S09.E20: ChangEd, SnapClips, ShowerPill, The Dough Bar / S09.E21: Petrol, Everytable, Sap!

[nlkm9]

so was the smores campire just smores scented??I do love that for the backyard or even lanai...

[basiltherat]

Hell, no!  It would make you hungry for the real thing!

[Jal]

On 1/30/2018 at 10:34 AM, sasha206 said:

I don't even understand why it's a problem if the person decides to drop out when they have what appears to be a really, really great idea that could make him more money than an education would provide.  Why not go for the great idea first?  You can go back to college at any time.   I can see them giving the "stay in school" speech when the person has a really dumb idea that is going nowhere.

Depends on if the investor him/herself went to school and how much discipline and learning they believe comes from a formal education. Going to and completing school can sometimes show dedication and a will to finish something they started, just like starting a business and making it successful can mean a similar thing. Some type of education provides a good fall-back for those who are not successful with their businesses. Also, I disagree that people can go to college at any time. Technically you can, but once you're older you have different responsibilities and may not have the money to fund school.

On 1/29/2018 at 12:06 PM, basiltherat said:

The best way to pay off your student loan is to NOT go to Starbucks and spend three or four bucks for coffee, but make and take your own and put the ENTIRE cost towards your loan.

Fast food places usually have a salad option and would cost about the same as their gourmet-ish meals.  And a lot of those neighborhoods they mentioned are very violent and small food stores are constantly robbed, shot at, etc. so the owners leave to save their lives. Thus the desert.

The whole point is that many people will not stop going to Starbucks or stop enjoying small things that make them happy in their everyday lives. There's definitely an audience for this app. Saying that people should be saving money and not spending money is very obvious, but not how a lot of people think. It's more complicated. Spending money gives them enjoyment, so why not feel good about saving a little bit and putting it towards a loan compared to just spending and saving less or nothing at all?

[sasha206]

11 hours ago, Jal said:

Depends on if the investor him/herself went to school and how much discipline and learning they believe comes from a formal education. Going to and completing school can sometimes show dedication and a will to finish something they started, just like starting a business and making it successful can mean a similar thing. Some type of education provides a good fall-back for those who are not successful with their businesses. Also, I disagree that people can go to college at any time. Technically you can, but once you're older you have different responsibilities and may not have the money to fund school.

it also shows discipline to create a product and get a patent for it.  And to be able to get on Shark Tank at 19 with a product and a patent.  A college education isn't the only way to show drive, discipline, intelligence.  And there are many young folks with a college education, massive debt, and no job prospects.  I understand the advice when these youngsters come on with a really bad idea that they know will go nowhere, but this kid has a viable product that could be applied in multiple industry. The time for him to devote all of his energy into it is now while the iron is hot.  

While being young and unencumbered allows one to get a degree much faster than being older, there are also many more options these days -- classes online --- that make getting a college degree easier when you are older.  So yes, a college education is always there.   Instead of going way into debt to get a degree that doesn't do much for you, some people find it better to learn a trade while they're young and figure out what they really want in life before determining the best education for them.

[lh25]

On 1/29/2018 at 4:08 PM, eel2178 said:

A local newspaper tried a research study to see if their claim pets preferred flavored water was true. Cats and dogs were given a choice of tap water, toilet water, regular bottled water, or their flavored water. The conclusions they came to were: 1) dogs preferred tap water over the others, and 2) "cats are too paranoid to participate in research of any kind."

That make me almost lose a monitor(don't drink coffee and read here!)

I think there is a trend lately to assume that our pets are mine-me's and have the same desires we do.  Most of us wouldn't want to drink just water all the time, so some assume our pets don't either.  I love my three cats totally, but it never occurred to me that plain fresh water wasn't enough, or that they would get bored with it.  Kind of like the "gluten-free" line I've been hearing in dog food commercials lately.

[Bramble]

5 hours ago, lh25 said:

Kind of like the "gluten-free" line I've been hearing in dog food commercials lately.

That actually goes back the pet food contamination issue in 2007.  Wheat gluten was included as a filler in many pet foods and was contaminated with melamine, causing many deaths and illnesses in pets that ate the contaminated food. Since then many pet owners look for food without those fillers.

[lh25]

9 minutes ago, Bramble said:

That actually goes back the pet food contamination issue in 2007.  Wheat gluten was included as a filler in many pet foods and was contaminated with melamine, causing many deaths and illnesses in pets that ate the contaminated food. Since then many pet owners look for food without those fillers.

Good point, I didn't know that.

I have a good friend who is truly allergic to gluten, and he gets a little irritated by it being a trend, since people take it less seriously.

[bilgistic]

Mark says he's gluten-free, but he tries stuff on the show with gluten in it.

[Amarsir]

On 1/29/2018 at 10:20 AM, Wings said:

The food desert product wasn't that great an idea. 2 chicken dishes and 3 salads is what they gave the sharks.  They didn't mention other menu items.  

@$5 a meal that means $20 for salads for a family of 4.  I can get more food for that amount at Safeway. 8 pieces of baked chicken for $6 leaving $14 for salad stuff and toss in a piece of fruit for everyone.  That is a healthy choice by their standards. 

They did not seem to be offering more than a trip down the outside Iles of a supermarket. I do understand that these meals are done and only need a small amount of attention.   I just don't see this as a big seller in Compton. 

 

On 1/29/2018 at 11:20 AM, Dots And Stripes said:

The problems is some people do not have access to salad ingredients near their home nor are they easily accessible with the transportation available. If you don’t live near a Safeway or a grocery store, options for fresh, healthy food can be limited. I think they’re really competing with traditional fast food options. They definitely have a way to go, but I’m happy to see people trying to tackle this problem. 

 

On 1/29/2018 at 12:40 PM, hula-la said:

As @Dots And Stripes stated, it's not that there's no food available in food deserts, it's that there's no high quality, nutritious food available. Most options include corner stores, where they sell mainly highly processed food, and fast food options. If people living in food deserts need to take public transit to get to a grocery store, that's going to limit the amount of food that they can buy in one trip, which becomes even more of an issue, as less processed food has a shelf life, and needs to be purchased regularly. People want to make healthy food choices--it's just extremely difficult in many areas of the country (including Canada, where I live). 

The idea that "food deserts" are a causal problem is largely  being  debunked. The new trendy term is "food swamp", which IMHO is just another attempt to avoid saying "healthy food isn't sold because people don't want it". Having a long distance to travel to a supermarket is no doubt an impediment to lifestyle, but it's much more the result of these neighborhoods than the cause. Three bags of groceries once a week is a trip, but compared to going to fast food 21 times during that week it's not only cheaper and healthier but probably less back-and-forth.

That said, I totally wish these guys the best. It's perfectly rational to charge different price points in different neighborhoods, especially if rents are lower in the more poverty-stricken ones. And neighborhood aside, why don't we have more fast food chains that consider health from the ground up? Sure I can get a McDonald's garden salad, but I want more from the restaurant than to be an afterthought. And if you aren't careful, it's easy to add 300 calories to a salad just by choosing the wrong dressing.

I think reality is going to be tough for them though. They may not get the volume they want or have other problems associated with less-desirable neighborhoods. But the real problem will be when they inevitably have a downturn and a couple bad quarters. If the whole business is losing money, which store gets closed: the one charging $4 a salad or the one charging $8?

23 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Mark says he's gluten-free, but he tries stuff on the show with gluten in it.

To my recollection, Mark hasn't said he's gluten-free but rather that some of his players are and so he looks toward investing in it. It may be that he also tries to go low-gluten as in low-carb, but he 100% does not have an allergy nor has that been his claim.

[Wings]

Thanks @Amarsir.  I figured it was another myth in the nutrition arena.   

[cooksdelight]

Mark has invested in a pizza company that is gluten free, as well as an app called. FindMe GlutenFree, which directs diners to those restaurants. I remember people serving him food, saying, “I know you don’t do gluten...”

[Taeolas]

The Sap beverages, I'm a bit surprised Robert went in for it (even if he was ultimately rejected), considering he has seen this before... twice. I wonder how many references to Birch Wine had to be left on the cutting room floor. 

[retrograde]

The problem with those shower wipes is that the real issue after working out is sweaty hair. I think the average person is capable of a quickie cheat-shower with or without the wipes, but stinky, sweat-filled hair has to be washed. 

Speaking of, I was at the gym yesterday cursing while trying to get the butterfly clips off some weights, so I'd definitely use that kid's slap-band style ones. I understand why the sharks were into exploring other uses for them, but the gym industry is huge. If you could sell them to a chain like Crunch or Planet Fitness or whatever, you'd make a looot of money.

[RHJunkie]

Was really impressed with the teenager. The sky is the limit with that patent. I feel like the Sharks give mixed messages when it comes to addressing entrepreneurs' commitments to their ventures. I've seen many times where presenters get knocked because they're only doing their business part-time and it's seen as not showing enough confidence in their business and being told that in order to get an investment, they need to be all in. Do they draw the line at not wanting to seem encouraging of young entrepreneurs dropping out of school? I'm sure the kid wouldn't be all that excited about school if he's so confident in his creation but I can also see why an young entrepreneur would say that they would put school on hold in order to prove their dedication as come across as a more alluring investment to the sharks. 

I really like the fire tin product. It would be something I would use, particularly because they have a smores kit...that's about the only reason I want an outdoor fire, lol. I didn't find the guy annoying either. Rohan totally screwed over Barbara with his big mouth. If he hadn't said something so annoying to Robert, Robert wouldn't have been his offer such a runaway offer. They would have been idiots to try and counter with Barbara and/or Rohan and risk losing Robert's deal. 

Have they ever done an update so quickly after a deal was made? I laughed at the dog lady who blamed not getting a business loan on her being a woman. I find it hard to believe that not a single woman in 2010 was able to get a small business loan. Maybe she should consider that her business plan just wasn't that great. Showing up to a trade show and not knowing anything about distribution of your product suggests that your challenges were at least partly due to being ill prepared for the task.

The food from EveryTable looked delicious and it would be something that I would eat especially because it's truly on the go food. Their ask was crazy high and I didn't think they would do 10% or higher but I'm glad they got the deal. I love the socially conscious aspect of their business. 

[cooksdelight]

1 hour ago, RHJunkie said:

I've seen many times where presenters get knocked because they're only doing their business part-time and it's seen as not showing enough confidence in their business and being told that in order to get an investment, they need to be all in

My response to them, if I ever got that far, would be, “I need to eat and pay my mortgage. I’m not yet at a point where I can quit working full-time, but if one of you have faith and confidence in me and this gizmo I invented.... I’ll quit as soon as we get to a point where I can pay all my bills.”

Sometimes they DO push that too hard. The kid won’t need college if he’s a millionaire with that thing. And I think he will be.

[lh25]

16 hours ago, RHJunkie said:

I laughed at the dog lady who blamed not getting a business loan on her being a woman. I find it hard to believe that not a single woman in 2010 was able to get a small business loan.

I totally agree!  I half expected her to say something like "Well, it was the 1960's and hard to get a loan as a woman business owner".  Didn't she make at least one other comment about being a woman business owner?

[seacliffsal]

Yup, blame everything and everyone else for her lack of success rather than a hard look at her self and her 'business plan.'  I certainly hope that her current investor is able to afford losing his investment.  They did have an attractive design.

[eel2178]

On ‎1‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 5:08 PM, eel2178 said:

 

Edited February 27, 2018 by eel2178
oops