wasn't really a women only product, it was something that men could use if it was marketed differently. She was turning a mass appeal product to one that wasn't. That's different from having a product that is meant for a niche audience (not that men or women are a niche audience).

I actually think what she gains from the PMS angle might make up for her just targeting everyone. Otherwise she's just another "healthy" candy product.

[annewithaneee]

My theory with Pavlok dude: he's very real, but his whole thing is selling people on him/his products through intentional controversy and stunts.

Exhibit A:

http://mashable.com/2012/10/20/maneesh-facebook-slap/#bmt_3VBgZmq8

If you Google him, it's all a rehashing of him as an Internet entreprenuer, best-selling author, and "you may know me as the guy who hired a girl to slap him". I'm betting if the Shark Tank producers had even a little Google-fu when Maneesh applied, they knew exactly what sort of segment they were in store for, and Maneesh got just what he wanted out. Little surprised he didn't throw a fit on Twitter about Cuban's (correct) reiterations that he's a con-artist, though, I looked the guy up because I kinda expected to see him throw a litigious tantrum about slander or whatever.

On PMS Bites: I was glad that most of the sharks were quick to counteract that "you're eliminating 50% of the market, won't someone think of the men!!!" argument with the point that it gave her an edge in an overcrowded space. But I couldn't stop thinking about how no one pointed out the useless gendering of other products they get pitched, like those toilet wipes for men, because it's marketing towards men and not women.

I did think, though, that the name was a little lame and also unnecessarily limiting. Why not make the company woman-centric in general, and offer different "bites" with different health/energy advantages? You could have a PMS range, a pregnancy craving range, etc.

[basiltherat]

When they were giving the spiel on Ms PMS, I said to myself, "It can't be for the period" and of course it was.

Cuban has gone off several times on presenters he thought of as hucksters or snake oil salesman, so that's not anything new.  My question regarding he Zap-Bit is, if he can turn it up to zap the sharks out of their seats, will that type of charge do injury to people, especially those with pacemakers?  What If some joker wants to zap a buddy, or if some loon wants to use it as a marital device?  What would be the liabilities on that?  That's why REAL studies are done (and not hijacked) dude.  One good thing, I think Kevin made some fans!

[Latverian Diplomat]

1 hour ago, annewithaneee said:

My theory with Pavlok dude: he's very real, but his whole thing is selling people on him/his products through intentional controversy and stunts.
 

That goes along with Cuban's theory that he was going to dis the last shark whoever it was, because he wasn't there to get an offer.

I don't know if that was staged/scripted, but I do think the producers saved him for last of the season for a reason.

[Auntie Anxiety]

Next season: an entrepreneur visits the Tank with a taser that is used for wiping the vacuous smile off of Lori's face.

[starri]

15 minutes ago, Auntie Anxiety said:

Next season: an entrepreneur visits the Tank with a taser that is used for wiping the vacuous smile off of Lori's face.

Crowd-fund that RFN.

[marketdoctor]

OK, so the PMS bites are sort of a brownie with an herb baked in that help you feel better?  My concern is that it would only be legal in two states right now.  Mrs. Marketdoctor pointed out that you'd probably want more of them after half an hour, which would be a steady market.

Joking aside, my concern would be both how proprietary the herbal mix would be, and how well it would actually work.  I'm a guy, so I don't know directly, but in general if you sell a product as "this will help with your pain", it had better help with that pain.  Much like the Pavlock device, it is even relatively easy to design a study to prove it works (a double-blind, random sample, pre and post test of what you want to know), so if you don't do that, the only question is if you're cheap, dishonest, or lazy.  (With a start-up, "cheap" is a fair choice.)

As to Pavlock specifically:  

A zapper with a remote control seems like a really bad idea.  A remote that has a one in N chance of zapping you instead (where N changes the more often you use it) is a more interesting idea, but still has problems (like time lag, and where is the boundary between de-smiling someone and browning out the East Coast?  Asking for a friend.)

I wonder if the pitch guy was genuinely on the spectrum, or figured his target market would be.

To me, Kevin's reaction was so far down fake it went around to the other side, and I believed it.  (A better fake reaction would have been "if I had a dollar for every time I heard that, you'd have your funding", or "then you should take any of the other Sharks' offers", because they were all already out) but it's possible they were all getting tired of people who are just using the show as free PR.   

The way around that problem is to have a hard rule that if you're offered a good deal, and you don't take it, you won't get on TV.  That has its own drawbacks, but if you produce a competitive TV show, and you don't like people who take advantage of the opportunity your TV show presents, and it's NOT LIVE, you can edit things out.  There's still room for drama--you could have (for instance) 50% deals, 45% no offered deals, and 5% turning down a terrible deal and the other Sharks agreeing with the contestant.  

And Kevin, if you're reading this, I would do business with you if I had anything remotely interesting to pitch you.  I don't, so I won't waste your time, but thanks all the same.

[Silly Angel]

BUT WHAT OF PIPCORN? I must know!

[Auntie Anxiety]

The Pavlok is just a wrist version of a dog's electric shock collar with a snazzy thunderbolt on it because, oh look, sparkly things! I didn't do that to my dog and I wouldn't spend $200 for that for myself, when a rubber band or thumbtack would do the same thing.  What did P.T. Barnum supposedly say about suckers?  Anyone?  Bueller?

Most of the products pitched this season sucked. The guys hawking the magic show in Vegas were just the tip of the iceberg,

[marketdoctor]

Quote

BUT WHAT OF PIPCORN? I must know!

Now we have the opening for next year's first pitch:

I'm here to eat some Pipcorn and kick some ass.  And I'm all out of Pipcorn. 

[NikSac]

22 hours ago, mjc570 said:

Of course a rubber band around the wrist probably works the same, but its hard to find one that's not too loose or too tight. 

For wayyy under $200 I'm pretty sure I could search around until I found  an appropriately sized rubber band.

[NikSac]

2 hours ago, Silly Angel said:

BUT WHAT OF PIPCORN? I must know!

A few of us have posted our 'reviews' of it in the Memorable Products forum. There are some recent ones and I know I posted one quite awhile ago too.

Unless you just meant what's up with the company, which I have no idea. I bought the stuff on major clearance so I imagine it's not doing that well.

[starri]

Pipcorn was featured on a recent Beyond the Tank.

[Meushell]

2 hours ago, marketdoctor said:

OK, so the PMS bites are sort of a brownie with an herb baked in that help you feel better?  My concern is that it would only be legal in two states right now.  Mrs. Marketdoctor pointed out that you'd probably want more of them after half an hour, which would be a steady market.

Joking aside, my concern would be both how proprietary the herbal mix would be, and how well it would actually work.  I'm a guy, so I don't know directly, but in general if you sell a product as "this will help with your pain", it had better help with that pain.  Much like the Pavlock device, it is even relatively easy to design a study to prove it works (a double-blind, random sample, pre and post test of what you want to know), so if you don't do that, the only question is if you're cheap, dishonest, or lazy.  (With a start-up, "cheap" is a fair choice.)

The PMS bites seemed like a scam. Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall her saying the herbs actually did anything. She talked about there being 120 PMS symtoms (I think that was the number she used), but then basically admitted the bites were just "healthy" (high priced) snacks for cravings.

It's great if they do help, but I didn't really get that impression.

[Jamoche]

150, I think, which: on the one hand, nice to acknowledge that there's more than just cramps and mood swings, but on the other - the reason the emphasis on cramps annoys me is that I don't get them, I get backaches, and Midol, which used to be ubiquitously pitched as the cure-all, does nothing for me. (Ibuprofen, now - there's a wonder drug.) So I really doubt she's found a collection of herbs to cover all 150 symptoms.

[KaveDweller]

19 hours ago, Meushell said:

The PMS bites seemed like a scam. Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall her saying the herbs actually did anything. She talked about there being 120 PMS symtoms (I think that was the number she used), but then basically admitted the bites were just "healthy" (high priced) snacks for cravings.

It's great if they do help, but I didn't really get that impression.

I was actually surprised no one asked her about that. She said she just puts in herbs that are known to be good for PMS. Usually the Sharks are much more demanding about seeing proof of claims like that (see Pavlok), but maybe they didn't care because they weren't going to invest.