S08.E10: Inboard Technology, Nomiku, Nootrobox, Pet Plate

[yeswedo]

Quote

When an entrepreneurial team from Santa Cruz, California, leaves the Tank to discuss an offer for their electric skateboard business, they get a surprise from the Sharks upon their return; an MIT grad from San Francisco, California, gave up a high-paying consultant job to focus on making human-quality pet food delivered fresh to your door; a duo from San Francisco, California, has a new generation of chewable coffee products made to optimize physical and mental function; and a former restaurateur and her husband designed a product that makes gourmet at-home cooking a breeze. Also, a follow-up on the mother-daughter team from the Denver, Colorado, and their Simply Fit Board, which Lori Greiner invested in during season 7.

[Eolivet]

Stop. Trying. To. Make. Chris. Sacca. Happen!!!!!

[EAG46]

Oh Phil (or whoever is recapping this}...you may want to lay down plastic tarps and get some gloves.  This is going to be messy.

[rhys]

I fail to understand the love for the sous vide apparatus. You can't use it like a crock pot for 9 hours. What's the deal about using it for 2 hours or 5 hours if you & your spouse are working?

I thought all products were a bust tonight. I *really* can't with those stupid millenials and their "bio-hacking." Christ, is that even what they said? Slow down, sons, and back away from your product.

[Jamoche]

I was watching the CNBC reruns and there was a product very similar to that Fit Board, except it was pitched by a trio of surfers as a new kind of snowboard/skateboard thing. Guess everyone forgot about it.

[hkit]

57 minutes ago, rhys said:

I fail to understand the love for the sous vide apparatus. You can't use it like a crock pot for 9 hours. What's the deal about using it for 2 hours or 5 hours if you & your spouse are working?

Sure you can. In fact, many dishes are very long cook times. I'm doing short ribs now for Sunday night. They'll be in the bath for 48+ hours. I don't think this little unit would be good for those kind of cooks, but long cook times are normal for sous vide fans. 

The problem I have is that this isn't a "crockpot or sous vide?" argument. It isn't a convenience device, like a crockpot, so positioning it as such will have a limited appeal. Sous vide is about precision cooking, keeping foods moist without over cooking. I sous vide weekly and can't think of one dish I make where I choose sous vide because it's easy. I choose it because it produces the texture I'm looking for in the final dish, and because it is more forgiving on timing when I bring the rest of the meal together. 

Overall, the device on the Tank is a toy, with several competitors. Nothing they showed tonight would entice me to pick one up if I didn't know what sous vide was, and that's a shame. 

[Jamoche]

1 hour ago, rhys said:

I fail to understand the love for the sous vide apparatus. You can't use it like a crock pot for 9 hours. What's the deal about using it for 2 hours or 5 hours if you & your spouse are working?

I thought all products were a bust tonight. I *really* can't with those stupid millenials and their "bio-hacking." Christ, is that even what they said? Slow down, sons, and back away from your product.

I'm in Silicon Valley and I've never heard of "bio-hacking". I'm also an old enough computer programmer to have once proudly claimed to be a "hacker" - as in, finding clever solutions to problems the designers hadn't considered. Weird that we've got "lifehacks" and "biohacks" (which aren't hacks in any of the senses of the word - "lifehacks" are just "Hints from Heloise" rebranded) but "computer hackers" are still the bad guys.

[chocolatine]

26 minutes ago, Jamoche said:

I'm in Silicon Valley and I've never heard of "bio-hacking".

The thing that was most Silicon Valley-esque about those two was the astronomical valuation and the "we're the shit" attitude. Oh, and the "clever" spelling of the brand name.

[Chippings]

Does it seem to anybody else that the Coffee Nibbles entrepreneurs wildly overestimated the portion of the world who wants coffee to "optimize physical and mental function", and to be able to do 40-hour coding sessions, or 3 day fasts ?? Those are Things, I hear, but not with the potential market that they seem to assume.  Much of the thing of coffee, besides the boost of the caffeine, is its being a hot beverage, and you grasp the cup, and gaze blankly into the distance, and maybe also enjoy how it goes with your breakfast - stuff like that.   

I was glad to see Jamoche above say that as a computer person, and in Silicon Valley, he/she had never heard of bio-hacking.   Me neither.  I'm near Silicon Valley and there's some trendy stuff here, but my acquaintances who do the fasting thing number maybe One - Two tops.  Not a multi-mullion dollar market.  

Because of course I couldn't follow the 'science' they were setting out, I couldn't see how the Coffee Nibbles differ much (aside from their supreme Purity) from a can of Red Bull. 

[Jamoche]

49 minutes ago, Chippings said:

Does it seem to anybody else that the Coffee Nibbles entrepreneurs wildly overestimated the portion of the world who wants coffee to "optimize physical and mental function", and to be able to do 40-hour coding sessions, or 3 day fasts ??

(she :) )

Yes, and in 25 years out here one thing I've learned: marathon sessions for version 1 are excusable - you don't know what it's going to take until you get there. Marathon sessions after you've shipped 2, 3 at the most - you are clueless and your company will die in the next crash.

[starri]

I'm only about five minutes in, but every time I think Chris Sacca has hit peak dickweed, he manages to top himself.

[Primetimer]

A dog starved at his master's gate may predict the ruin of the state, but what would William Blake say about a Shark Tank episode steeped in useless products? 'I've been dead since 1827, thank Christ,' probably.

View the full article

[Silly Angel]

I normally don't feel sorry for billionaires, but they had to eat dog food, $40 million sugar cubes, and listen to not only Sheldon and Leonard blather about nonsense but meet Amy Farrah-Fowler at her most excitable. ("We hail from San Fran-cisco.")
What is the deal with electric skateboards? The motor makes them go? Doesn't pawing the ground with one foot make cheaper skateboards go? You millennials get off my lawn!

[starri]

I'm sure the motorized skateboards will be just as effective as the Segway at changing the way we get around.  I think we all divide human history into the time before and after its introduction.

I'll confess, I was halfway interested in that sous vide thing, but I also have a feeling I'd use it once and then never again.

Silicon Valley biohackers also brought us Soylent, which made people sick.  And I'm sure a $40,000,000 sugar cube (seriously, six grams of sugar is a lot for such a small thing) is totally better at perking you up than a cup of actual coffee.

The pet food thing just makes me sad.  Why do we need that?  Why does this need to exist?

10 hours ago, Jamoche said:

"lifehacks" are just "Hints from Heloise" rebranded

If you don't finish all of your dinner, wrap it in some aluminum foil or put it in a plastic bag, and you can eat the rest tomorrow.  #LifeHack

[Pjxf99]

As soon as I heard those 2 tools repeat the word biohacker and saw how they spelled their company name, I turned the TV off and went to bed. Ridiculous. 

[annewithaneee]

Yeesh, I wanted to like PetPalate, but then I remembered what a wasteful, environmentally harmful blight services like Blue Apron and Plated are. I'd expect/hope that the packaging is a little less wasteful, given that these aren't cooking kits but precooked food, but still how unnecessary. Especially if he was game to do natural preservatives, I'm assuming there's already plenty out there that are the same thing. However, a company like that succeeding would be interesting to me in that I could later on find decently tested knockoff recipes on Pinterest and such (but for cats). Actually, speaking of cats, I feel like it would be easier to try that model first with cat food, as there isn't as massive a range in weight to deal with. Anyway, I think the cooking demo proved how frivolous the product was, as that was something very easily replicated at home -- and you gotta figure a lot of the people in his demo would also be big into meal prepping and would happily make a big batch of ground lamb and veggies for the pooch to have all week.

Ugh, the Nootrobox guys. If they said biohacking one more time I was going to lose it. That's not anything that would ever have a wide appeal, because I think most habitual coffee drinkers are in it at least partly for the ritual of either brewing or buying the coffee, the smell, getting warmed up, taking a ten minute break at the start of the workday, etc. Also, it seemed not great that the samples they handed out, which appeared to be their normal packaging, had a whole bunch of cubes in it. If they really are tasty and sugary, isn't that a great way to give non-mindful snackers a heart murmur? Too much caffeine for a one-to-two bite snack. 

[Pjxf99]

I agree, annewithaneee, its like they were trying to come up with a way to make an unhealthy lifestyle even MORE unhealthy! 

Edited December 3, 2016 by Pjxf99

[PepperMonkey]

I just can't with Chris Sacca. Why is he there again? I guess Robert had to sit by Cuban because Lori's never going to miss a week, Kevin doesn't have anything else to do and if you sit Sacca and Cuban together, there will be blood.

Kevin is beginning to win me over. What is wrong with me?

I know the dog food thing was kind of silly, but I really liked that young man and his dog. I don't know if PetPlate is going to be his success, but he will have one.

[Shellie]

On 12/3/2016 at 1:48 PM, PepperMonkey said:

I just can't with Chris Sacca. Why is he there again? I guess Robert had to sit by Cuban because Lori's never going to miss a week, Kevin doesn't have anything else to do and if you sit Sacca and Cuban together, there will be blood.

I had been wondering if that was the reason Robert had to give up his seat.  It seemed weird otherwise that they made Robert move for the guest.

My first thought in regard to the caffeine candies was that 1/4 tab of NoDoz would do the trick.  Also, there's way too many other strategies for people to get some caffeine if they don't care for coffee.  

Edited December 4, 2016 by Shellie
change

[starri]

6 minutes ago, Shellie said:

My first thought in regard to the caffeine candies was that 1/4 tab of NoDoz would do the trick.  

But those aren't biohacked to make your body work better.

[questionfear]

22 minutes ago, PepperMonkey said:

I just can't with Chris Sacca. Why is he there again? I guess Robert had to sit by Cuban because Lori's never going to miss a week, Kevin doesn't have anything else to do and if you sit Sacca and Cuban together, there will be blood.

Kevin is beginning to win me over. What is wrong with me?

I know the dog food thing was kind of silly, but I really liked that young man and his dog. I don't know if PetPlate is going to be his success, but he will have one.

I've met both Kevin and Barbara Corcoran in real life (separately). I liked Barbara before and loved her after I met her (she's hysterical, and really pretty). I never cared for Kevin, but I saw him speak (on financials, not shark tank) and since then he's grown on me. He can be a bit smarmy on the show, but the shark bait would do well to listen to him when he chimes in on other people's deals. He usually has a good handle on which deals are better. He may be obnoxious but he's probably the smartest shark behind Mark Cuban. 

[theatremouse]

4 hours ago, Silly Angel said:

What is the deal with electric skateboards? The motor makes them go? Doesn't pawing the ground with one foot make cheaper skateboards go?

Part of their premise seemed to be skating and/or biking for real makes you sweaty when you get to work. Motorized=no effort=not sweaty.

[raiderred1]

19 hours ago, Eolivet said:

Stop. Trying. To. Make. Chris. Sacca. Happen!!!!!

YES!!!   He is such an asswhip!  

[BengalKitty]

So what happens when your motorized skateboard hits a spot of uneven pavement, pothole or loose gravel?  You go head over ass, that's what.  No thanks.

I do intermittent fasting like the bio-hacking dudebros.  But most of us are also trying to eat healthy, whole foods.  Chemical cubes if caffeinated sugar isn't natural.

When I saw sou-vide I remember my mom used to buy Swanson's (?) Boil-in-the-bag dinners.  Used to like the salisbury steak.  Wonder if they still make them?  Guess I just outed my age.  Ha ha.

[raiderred1]

I liked the MIT guy and his doggie but I always want to jump off of the couch and scream when someone says they feed their dogs or cats COOKED meat and vegetables!   Dogs and cats are carnivores!  What about them is in any way herbivore or omnivore?  When was the last time we witnessed  wolves, coyotes, wild dogs, lions and tigers COOKING up their tasty kills with lots of veggies?  I know I am unconventional but my dogs eat only raw meaty bone meals(80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organ).  Any kind of all natural meats/bones/hide/feathers/fins, etc(2%-3% of their body weight).  People literally gasp when they hear that or certainly when they see my dogs eating raw.  If my dogs want to eat grass it's fine with me but I do not supplement with any veggies.  I would rather see pets eating the Pet Plate meal and not eating any kind of kibble but it is just not necessary to go through all the steps of chopping veggies and cooking their meat.  My three dogs(1 Doberman-4 yrs and 2 Dachshunds-10 and 12 yrs) would eat a bowl of veggies in a heartbeat because they are opportunists, but their bodies don't need them.  People always comment on how good my dogs look, especially vets.  Pet food companies and vets can not make money on raw meaty bones so they trying and fear people out of feeding it.  I have found a vet that thinks it's a great idea and sees the proof in them.  I have done this for years and years with almost all my dogs, past and present.  Also, no vaccinations after their one year birthday. YMMV   

[shksabelle]

8 hours ago, Silly Angel said:

I normally don't feel sorry for billionaires, but they had to eat dog food, $40 million sugar cubes, and listen to not only Sheldon and Leonard blather about nonsense but meet Amy Farrah-Fowler at her most excitable. ("We hail from San Fran-cisco.")

BAZINGA!!  LOL

[basiltherat]

Someone needs to erase Sacca-sh!t from my biosphere!  Next time he's on (hopefully never) I hope Cuban punches the crap out of him.  And there's lots of it.

Sous vide-ers should look to a celebrity chef for a spokesperson/investor.  Also, they have too many investors (cooks) with fingers in their pie.

[hatchetgirl]

Exactly - bio-hacking.  LOL - SOYLENT!!!  I tried my own recipe for it and it was DISGUSTING!!!!  I have a package of real Soylent now and won't try it...  lol

[zxy556575]

Now I'm just piling on, but what a bunch of horrible products.

I mean ... you can buy an electric Razor type scooter for around $200, which at least gives you something to steer with and more stability. Electric mopeds start as low as $400, but of course those need to be parked.

Even my local chain grocery store now has a refrigerated case in the pet food aisle that holds raw food. It's not hard to find. I suppose PetPlate is useful if someone wants to boast that they spend more on pet food than anyone else, and with the most amount of waste.

See also: chocolate and candy-covered coffee beans, caffeinated mints, gum, and jellies.

[chocolatine]

4 minutes ago, lordonia said:

See also: chocolate and candy-covered coffee beans, caffeinated mints, gum, and jellies.

All of which sound a lot more appetizing than the crap the biohacking douchebros are trying to sell.

[Auntie Anxiety]

That sous vide machine will inevitably take its place along side bread machines and SodaStreamers at every yard sale in the not-to-distant future.

I'm not the target demographic for any of those products except maybe the dog food (because I actually own a dog) and my dog, a somewhat picky eater even though she considers deer droppings to be a delicacy, wouldn't complain if I made a week's batch of the same food as PetPlate, refrigerated it and warmed her dinner up in the microwave every evening. Is having it delivered fresh and hot such a big deal? To a dog? Really?

[LittleIggy]

3 hours ago, hatchetgirl said:

Exactly - bio-hacking.  LOL - SOYLENT!!!  I tried my own recipe for it and it was DISGUSTING!!!!  I have a package of real Soylent now and won't try it...  lol

Soylent Green is people! ;-) Why on earth did they pick the name "Soylent"? Never heard of the movie?

I felt sorry for the pet food guy because he was likable and had a cute dog. I just can't see that working except for a small niche market. Good luck to him anyway.

[hatchetgirl]

Quote

Soylent Green is people! ;-) Why on earth did they pick the name "Soylent"? Never heard of the movie?

That's exactly why they named it that.  they were told to change the manner but no dice.  lol 

[Silly Angel]

8 hours ago, hatchetgirl said:

Exactly - bio-hacking.  LOL - SOYLENT!!!  I tried my own recipe for it and it was DISGUSTING!!!!  I have a package of real Soylent now and won't try it...  lol

Leaving aside that "bio-hacking" is a shenanigans concept overall (can anyone just eat well?—or in the words of Michael Pollan, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants")—it reminds me of Jetsons'-era or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory food-in-a-pill. The idea always appalled me. I like eating, chewing, looking at nice food, smelling it, I like the temperature and texture contrast. It's not only fun, communal and satisfying, it's one of our absolutely primal urges, necessary for survival. The market for the food-in-a-pill people is very niche, mostly for guys like those Silicon Valley nerds who don't care about real food and think it's more modern to see it as nothing but sustenance. That is a very limited view of evolution. Believe me, we're not there yet.

Enjoy your three-day fasts, dudes. I'm going to pour another cup of hot coffee and rip into this here cheesecake.

[AuntieDiane6]

Did anyone notice what a BIG HEAD that Sous Vide woman (Lisa?) had.  When she was standing next to her partner, it was TWICE his size.  I realize the camera angle makes a difference, but that head is HUGE!

[needschocolate]

There seemed to be a San Francisco Bay Area theme this week (I thought the dog food guy was from New Orleans, but the episode description says otherwise), but really it was just another week of "products that no one needs that solve problems that don't exist." Or maybe the theme was "people who wrongly believe that everyone else is just like them."

If you want caffeine and sugar, drink coffee/coke/tea/red bull, or eat some chocolate. I don't see how eating a caffeinated sugar cube counts as fasting.

The motorized skateboard may be the best motorized skateboard in existence but it isn't going to sell unless they drop the price considerable and market it as a "toy" like the hoverboard.  

I have never boiled my food in a bag, but have seen it done on Top Chef.  I wouldn't mind if someone I knew got one and I got to try it.  However, it certainly isn't necessary and as the poster upthread, who has actually cooked this way, mentioned, it isn't easier than "regular" cooking.

I don't see a huge market of people ordering food to cook for their dogs.  However, the food is apparently fine for human consumption and seems cheaper than similar products (plated, etc..)aimed at humans, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up selling to pet-less people. 

15 hours ago, lordonia said:

Even my local chain grocery store now has a refrigerated case in the pet food aisle that holds raw food. It's not hard to find. I suppose PetPlate is useful if someone wants to boast that they spend more on pet food than anyone else, and with the most amount of waste.

You can sign up on Pet Food Advisor to get an email any time a pet food product (including treats) is recalled.  It seems that about half the recalls I have gotten were for raw food that was contaminated with salmonella.  If you go the raw food route, be sure to sign up for recall notification.   

[starri]

44 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

I don't see a huge market of people ordering food to cook for their dogs.  However, the food is apparently fine for human consumption and seems cheaper than similar products (plated, etc..)aimed at humans, so I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up selling to pet-less people. 

If I understood correctly, they're not like Plated in that sense.  The food is cooked and then shipped to you.  From the website, it looks like they deliver food every three weeks, which is kind of stretching the definition of "freshly cooked" to me.  I'm not sure I'd want to eat three-week old leftovers.

And then there was this revolting ad copy.

Quote

WE BELIEVE THAT ALL PETS DESERVE REAL FOOD THAT NOURISHES THE BODY, MIND AND SOUL

Do you also take your dog to dog yoga?  Sip craft dog cocktails with him at Happy Hour?

Your dog eats his own shit to get the nutrients from it.  Let's just keep that in perspective.

[theatremouse]

55 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

There seemed to be a San Francisco Bay Area theme this week (I thought the dog food guy was from New Orleans, but the episode description says otherwise), but really it was just another week of "products that no one needs that solve problems that don't exist."

I think in his intro he said he grew up in Louisiana, but also he does not currently live there.

[starri]

He was from Brooklyn.  Allow me to once again apologize to the rest of the country.

I swear, we're not all like that.

[Amarsir]

On 12/3/2016 at 1:14 AM, Jamoche said:

I'm in Silicon Valley and I've never heard of "bio-hacking". 

OK I have, but for disclosure I have within reach of me right now the same caffeine + l-Theanine stack they sell (not from them). Also Acetyl-L Carnitine, some actual nootropics in the form of Piracetam, ephedrine sulphate, melatonin, irvingia gabonensis, and several strains of kratom (which the FDA is currently considering for schedule 1 for no good reason). Not all for the same purpose or to be used simultaneously. And to be honest most of it falls short of the life-changing promises, which is why it's sitting here unused.

Also I've never used that term because I don't care to sound like a douche. (Well, no more than I already do.)

However, I'm aware the the category of supplements is under-researched because our regulatory system leaves little incentive to do an intensive study on something that can't be patented. So a couple bucks to try my own personal experiment isn't unreasonable.

But the upshot of that is that nothing these guys could promise could possibly be unique. Which is why they were selling hype. And when you get down to it, those in the know say 6 of their 8 chemicals do nothing (since for example most of us already have enough B-12 in our diets.)  So all you're buying is l-theanine + caffeine pills, which you can easily get for 10-15 cents each instead of the $0.50 they're charging.

Which reminds me, anyone hear anything from Cerebral Success, the company Barbara invested in years ago? Because they were the same hype (including some of the same chemicals) and I sure think that experience would have weighed in on her reaction here.

[needschocolate]

1 hour ago, Amarsir said:

Which reminds me, anyone hear anything from Cerebral Success, the company Barbara invested in years ago? Because they were the same hype (including some of the same chemicals) and I sure think that experience would have weighed in on her reaction here.

Barbara wasn't on this week.  Did you mean Lori?

[Shellie]

23 hours ago, starri said:

Your dog eats his own shit to get the nutrients from it.  Let's just keep that in perspective.

Gosh, that made me laugh.  Now, I have never lived with a dog that did this, but rabbit turds, deer turds, horse manure, cat litter box buffet and any other similar substance was fair game.  As well as dead rotting birds and rodents, the older and more disgusting the better. And any moldy spoiled piece of food some high school kid had pitched from a lunch bag a week before. 

Edited December 5, 2016 by Shellie
change

[Amarsir]

2 hours ago, needschocolate said:

Barbara wasn't on this week.  Did you mean Lori?

No, I was wishing Barbara was there because she would have had relevant experience in the industry. (Probably bad.)

[Missy Vixen]

On 12/2/2016 at 11:32 PM, Chippings said:

Does it seem to anybody else that the Coffee Nibbles entrepreneurs wildly overestimated the portion of the world who wants coffee to "optimize physical and mental function", and to be able to do 40-hour coding sessions, or 3 day fasts ?? Those are Things, I hear, but not with the potential market that they seem to assume.  

3

My husband worked for a software company twenty years ago that almost succeeded in a) breaking him and b) breaking up our marriage. The product in question was a cutting-edge billing solution for cell phone companies. In other words, time was of the essence, there were two people in the world that could provide support to said product since the learning curve was so steep, and he had one day off in two years.  There is only so much coffee one can drink when working in that type of environment. It was so bad by the time he left that the company maintained a hotel room across from the office after more than one employee fell asleep behind the wheel of their car after being up for 48-72 hours at a time (and the resulting car wrecks). The company was run by idiots like the Coffee Nibbles "entrepreneurs". I hate to break it to them, but coffee, sugar and buzzwords won't substitute for reasonable work hours, actual exercise and nutritious food, and eight hours of sleep. People who code or provide product support for three days without sleep aren't making good decisions or being effective.

This is the first time I've agreed with Chris Sacca and I'm fairly sure it'll be the last.

[Missy Vixen]

On 12/3/2016 at 11:48 AM, PepperMonkey said:

if you sit Sacca and Cuban together, there will be blood.

 

 

Mark Cuban would kick his ass. Now THERE's an idea, Shark Tank.

[Kiss my mutt]

My husband and I both looked at each other when MIT guy said he left a $250,000+ job to start this company and were like wth?  I hope he didn't burn any bridges but just because he needs this to work isn't reason for an investment. He looked pretty heartbroken after his presentation. 

I'm sure there is a market for this as he does have sales, but there's probably a niche market for people who want to hire personal chefs for their dogs too. Just not in my neighborhood. Plus, I've seen refrigerated sections of these entrees in every grocery store if you want a lean cuisine meal for your pups though I'm sure his are made with fewer additives and chemicals. 

I guess if his dog clientele dries up there might be humans that would eat this. There weren't any complaints coming from the sharks. I'm pretty sure I could whip up my own recipe quickly if I were so inclined. 

So, Sacca's shirts?  Part of his branding or really unfortunate wardrobe choices?

[mjc570]

I very much liked the dog food guy (and his adorable dog!), but that business is a non-starter.  He would be better advised trying to get a deal with the established food delivery companies, like Blue Apron etc., to set up pet food as a delivery add-on.  On the other hand, since I know very little about these services, maybe they already do that. 

I really wasn't at all interested in the rest.  The big-head sous vide woman (ha ha, perfect, AuntieDiane6) did a poor job of explaining the benefits of her cooking method - it is not a substitute for a crock pot, not to mention there are many versions available for home cooks.

The electric skate board - ugh.  Can't carry much, subject to the elements.  That seems like a super niche product, especially at that price point.  I'm not even going to mention the caffeinated sugar cubes.  Wouldn't a can of Red Bull or a 5-hour energy shot work just as well?

I've watched this show for years and bought many of the products, but this season is really not geared to people like me (of a certain age, living in the burbs) AT ALL.  I guess they're going for a younger, hipper show demographic. 

[annewithaneee]

2 hours ago, Missy Vixen said:

On 12/3/2016 at 2:32 AM, Chippings said:

Does it seem to anybody else that the Coffee Nibbles entrepreneurs wildly overestimated the portion of the world who wants coffee to "optimize physical and mental function", and to be able to do 40-hour coding sessions, or 3 day fasts ?? Those are Things, I hear, but not with the potential market that they seem to assume.  

3

My husband worked for a software company twenty years ago that almost succeeded in a) breaking him and b) breaking up our marriage. The product in question was a cutting-edge billing solution for cell phone companies. In other words, time was of the essence, there were two people in the world that could provide support to said product since the learning curve was so steep, and he had one day off in two years.  There is only so much coffee one can drink when working in that type of environment. It was so bad by the time he left that the company maintained a hotel room across from the office after more than one employee fell asleep behind the wheel of their car after being up for 48-72 hours at a time (and the resulting car wrecks). The company was run by idiots like the Coffee Nibbles "entrepreneurs". I hate to break it to them, but coffee, sugar and buzzwords won't substitute for reasonable work hours, actual exercise and nutritious food, and eight hours of sleep. People who code or provide product support for three days without sleep aren't making good decisions or being effective.

Jesus, that sounds unbearable. I work for a Silicon Valley company (an arm of it that is not CA-based, however), and that's no way to have a loyal customer base. Their customers aren't going to be in start-up mode forever. Marathon coding sessions, perpetual war rooms, etc, should be a fairly short-term condition for an app or software that's going to be around for the long haul. I would imagine, or at least hope, that anyone buying those packets of caffeinated sugar-bricks aren't going to be needing them very often, and Starbucks doesn't exactly need to be worried. And if there still are a ton of people in unconscionable working conditions in the era of wellness plans and in-office massages and whatnot, where self-care is evangelized (literally never heard any of my coworkers talk about biohacking, nor would they have any need for it; I only know of it as A Thing from the internet), it's really gross and irresponsible of these dumdums to try and exploit the situation for profit.

[Amarsir]

3 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I'm sure there is a market for this as he does have sales, but there's probably a niche market for people who want to hire personal chefs for their dogs too. Just not in my neighborhood.

In Edmonton Alberta you can take your pup to a dog restaurant. (They appeared on Dragons Den a few years ago.)

Quote

So, Sacca's shirts?  Part of his branding or really unfortunate wardrobe choices?

The cowboy shirts? Branding. He has a not-particularly interesting story about buying one in an airport on the way to a convention, getting a reaction, and returning to the airport to buy up a bunch more.

[KHenry14]

No matter what the skateboard guys think...the market for that product will only be 25 yr old dudes. Kids can't afford it, and how many women would use it? Pass

I'd use a sous vide machine if I had one. For certain foods it's a fantastic way to cook. But not everyone will want to put into the time it takes to cook. And some foods dont work well with this method.  Plus, a porterhouse on the grill is a lot better than cooked in a bad. But it just isn't going to take over the cooking world.

And there's no way cooked dog food can be scaled. It's not a horrible idea. but i'd pass too

Coffee cube guys were such a joke. People don't necessarily drink coffee just for the caffeine or the health aspects. Drilling down a cup of joe to a sugar cube just doesn't excite me.