S09.E14: FRYWALL, Birddogs, Inirv, Elliptical Stroller / S09.E15: recharj, stasher, iFork

[hoodooznoodooz]

Episode 14: Frywall, elliptical stroller, inirv smart stove, birddogs men's garment 

Episode 15: Silicone food bags, Recharg nap studios, stain-repellent spray

 

I like the Frywall, but I don't understand the special W in the logo. 

Those birddogs guys are weird.

Silicone bag woman was also weird and acted as if she just wanted to shag Mark Cuban.

Plated update: the wine looked like urine samples.

Wine & Design update: It baffles me that people like this. Maybe if you add alcohol to any activity, it becomes appealing?

 

(Why are we getting a Tonya Harding update now on ABC?)

Edited January 8, 2018 by hoodooznoodooz

[rhys]

I hated birddog boys. Just no. Thought frywall was brilliant. The nap refresher deal? I couldn't figure out how that studio works. Plus I'm a bit of a germophobe.

The woman with the silicone (?) food saver bags was a bit, er, interesting.

[Angeltoes]

I thought the food saver bags would be a pain to clean.  She was just rude and dismissive and Mark may wind up sorry that he partnered with her.

[LittleIggy]

I always thought “bird dog” or “bird dogging” had a negative connotation. Where did those douche bros get that it was positive?

[guilfoyleatpp]

Good lord those bird dog dudes were douchey. 

Making the intern do push ups.

Douchesplaining how Millennials market. 

And those shorts were hideous.

[Chippings]

Whoa Nellie - those were two very un-likeable entrepreneurs, the underpants guys and the silicone bag lady.  I certainly thought she would get the same ultimate response that several people have gotten before:  "It would make me crazy to try and work with you" --  I never heard anybody say to a Shark who turned them down, "Great!!" --  Just kind of horrid.     

'Bird Dog' guys reminded me of the wine entrepreneur with the individual servings who was so obnoxious, but somehow got to return and pitch again, and was officious again.   

Oh, and the nap entrepreneur -- so many questions.  How many offices do you need to be adjacent to, to make a visit during a work day practical?  I can't see walking more than a block for a 25 minute nap.  Also he skidded past the cleanliness thing - did he really say they "flip" the pillows??  At least they could have paper-ish one-use pillow cases, but to just "flip" them is really icky.   And do you really want to pull a blanket up to your chin that half a dozen people have also pulled up to their chins earlier that day?  (Hmm, the analogy to airline blankets comes to mind.)  

And yes, the fry-wall was really clever and the guy was a decent fellow.

[hoodooznoodooz]

I always seem to find something about Lori's outfit that offends me. I was happy that her shoulders were not cold. I was happy that her clavicle was not cold. But this time it was that flight attendant shade of blue and bell/dog or cat cone of shame sleeve that exposed the seam allowance that made me roll my eyes.

[ae2]

I had seen Birddog shorts before and thought they looked nice as a hybrid short when I'm near the beach, or doing something active outside.

So glad now that I didn't buy them.

[hoodooznoodooz]

8 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

I thought the food saver bags would be a pain to clean.  She was just rude and dismissive and Mark may wind up sorry that he partnered with her.

She confused me. Are the silicone bags better for the environment (healthy?) compared to Ziplock bags, because you will reuse them dozens of times? Or do they allow you to prepare your food in a more healthful way (sous-vide, microwave) because you don't need oil or butter?

[Wings]

10 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

I thought the food saver bags would be a pain to clean.  She was just rude and dismissive and Mark may wind up sorry that he partnered with her.

I agree.  She said they can be put in the dishwasher.  Now how the hell would that work.  It wouldn't.  

2 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

She confused me. Are the silicone bags better for the environment (healthy?) compared to Ziplock bags, because you will reuse them dozens of times? Or do they allow you to prepare your food in a more healthful way (sous-vide, microwave) because you don't need oil or butter?

They are an environmentally responsible choice.  The disposable bags we use now end up in waterways (danger to sea life) and plastic is huge percentage of landfill garbage.  They are not biodegradable and pose a huge problem for the future.  You reuse her bags as you would tupperware.  

 

Mark was on fire last night!  He put the presenters, who needed it,  in their place.  

Edited January 8, 2018 by Wings

[LakeGal]

I am getting tired of the people that obviously are there for a deal with Mark and only Mark.  They get dismissive of the other Sharks.  Maybe Mark needs to take a couple eps off so they can have one of their guest Sharks sit in his chair.

[basiltherat]

Barbara mentioned the hygiene aspect of the Nap Nook concept -- I'm surprised no one asked if any customers used the beds to have sex upon.  (Sorry if I have a dirty mind.)

A great many of the entrepreneurs lately are just pitching to Mark, and I find it insulting and hilarious, since he isn't always the best for them.  Case in point was the update with the Plated guys.  Mark dropped them, and Mr. Wonderful picked them up.  Now they did a deal with Albertson's for $300 million (say that in Dr. Evil voice) and Kevin is laughing all the way to the bank!  Smart move, Kevin.  Although there are a lot of the prepackaged to cook meals in every story (even Peapod has their house brand of kit) that money is still in the damn bank!  Is that Shark Tank's number one deal?  Wasn't Kevin's Groove Book the most successful for a while?

[Wings]

50 minutes ago, basiltherat said:

A great many of the entrepreneurs lately are just pitching to Mark, and I find it insulting and hilarious, since he isn't always the best for them. 

Yes.  I noticed this more last night.  Lori dropped out of the plate/cup deal because he clearly wanted Mark.  I saw her as the best choice for him.  Some are star struck and, I think, hoping if they get a deal with Mark it will amount to more of a relationship with him. 

[ae2]

1 hour ago, basiltherat said:

 Although there are a lot of the prepackaged to cook meals in every story (even Peapod has their house brand of kit) that money is still in the damn bank!  Is that Shark Tank's number one deal?  Wasn't Kevin's Groove Book the most successful for a while?

They said it was the biggest Shark Tank exit. There could be other companies that have not sold or gone public and are worth more than the $300m that Plated sold for, but I can't think of any off top of my head.

We don't know what Kevin agreed to with Plated, but if it's close to Mark's on-air deal of $500k for 5.5%, that's a pre-money valuation of ~ $9m. On air I think Kevin said it was a 3400% return on his investment which matches closely to the $9m valuation. My rough math shows that Kevin made $16m on that deal!

Just for comparison, Groovebook sold for $14.5m.

[hoodooznoodooz]

3 hours ago, Wings said:

I agree.  She said they can be put in the dishwasher.  Now how the hell would that work.  It wouldn't.  

They are an environmentally responsible choice.  The disposable bags we use now end up in waterways (danger to sea life) and plastic is huge percentage of landfill garbage.  They are not biodegradable and pose a huge problem for the future.  You reuse her bags as you would tupperware.  

 

Mark was on fire last night!  He put the presenters, who needed it,  in their place.  

If they increased the price of Ziplock bags, would customers be more likely to reuse them again and again?

[chocolatine]

6 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

She confused me. Are the silicone bags better for the environment (healthy?) compared to Ziplock bags, because you will reuse them dozens of times? Or do they allow you to prepare your food in a more healthful way (sous-vide, microwave) because you don't need oil or butter?

Supposedly silicone doesn't release toxins into the food when heated, whereas plastic does. Silicone can also withstand heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, I think. The woman didn't say anything about that though because she was too busy being obnoxious. I can't believe Mark gave her a deal.

The fact that Birddog douche-bros went to Harvard Business School made me think even less of them. They got the best education money can buy, and all they could come up with are shorts with attached man-panties? Contrast that with the 19-year-old with no formal nanotech education who developed the fantastic stain repellent product, Birddog dudes should be ashamed of themselves.

I can't believe nobody asked the stroller/elliptical guy about safety. That's the first thing people think about when buying a stroller. Based on Kevin's test run that thing seemed rickety, so I don't think anyone would want to put their baby in it.

I thought the Inirv people were stupid to turn down the 20% equity deal. The market for their product is not nearly as big as they think, and it's only a matter of time before it'll be made obsolete by one of the "smart home" systems. They should have gotten in with a Shark while they could.

[basiltherat]

Hey, ManPanties DoucheBros --- Harvard called, and they wanted their degrees back.  Also, if you mention Harvard in public again, they will "sue you back into the Stone Age" (tm Kevin).

[lexytheblasian]

14 hours ago, Angeltoes said:

I thought the food saver bags would be a pain to clean.  She was just rude and dismissive and Mark may wind up sorry that he partnered with her.

I’m surprised she got an offer, her personality was very off-putting.

3 hours ago, Wings said:

Yes.  I noticed this more last night.  Lori dropped out of the plate/cup deal because he clearly wanted Mark.  I saw her as the best choice for him.  Some are star struck and, I think, hoping if they get a deal with Mark it will amount to more of a relationship with him. 

According to an article I read, of all the Sharks, Mark is most likely to follow through and do deals. If I’m remembering correctly, Robert is the least likely to follow through with deals. One entrepreneur said she didn’t hear back from him for months after the show. Still, the obvious favoritism towards Mark is getting annoying.

[guilfoyleatpp]

49 minutes ago, chocolatine said:

Supposedly silicone doesn't release toxins into the food when heated, whereas plastic does. Silicone can also withstand heat up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, I think. The woman didn't say anything about that though because she was too busy being obnoxious. I can't believe Mark gave her a deal.

During the part where the sharks were saying she was so energetic, Mr. Guilfoyle and I both made surprised noises because she seemed otherwise to both of us. Then he said "she's sedated." I thought he was misusing the term "sedate" and I agreed.

She continued on and on and all of her responses seemed off a beat. Could be editing, I guess. But he asserted his opinion that "she took something before she went in there." So I watched closer...and she did. If I saw someone in public interacting with others in the way in which she did, I would definitely assume she was medicated in some way. I realize, of course, this show isn't public and requires more intensive and intentional interaction...and yet. She seemed off the regular path at several points.

Unfortunately, I deleted the episode so I can't go back and look again.

 

And if she had played up the sous vide bit or the utilization (safe for freezer to oven) bit a little more, I would totally buy those. They wouldn't totally replace my gladlocks, but I can see a use for them, for sure. And I would clean them and put them in the dishwasher and then rinse them out again. 

[marny]

Lori's dress looked like she was wearing Frywalls around her wrists.

[KaveDweller]

I feel like it was obnoxious night or something. Those bird dog guys were awful, and didn't even seem to realize they were annoying the sharks. Bag lady was awful too and I can't believe she got a deal. Especially when she didn't seem to understand the suggestion to explain the health benefits on the package. Maybe Mark's ego played a part?

[nutella fitzgerald]

That stupid-ass Golden Ticket is by far the worst thing to ever appear in all 9 seasons of this show. Worse than Asswipes For Bros. Worse than Beds for Your Pickup Truck. Worse than that movie. I need to go brush my teeth now.

[madpsych78]

I disliked that elliptical stroller's guy offer ($500K for 40%) - that's a high chunk of equity to start with negotiation. He should have asked for less money at less equity.

[Madding crowd]

The bird dog shorts looked just like swim trunks and they seemed very short; also the guys were obnoxious and just wanted on for name recognition. The nap thing didn’t sound workable. I work from home now but when I worked at an office, I can’t imagine going somewhere, messing up my clothes, hair and makeup, then get up all groggy to head back. And I heard the flipping the pillows thing too-gross. 

Edited January 9, 2018 by Madding crowd

[cooksdelight]

People pitch to Mark because he has the highest percentage of deals that he follows through on. Except Plated, and he’s probably kicking himself.

I ordered 2 Frywalls, the 12” and 10”. The biggest pain in the butt when I’m cooking is splatter. I’ve used the splatter screens and they don’t work. I’ll let y’all know how they work.

Birddog guys are like the obnoxious frat boys who get drunk in the bar and won’t stop hitting on you.

[kimberwatch]

21 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I like the Frywall, but I don't understand the special W in the logo. 

 

The cut-out at the bottom of the W mimics the shape of the Frywall in a pan.  I actually liked the logo.  I might like the product if they get that price down.  I'm wondering if you can just take a silicone mat and a binder clip and have basically the same thing for less.

[Amarsir]

18 hours ago, Chippings said:

I never heard anybody say to a Shark who turned them down, "Great!!"

I have to confess that I laughed my ass off at that. Of course I wasn't in the room and had already seen her as cartoonish by that point. And if it had been Daymond dismissed like that I'd probably react differently. But Lori breaking in to announce that she's out was a power play, and to have it turned back on her like that was hilarious.

10 hours ago, basiltherat said:

Case in point was the update with the Plated guys.  Mark dropped them, and Mr. Wonderful picked them up. 

 

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

People pitch to Mark because he has the highest percentage of deals that he follows through on. Except Plated, and he’s probably kicking himself.

Just to clarify, they dropped him. After the show they said they wanted a higher valuation, and Mark said he doesn't renegotiate once an agreement is reached. I have no idea what valuation Kevin came in at, but I suspect Mark is content to have stuck on principle rather than chasing a deal.

[cooksdelight]

Kevin said he made something like $1,300.

[hoodooznoodooz]

52 minutes ago, kimberwatch said:

The cut-out at the bottom of the W mimics the shape of the Frywall in a pan.  I actually liked the logo.  I might like the product if they get that price down.  I'm wondering if you can just take a silicone mat and a binder clip and have basically the same thing for less.

Oh, thank you! I was thinking it might be an overhead shot of the pan and Frywall. Silly me. I like the logo now that you have explained it.

You should try the mat and binder clip. You can make almost anything with binder clips.

[chocolatine]

36 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Kevin said he made something like $1,300.

No, he said he got a 1300% return on his investment.

[cooksdelight]

Thank you, I was half paying attention.

[sasha206]

16 hours ago, hoodooznoodooz said:

I always seem to find something about Lori's outfit that offends me. I was happy that her shoulders were not cold. I was happy that her clavicle was not cold. But this time it was that flight attendant shade of blue and bell/dog or cat cone of shame sleeve that exposed the seam allowance that made me roll my eyes.

I would so love for someone to dress her in something that doesn't look cheap.  And cut and recolor that awful hair.

1 hour ago, Amarsir said:

I have to confess that I laughed my ass off at that. Of course I wasn't in the room and had already seen her as cartoonish by that point. And if it had been Daymond dismissed like that I'd probably react differently. But Lori breaking in to announce that she's out was a power play, and to have it turned back on her like that was hilarious.

 

Agreed.  That woman was obnoxious as hell but I did enjoy her dismissal of Lori!

[sasha206]

22 hours ago, rhys said:

The nap refresher deal? I couldn't figure out how that studio works. Plus I'm a bit of a germophobe.

I remember working in an office and just putting my office chairs together to nap during lunch.  I could see how maybe selling pods or something to offices might work?  But I can't see walking or taking subway to a place to nap during a workday.  Also, not hygiene thing.  

[UsernameFatigue]

Tha nap idea was to me a solution in search of a problem. I at times did nap on my lunch hour at work - I just went to my car and cat napped there for 20 minutes. Why would I waste time (if I am tired enough to need a nap) walking or driving to someplace to nap there? On top of the fact that, as others have mentioned, not wanting to use a pillow and blanket that someone else has used that day, I didn't like the very close quarters and curtains separating me from other nappers. Why would I want to nap beside a complete stranger? That alone would keep me from falling asleep. What if the person beside me starts to snore? The whole idea was just ridiculous. 

I did disagree with Robert's assertion that he would not hire someone who napped during the day. What someone does on their lunch hour (or half hour - whatever) is none of his business. Some people can nap and some can't. For me a 15 minute nap totally refreshes me and I am much more productive for the rest of the day. 

I can't believe Cuban made a deal with the bag lady. He seemed quite flattered by her attention. While I doubt the deal will go through, if it does he deserves her. 

Liked the fry guy, but was wondering if the cone is keeping in all the splatter, when you put your hand in to, for example turn over the bacon, would you not get splattered with hot grease? Other than that, I liked the idea. 

[rhys]

Just once I'd love to see the sharks fold up their notebooks as soon as one of the presenters says: "hi, I'm Bambi & I'm seeking $400,000 for a 2.5% stake in my company 'Tweedledum.'"

These idiots who ask for *anything* under 10% should be escorted off. It's not worth the sharks time.

[bilgistic]

Here to agree that the Birddog douchebrahs were THE WORST. They kept saying the shorts were gym shorts, then later said their business was seasonal. Pick one, dudes.

I am officially over Robert after he humblebragged about sleeping only three or four hours a night "because he'd rather be tired than poor". I'm really, really tired (heh) of our culture's obsession of whoever does the most/is the most connected/works the longest hours wins. People need rest. It may not need to be in a gimmicky hipster nap studio, but being tired isn't a mark against one's character.

[cooksdelight]

I just now watched the second episode, and I actually loved the silicone bags. Not that woman, but a reuseable bag that would last forever is something I can get behind. Especially since hers have the ability to get all the air out. I looked up silicone storage bags on Amazon to see what’s out there, and hers are the only ones that do this. The price is high, but when you add up what you spend on Ziplock bags over a long period, it more than pays for itself. I will need to start saving money to buy several of each size, however.  I used to buy the Ziplock vacuum bags with the little pump that took all the air out. I’d wash them out and reuse them, and now they are no longer available in stores. Best thing they ever came out with and they ditch it.

I’m glad the Fork It guy got a deal with Barbara, she is the right person. I’ve seen her revamp products and they take off. And if that plate is reusable, I’ll buy some. When I have family gatherings at my house (ours is the largest in the family, and can hold everyone) I remembered at Christmas where we had cups and paper plates everywhere. My only worry would be the kids trying to sit the cup down with the plate on top, and tipping it over with food flying.

[Amarsir]

10 hours ago, UsernameFatigue said:

Tha nap idea was to me a solution in search of a problem. I at times did nap on my lunch hour at work - I just went to my car and cat napped there for 20 minutes. Why would I waste time (if I am tired enough to need a nap) walking or driving to someplace to nap there? On top of the fact that, as others have mentioned, not wanting to use a pillow and blanket that someone else has used that day, I didn't like the very close quarters and curtains separating me from other nappers. Why would I want to nap beside a complete stranger? That alone would keep me from falling asleep. What if the person beside me starts to snore? The whole idea was just ridiculous. 

I seem to recall reading about it existing a few years ago. The location was one of the floors of a NY skyscraper and the banker types would go spend $40 for a 20-minute nap or something ridiculous. And I can see it working there: they'd have the money, the schedule that's been running them since 4am, and a short distance to travel. What I don't see is that many possible locations.

Also I'm terrible at falling asleep on demand, so that whole thing would be worthless to me unless I was desperate for 20 minutes of quiet meditation.

[Whimsy]

I may be wrong because I don't feel like actually researching it, but I thought I read that noon-time napping is very common in other countries.  I think that our culture is just as such that it's weird, but it's not weird elsewhere.  I personally can't nap in the middle of the day.  Even when I'm very tired and didn't sleep well the night before, I just can't get myself to relax enough to actually sleep.  Also, if I do manage to nap I can't do anything less than an hour or more.  If I take a little nap I feel groggy and out of it the rest of the day so I'm basically useless.

I FF products that I don't personally enjoy or have a need for.  I think these two episodes took me about 10 minutes total to watch.

[sasha206]

On 1/8/2018 at 3:13 PM, chocolatine said:

I can't believe nobody asked the stroller/elliptical guy about safety. That's the first thing people think about when buying a stroller. Based on Kevin's test run that thing seemed rickety, so I don't think anyone would want to put their baby in it.

Amen.  It looked cumbersome, unsafe, impractical.  Someone tell dumbshit that just pushing a stroller up hills during a walk in a neighborhood is effective exercise.  

[dogdays2]

5 hours ago, Whimsy said:

I may be wrong because I don't feel like actually researching it, but I thought I read that noon-time napping is very common in other countries. 

You're correct.  In China, it's part of daily life for workers.  After lunch, it's "nap time" (that's the English translation for the word(s) in Chinese).  The lights are dimmed and everyone either goes to sleep at his/her desk or pulls out a sleeping bag and sleeps under the desk.  And I do mean everyone.  And they are asleep.  It lasts about 30 minutes and ends with soft music played on the speakers slowly getting louder.  The lights come on and folks get up and go right back to work.  Very strange for a Westerner seeing it for the first time. 

[KaveDweller]

On 1/8/2018 at 7:41 PM, cooksdelight said:

People pitch to Mark because he has the highest percentage of deals that he follows through on. Except Plated, and he’s probably kicking himself.

I ordered 2 Frywalls, the 12” and 10”. The biggest pain in the butt when I’m cooking is splatter. I’ve used the splatter screens and they don’t work. I’ll let y’all know how they work.

Birddog guys are like the obnoxious frat boys who get drunk in the bar and won’t stop hitting on you.

I don't think most people know Mark has the highest percentage of deals that go through. I know there was an article on that recently, but before it came out would anyone have even had a way to know? They know he's had a lot of successful products though, and that is definitely a factor. 

People sometimes pitch to Lori as well, especially when they consider their product on infomercial thing.

[theatremouse]

Even if they don't know Mark has the most go through, they probably know Mark has more money than the rest of the sharks, but quite the margin. So it's not shocking that some just totally want in with him and none of the others.

 

When they kept bringing up the "why isn't the health claim on the packaging" issue with bag lady, I kept expecting that to be a setup that here she was, pitching them "healthier" in the tank, but she didn't have it on the package, and if she didn't have it on the package, possibly it's because her claims were unsubstantiated, and then they were going to rip her a new one for that. I was surprised when that line of questioning just landed on "just put it on the damn packaging".

[cooksdelight]

She should have something on the packaging about it being BPA free, etc., and there should be the hit-up about the environment. “You’ll never buy another plastic bag again, and our landfills and oceans will be.... blah blah blah”

[basiltherat]

Label the bags "Healthy for you . . . and the planet!  (see, and I don't have a Haavaad degree). 

[needschocolate]

I have only seen the first two products - the step-climber stroller and the Frywall.  

The Frywall - seems like a good idea, but how do you fit it in your dishwasher? And the sides seemed so high they would get in the way when you cook.

The Stroller - The sharks were right - it is too heavy and bulky to transport.  Plus, it is no help when the weather is bad. Besides, the world doesn't need a way to get exercise pushing a stroller, pushing a stroller is already exercise.  It would be better to attach exercise equipment to a baby swing, so that the swing  only moves when someone is exercising (it can have an option to be battery operated)  

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 4:13 PM, madpsych78 said:

I disliked that elliptical stroller's guy offer ($500K for 40%) - that's a high chunk of equity to start with negotiation. He should have asked for less money at less equity.

Yes, he should have.  He admitted the valuation wasn't accurate but he wanted $500k for what he wanted to do.  Not a good way to show the sharks that you are a lousy businessman.

[cooksdelight]

23 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

but how do you fit it in your dishwasher

I’ll let you know after I receive mine and cook with them. :)

[shksabelle]

OMG. Those douchebag frat boys couldn’t even stop swaying during their presentation. Definitely gold diggers, offering 1.5%!!!!

if they get a 40% open rate on email, they should just go into business writing email subject lines. No overhead, no inventory, and corporations would pay fortunes to get a high email open rate.   Of course, there’s no way they are getting that high a rate unless they only email their friends who invested in the company  

And “elitist” was the perfect description. 

Edited January 10, 2018 by shksabelle
To add comment re email open rate

[mjc570]

On 1/10/2018 at 1:30 PM, needschocolate said:

Yes, he should have.  He admitted the valuation wasn't accurate but he wanted $500k for what he wanted to do.  Not a good way to show the sharks that you are a lousy businessman.

Ha ha, I thought it WAS a good way to show the sharks that you are a lousy businessman.

[needschocolate]

2 hours ago, mjc570 said:

Ha ha, I thought it WAS a good way to show the sharks that you are a lousy businessman.

Ooops! I guess my post was a good way to show I am a lousy proofreader.