S10.E09: Moki Doorstep, Sproing Fitness, BRUW, TushBaby

[GoldenGirl90]

January 6, 2019

A design that helps access a vehicle's roof; a lower impact alternative to the treadmill; cold brew coffee kit; a seat that makes it easier to carry a baby.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The Moki Roof Rack was great, and I love they sold the company on the spot.    There are imitators already, and the prices of the knock offs are really cheap compared to the original.    I wonder if your foot slipping off would be an issue also?  

Sprong Fitness was a fad, and I'm glad they didn't get a deal.     I can't see investing in a room full of fancy treadmills, with interval training, and taking up that much space and money.     How many people what that intense of a workout that aren't doing crossfit or something similar instead?   There are at least three crossfits, or other super intense gyms here, and I can't see people switching from something with a varied program to something like the Sprong, with the equivalent of an entire workout room only for that one activity.     I wasn't clear if the Sprong was only suitable for classes, or with an instructor, or if there was some way for an individual to do the intervals at the right times, and the right intensity.   I think it would be easy to overdo also, without supervision. 

Bruw, that was an easy to knock off product, and I'm sure any manufacturer that saw this is hard at work doing this right now.

The Tush Baby woman almost screwed it up.    I think Daymond would have been a great partner for her, and if she wasn't so obviously only focused on Lori, they might have partnered, and covered the market.      Lori will be good, and I'm glad she made a deal, but that was a close one.  

Edited January 9, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[hoodooznoodooz]

I used a Bjorn carrier with my son. It was fast and easy.  

[Whimsy]

9 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

Bruw, that was an easy to knock off product, and I'm sure any manufacturer that saw this is hard at work doing this right now.

There are already very similar products on Amazon.  I looked last night. 

[Amarsir]

Of all the offers withdrawn on this show, I think that was the most telegraphed and patient. But But she wanted Lori, was willing to pay more for Lori, and got Lori so I guess all's well that ends well.

That Moki step was kind clever enough, but Robert was more than a little over the top praising it. It made me realize I haven't missed him when he isn't there.

[Gregg247]

The Tush Baby lady got really lucky that the other Sharks kind of shamed Lori into making an offer.  The way she was talking about how they didn't have enough customer feedback yet, and how it was too early for her to get involved made me think she was on the verge of going out.  However, that would ahve been really, really funny.  She got 2 good offers and she basically didn't care.  Daymond even offered her her asking price!

Bruw was a company with "basement DYI" written all over it.  So, I just take some screen I can buy in bulk from Home Depot, stick a straw through it, and place it between 2 Mason jars?  Got it.  I'm now a coffee entreprenuer, too!

The 2 guys with the exercise equipment seemed to be the real deal, so I'm surprised they didn't get a deal.  They certainly had great backgrounds in the fitness industry.  I couldn't believe that Kevin hated it so much!

I'm happy for the Moki door latch couple.  I thought they were going to be scuttled due to either the high valuation or the fact that they had an uncle who had some incredible royalty deal.  I'm glad they were able to sell out and move on with their lives.  One thing, though.  Every time the husband spoke, I thought the sound on my TV was cutting in and out.  Apparently his nervousness gave him a bit of a clipped speech pattern that made him extremely hard to understand.  Did anyone else have this problem?

[mjc570]

I didn't understand the poor job of explaining the cold brew filter - I  cold brew all the time (although I drink it hot), and I use pods of coffee (2 oz of coffee)  per batch, which are expensive but avoid the whole filtering issue which is indeed a pain.  When I need to filter, which may be pretty soon since my source no longer makes the pods, I generally use panty hose.  I certainly would be in the market for a filter like that, if as the young man proposed, it was available at a low price point.  Giving them coffee to drink - rather than having them filter - I thought was off the point, although I know the sharks generally like stuff to eat and drink.   Easy to duplicate, though, I guess the straw was the patentable part. 

I'm glad the moki folks sold the company without a lot of drama (although that may have been the editing).  I thought it was a great product.

I loved the non-treadmill, and certainly would use it if were in my gym.  I wouldn't go to a class, though.  Why couldn't they market it to large gym chains?  From what they said, it seems like the price was reasonably for a commercial treadmill.  Perhaps they could work on an at-home model.  I like to run for a short amount of time on my treadmill rather than running or walking at a slower pace for a longer time, so I don't watch video stuff or read anyway.

Tush baby?  I don't think much of the name.  I thought it looked unsafe, without any way to support the baby.  If you need straps etc., that just undercuts the whole point of something simple.  I used Bjorn or some kind of basic strap (can't remember the name) to carry my children around.  I thought it was obnoxious how she only wanted Lori, but I thought her business was just too premature.  I wouldn't have invested in it, I guess that's why I'm not a multi-millionaire.

[Quickbeam]

I have a disability and for years have used a tool in the car door jamb as a hand hold....it’s almost identical to the Moki. I was amazed no one had seen this before. 

[roctavia]

Forgive me, because I know nothing about cold brew coffee... but couldn't you just use a french press and leave it in the fridge overnight??? We aren't coffee drinkers but sometimes have guests who might want coffee, so we bought a cheap french press that doesn't take up much space.... filtering coffee grounds doesn't seem like that much of a challenge.

 

The baby seat thing is okay, though i've seen similar things (Though maybe it was her "we went viral!") but aside from easing up some of the burden of carrying a child it doesn't offer any hands free help, which is part of why the baby carriers are so nice... I also can foresee some kids falling off when parents get overconfident in how well their kid can hold on to them while they let go to pick something up or open a door or something...

 

The treadmill thing actually looked interesting, but sounds pretty intense... which maybe could get the P90x crowd or something... but they've already got their own thing. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

9 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

I'm happy for the Moki door latch couple.  I thought they were going to be scuttled due to either the high valuation or the fact that they had an uncle who had some incredible royalty deal.  I'm glad they were able to sell out and move on with their lives.  One thing, though.  Every time the husband spoke, I thought the sound on my TV was cutting in and out.  Apparently his nervousness gave him a bit of a clipped speech pattern that made him extremely hard to understand.  Did anyone else have this problem?

Yes.  I couldn't tell what exactly was going on with his voice, but I wonder if it's always like that.

At first glance I thought the Moki door latch thing was a great idea, but on second thought, not so much.  I don't think you could use it to put a bike up on top because you can't climb up on the step with the bike in your hands.  You could hoist yourself up there regular, but once you're up there, you can't twist around to pick the bike up off the ground, and it would probably be challenging to balance while someone hands it to you. 

Also, I was under the impression that giant vehicles are more of a U.S. thing than in the rest of the world, so I wonder about how big the global market is. 

 

2 hours ago, roctavia said:

I also can foresee some kids falling off when parents get overconfident in how well their kid can hold on to them while they let go to pick something up or open a door or something...

I'm picturing something like when someone holding a cup of coffee rotates his arm to look at his watch and pours coffee on himself.  Oops!

[RoadFullOfPromise]

2 hours ago, roctavia said:

 

Forgive me, because I know nothing about cold brew coffee... but couldn't you just use a french press and leave it in the fridge overnight??? We aren't coffee drinkers but sometimes have guests who might want coffee, so we bought a cheap french press that doesn't take up much space.... filtering coffee grounds doesn't seem like that much of a challenge.

 

The baby seat thing is okay, though i've seen similar things (Though maybe it was her "we went viral!") but aside from easing up some of the burden of carrying a child it doesn't offer any hands free help, which is part of why the baby carriers are so nice... I also can foresee some kids falling off when parents get overconfident in how well their kid can hold on to them while they let go to pick something up or open a door or something...

 

I am a coffee drinker, and you’re exactly right re: French press. That’s how I make cold brew, and it’s very easy (though the cleanup is wonky but it always is with presses). I was thinking the same thing during the Bruw pitch.

And I agree completely about the seat. I loved our Ergo because of the hands-free aspect, and our now 3yo was (and still is) a wiggler. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have worked for us because of that and my tendency to be a worrier. :)

Edited January 8, 2019 by RoadFullOfPromise

[Moose135]

20 hours ago, Gregg247 said:

The 2 guys with the exercise equipment seemed to be the real deal, so I'm surprised they didn't get a deal.  They certainly had great backgrounds in the fitness industry.  I couldn't believe that Kevin hated it so much!

I was surprised as well.  They clearly knew the business, and had several seemingly-successful gyms showing it in use, I expected someone to give them a deal.

 

15 hours ago, Quickbeam said:

I have a disability and for years have used a tool in the car door jamb as a hand hold....it’s almost identical to the Moki. I was amazed no one had seen this before. 

I don't have one, but have seen them before, and that's the first thing I thought of as well.

[eel2178]

On ‎1‎/‎7‎/‎2019 at 1:23 PM, Gregg247 said:

The Tush Baby lady got really lucky that the other Sharks kind of shamed Lori into making an offer.  The way she was talking about how they didn't have enough customer feedback yet, and how it was too early for her to get involved made me think she was on the verge of going out.  However, that would ahve been really, really funny.  She got 2 good offers and she basically didn't care.  Daymond even offered her her asking price!

I have a feeling it will be one of the deals that falls apart after the cameras stop rolling.

[Katherine Kegel]

16 hours ago, RoadFullOfPromise said:

I am a coffee drinker, and you’re exactly right re: French press. That’s how I make cold brew, and it’s very easy (though the cleanup is wonky but it always is with presses). I was thinking the same thing during the Bruw pitch.

And I agree completely about the seat. I loved our Ergo because of the hands-free aspect, and our now 3yo was (and still is) a wiggler. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have worked for us because of that and my tendency to be a worrier. :)

I agree completely.  I too used an Ergo and it was great.  I don’t know why they think regular carriers are so cumbersome, the ergo had a clip around the waist (which to me is easier than what appeared to be Velcro on the tush baby) and one clip in the back.  Super easy and kiddos were secure (and often fell asleep, another way the tush baby falls short, heavy sleeping kids now have to be in your arms). The only thing I liked was the amount of storage (pockets big enough for diapers) but if my hands are free carrying a small bag just wasn’t that big a deal.  

[lynxfx]

I was curious about the Moki as it is hard for me to wash the top of my truck. Looks like a great solution. A quick search on Amazon shows 66 knockoffs on the first 5 pages, some even identical looking to the Moki. All selling between $10-20. The couple was smart to sell and pretty sure Daymond will end up the loser in that deal.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Quote

Every time the husband spoke, I thought the sound on my TV was cutting in and out.  Apparently his nervousness gave him a bit of a clipped speech pattern that made him extremely hard to understand.  Did anyone else have this problem?

My entire family thought he has some sort of speech impediment.

My favorite part of that segment is that they made their decision to sell quickly.  I also liked how they said that their royalty-uncle is just like Kevin!

Damon made some good points about the Sproing. A lot of people don't want to work that hard on a treadmill. They want to start out slow, watch TV, change the incline, change the speed, etc.

[sasha206]

On 1/9/2019 at 11:29 AM, MoreCoffeePlease said:

Damon made some good points about the Sproing. A lot of people don't want to work that hard on a treadmill. They want to start out slow, watch TV, change the incline, change the speed, etc.

Totally agree.  Plus to me, it looked cheap.  I'm sure it wasn't, but it just looked like some cheesy cheap-o exercise equipment.  There's a reason why people like treadmills.  You can jog in place, but who wants to do that?  Running on the treadmill at least makes you feel like you are going somewhere.  The Sproing to me would just feel like you're running in place with a resistance band.  

On 1/8/2019 at 8:19 PM, lynxfx said:

I was curious about the Moki as it is hard for me to wash the top of my truck. Looks like a great solution. A quick search on Amazon shows 66 knockoffs on the first 5 pages, some even identical looking to the Moki. All selling between $10-20. The couple was smart to sell and pretty sure Daymond will end up the loser in that deal.

It seemed like a good idea to me too at first until I saw the same product already exists.  I'm wondering if the deal will fall through once Damon does a quick google search.  

[sadiegirl]

I made my own Sproing with a yoga belt, an I hook and mini trampoline and I like it.  I'm sure theirs is better but mine was free since I had everything already.

[CrazyInAlabama]

The issue with the Moki for vehicle washing is how do you keep the water from coming into the open car door?  

[lynxfx]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

The issue with the Moki for vehicle washing is how do you keep the water from coming into the open car door?  

You wouldn't be spraying water if you are using the Moki. You would be using a sponge and bucket. Pretty easy to control spillage. At least that is how I would do it. To presoak and rinse you wouldn't need to be on the Moki.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I'm kind of a klutz, so I can see myself screwing up the car washing.   Or I can see myself slipping off the Moki, and water and me going everywhere.   

 I have a smaller SUV, so I usually do the sides, hood, front and what I can reach, and just the outer part of the top I can reach from the ground.      I'm lazy, but at least I don't have to worry about falling off a slippery ladder.        Honestly, if there's a way to hurt myself doing something like washing a car, then I'll manage to do it.  

Edited January 13, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[retrograde]

The kid selling the cold brew maker was a good hustler, but lying that people otherwise have to spend hundreds on machines. Even your local uber-hipster coffee shop is probably just using a Toddy, which costs like $35. 

The Sproing definitely looked not fun. Running on the spot sucks. 

[Moose135]

3 hours ago, lynxfx said:

You would be using a sponge and bucket. Pretty easy to control spillage.

Easier said than done.  I got a small step ladder so I can wash the roof of my SUV.

[hoodooznoodooz]

1 hour ago, retrograde said:

The Sproing definitely looked not fun. Running on the spot sucks. 

Plus, it doesn’t seem dignified. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I wonder how many people would actually use the Sproing long term?   The intense intervals, and exhausting workout didn't seem like many people would want to do that all of the time.

[Destiny74]

On 1/7/2019 at 8:34 PM, roctavia said:

Forgive me, because I know nothing about cold brew coffee... but couldn't you just use a french press and leave it in the fridge overnight??? We aren't coffee drinkers but sometimes have guests who might want coffee, so we bought a cheap french press that doesn't take up much space.... filtering coffee grounds doesn't seem like that much of a challenge.

 

The baby seat thing is okay, though i've seen similar things (Though maybe it was her "we went viral!") but aside from easing up some of the burden of carrying a child it doesn't offer any hands free help, which is part of why the baby carriers are so nice... I also can foresee some kids falling off when parents get overconfident in how well their kid can hold on to them while they let go to pick something up or open a door or something...

 

The treadmill thing actually looked interesting, but sounds pretty intense... which maybe could get the P90x crowd or something... but they've already got their own thing. 

I agree about the baby holder.  I can see some parents getting too comfortable with it and an accident happening.  I think it's fraught with liability.

The Sproing was interesting but I would never use it.  I'm a lazy exerciser and enjoy walking at a brisk pace but not trudging like you would on that equipment.  That being said, I think there are a lot of people who would enjoy it and I was surprised they didn't get some deal.

[lynxfx]

The couple that made the Moki doorstep found out all too well how easy their product was to knock off.

https://fox61.com/2019/03/17/couple-makes-it-to-shark-tank-with-invention-to-later-find-knock-off-products-selling-on-amazon/

[ljenkins782]

On 3/18/2019 at 10:45 PM, lynxfx said:

The couple that made the Moki doorstep found out all too well how easy their product was to knock off.

https://fox61.com/2019/03/17/couple-makes-it-to-shark-tank-with-invention-to-later-find-knock-off-products-selling-on-amazon/

They sold their company outright, didn't they? Is this now a Shark's problem or did the deal fall through, I wonder. 

[lynxfx]

2 hours ago, ljenkins782 said:

They sold their company outright, didn't they? Is this now a Shark's problem or did the deal fall through, I wonder. 

Oh that's right. I would bet that the deal fell through during the due diligence phase. No way he would have taken the company after seeing how many knock offs there were already available. Man that must have been a rollercoaster of emotions for them. Thinking you just got out of your business only to lose out on the deal and still need to fight the knock offs.