S10.E19: Pricetitution, Hydroviv, Flip-It! Cap, Luma Soda

[GoldenGirl90]

April 14, 2019

A socially interactive party game; a customized household product that ensures safety; a reusable bottle-emptying device; a healthy alternative to soda.

[CrazyInAlabama]

For guest sharks, I really like Rohan Oza.      

I hated the party game, but I guess since he got a deal, then we'll be hearing about it a lot.  

The water filtration looked very useful, but I can't believe he almost screwed up his deal with Mark.   

I would hate the bottle emptying device.    I'm a bit of a klutz, so I'm sure I would find a way to put the little tripod in the wrong place on the shelf, or on a seam in a surface, and the bottle would eventually tip over.      The fact that there were so many different sets was irritating to me also.    The sharks are right, his business is on the way out.   

Luma soda looks interesting, but the fact that everyone disliked the one flavor was funny to me.   However, his inventory issues are insurmountable, and Mark is right, the man needs to get that inventory out of his warehouse.     No deal was the right choice.  

[rhys]

I didn't understand the game at all. We're they reading from actual cards? It didn't sound fun of funny to me. Shrug. I

1.7M yikes! Felt kinda bad for soda dude.

I missed something about the water filtration. Do I get a test kit then send it in so that I get the correct filter for my needs?

[Moose135]

35 minutes ago, rhys said:

I missed something about the water filtration. Do I get a test kit then send it in so that I get the correct filter for my needs?

It sounded like you tell them where you live, and they research what's in the water there.

[LittleIggy]

The game didn’t sound fun to me either.

[nutella fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I would hate the bottle emptying device.    I'm a bit of a klutz, so I'm sure I would find a way to put the little tripod in the wrong place on the shelf, or on a seam in a surface, and the bottle would eventually tip over.      The fact that there were so many different sets was irritating to me also.    The sharks are right, his business is on the way out. 

I have and love this product (a godsend for honey) but the multiple sets confused me. The ones I got all appear the same as the kitchen version, but I had no problem using them with liquid soap, shampoo, and craft glue. 

[BusyOctober]

The game may be hot for a while, kind of like "Cards Against Humanity".  We do a game night once a month with several couples, and "Cards Against Humanity" was a lot of fun and our go-to game for a while. Haven't played it in over a year now. I didn't understand how Barbara wanted to make it a "social media" thing.  Did she mean like an app?  Like Words with Friends? I don't know how I'd gauge a stranger's willingness to do something for money, despite asking a few "research" questions like the game inventor did in his demo.  And how do I know the person (stranger) I'm playing against isn't lying when I ask the few probing questions?

The rest of the stuff was not interesting to me.  The bottle cap thing isn't enough of a problem for me to need a "solution".  Maybe I heard him wrong, but at the beginning of his pitch, did he claim throwing away containers with product left in it was compiling the recycling/landfill problem?  Whether I get the last drop of lotion out a bottle or not, I'm still throwing away the container (recycle bin if possible). And I'm still going to buy a new container full of product, use it and discard the empty.  How does his little device make ANY impact of the landfill/waste issue?  I was half asleep so I could've imagined he said anything about this!

[basiltherat]

When the dude was talking about the bottle tripod, I kept yelling "Get a Spatty Daddy!"

With the card game, I think Barbara meant to sell games with blank cards so your group at home could make up your own questions.

Soda (we call it pop in the Midwest) guy -- you'll never get a good cola taste -- Coca Cola tried it with regular New Coke and THEY screwed it up !!  Does it have caffeine, 'cuz if it doesn't, no one wants it  

[LAgator77]

3 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

I didn't understand how Barbara wanted to make it a "social media" thing.  Did she mean like an app?  Like Words with Friends? I don't know how I'd gauge a stranger's willingness to do something for money, despite asking a few "research" questions like the game inventor did in his demo.  And how do I know the person (stranger) I'm playing against isn't lying when I ask the few probing questions?

I think she meant something more like the Jackbox games, where you play on your smart phone in conjunction with a smart TV with a group of people at a party... At least that's what I thought of when this game was being explained. It reminded me a lot of Drawful or Quiplash. When I play these games with friends we tend to get very obscene and outrageous, so I'm sure if the game was more interactive like that people would like to come up with their own Pricetitute questions. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have some friends who are very clever.     They use a coffee cup or something else that's fairly heavy, and sit the mostly empty bottles top down, and it drains the bottle to the end, and it's also a way to use those excess coffee mugs that they seem to end up with.     Of course, this wouldn't work for shampoo, or anything in the bath, since I would worry about the mug getting knocked over, and breaking.

 However, for shower items or shampoo in the bath, I sit them top down, in the metal shower caddy I use, and it's looped over a spring loaded shower rod that rests on top of the tub surround, or shower stall.     

If I had something like the little tripods, and used them for shampoo or shower items, I would knock them over all of the time.         I have the option to buy most kitchen condiments with the wider top that it sits on, so everything drains very well, and then I just toss it in recycle.    

Edited April 15, 2019 by CrazyInAlabama

[Moose135]

41 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

 However, for shower items or shampoo in the bath, I sit them top down, in the metal shower caddy I use, and it's looped over a spring loaded shower rod that rests on top of the tub surround, or shower stall.   

A while back, I got shampoo and body wash in bottles with a pump, to make it easier to dispense.  Since then, I get the large, economy size versions of each, and use a small funnel to transfer them when the pump bottles get low.  I just prop them up in a corner of the vanity until they finish.

[eel21788]

18 hours ago, Moose135 said:

It sounded like you tell them where you live, and they research what's in the water there.

I wanted to know if it would filter out the added fluoride. I can see a big increase in cavities if it does. The resulting dental work would cost a lot more than the filter.

[eel21788]

19 hours ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

    I hated the party game, but I guess since he got a deal, then we'll be hearing about it a lot.    

I think they were expecting it to be the next Pictionary (which I also find incredibly stupid). Then again, I've been told a lot of these stupid games are more fun when everybody has been drinking (I'm a non-drinker, so they all just seem dumb to me).

I invented a board game when I was ten. Maybe I should try to get in manufactured now.

Edited April 15, 2019 by eel21788

[bilgistic]

So I'm the only person who turns an old bottle upside down atop the new one and lets gravity send the remaining product into the new bottle?

Also, cut open your tubes of lotion and toothpaste when they're "empty". There's a few more uses of product left in the end of the tube.

[rhys]

3 hours ago, eel21788 said:

I think they were expecting it to be the next Pictionary (which I also find incredibly stupid). Then again, I've been told a lot of these stupid games are more fun when everybody has been drinking 

Hey now, don't harsh on Pictionary! It's a blast if you are a non artist.

I can't ever get those pumps to keep working. There is always some nasty nugget of goo remaining in the spout. But I have some luck with running the item in the microwave for a few seconds (hair products). Seems like the heat will help liquify the stuff.

Edited April 16, 2019 by rhys

[KaveDweller]

10 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The rest of the stuff was not interesting to me.  The bottle cap thing isn't enough of a problem for me to need a "solution".  Maybe I heard him wrong, but at the beginning of his pitch, did he claim throwing away containers with product left in it was compiling the recycling/landfill problem?  Whether I get the last drop of lotion out a bottle or not, I'm still throwing away the container (recycle bin if possible). And I'm still going to buy a new container full of product, use it and discard the empty.  How does his little device make ANY impact of the landfill/waste issue?  I was half asleep so I could've imagined he said anything about this!

I think he was saying that because people threw out bottles with stuff in them, they were buying bottles more often than they needed to. But I always just turn bottles upside down and find a way to balance them. Or add a little water to the bottle so that last bit of stuff comes out easier.  I'm not sure why I'd spend money on a fancy tripod thing.

I thought the game looked like a lot of fun.

[mjc570]

I thought the game seemed like fun, with the option of customizing the activities.  I can see using it with kids to teach some real life lessons.  How about an educational version?  Maybe  make them a little more conscious of ethics, advertising etc.  Or, of course, a business setting ice-breaker, or a way to learn about your fellow players. 

I really liked the water filter idea.  We have a whole house system for our very hard water, but it really doesn't do anything for contaminants. 

I also liked the bottle thing, and would actually use it.  A lot of bottle are designed to be stored upside down, but a lot are not.  Propping the old one on top of the old, even with tape, is a pain. 

I felt sorry for the soda guy, even if he is a lawyer.  Isn't that a pretty hard space to break into, it seems like there are millions of beverages out there.  I have to admit I really don't drink cold flavored drinks - I drink water, or coffee or tea.  But a  lot of people are more interesting than I am. 

Agree that Rohan is a more than decent guest shark, he is an actual investor not on the show to hawk his own company.

[Quickbeam]

I loved the water filter guy. You can’t get anything like that where I live. I felt bad for the soda guy but the minute they get desperate everyone turns off. And soda is a brutal market, just cutthroat.

I like Rohan a lot. He’s polite and seems to be positive. He also pays attention, not just waiting for his next catch phrase.

[JTMacc99]

On 4/15/2019 at 2:20 AM, nutella fitzgerald said:

have and love this product (a godsend for honey) 

I can think of two things I would instantly deploy the upside down cap things for in my home. One was honey and the other is the all natural, vegan hippie shaving cream that I use. The pump on that bottle craps out with a good two or three weeks of shaves left in it, and the whole standing the bottle on top of the new bottle to drain down doesn't work very well because the stuff is so thick. I would just toss the pump and use the upside down cap from day one.

Having said that, I cringed when he read off his sales figures and heard him cite declining sales. Interesting product, definitely not something any of the investors are going to want to jump in on at this point. Maybe being on TV will help him clear out some inventory.

[seacliffsal]

I thought the game guy should have gone with Kevin.  Each of the Sharks has a distinct area of expertise and Kevin's is definitely the toy and game space.  The extra 10% would have been worth it in my mind.  And, when Kevin invests he is going to do what it takes to make money (although he does make investment mistakes-wasn't he in on Toysaroo or whatever that disaster subscription toy company was [along with Mark]?).

I appreciate that sometimes Barbara invests in the person as much as the product-she would have gone in on soda guy just because she knew he wouldn't give up or make excuses (like the tripod container guy did).

I still can't believe that ABC moved this generally family friendly show to a non-family friendly time.

[ljenkins782]

15 hours ago, eel21788 said:

I think they were expecting it to be the next Pictionary (which I also find incredibly stupid). Then again, I've been told a lot of these stupid games are more fun when everybody has been drinking (I'm a non-drinker, so they all just seem dumb to me).

I invented a board game when I was ten. Maybe I should try to get in manufactured now.

At least Pictionary makes sense and I do find it funny to see what other people think I'm drawing when it seems perfectly clear in my own mind. 

This game didn't interest me a bit. If the person is in no danger of actually having to do that thing...what's the point? It's like a completely no-stakes version of Truth or Dare. It seems so arbitrary, "ok, so IF I had money to give you, how much would it take for you to do "X" [that you won't actually have to do because I don't have actual money]" Who cares? 

Quote

So I'm the only person who turns an old bottle upside down atop the new one and lets gravity send the remaining product into the new bottle?

Also, cut open your tubes of lotion and toothpaste when they're "empty". There's a few more uses of product left in the end of the tube.

Nope, I do that too. It can be clumsy at time, but I've never felt the need to get a whole different product for such a short-term issue. 

I knew he was dead in the water when he told how many times he'd been on QVC and then gave sales figures that were going in the wrong direction. 

I had a feeling the soda guy wasn't going to get a deal. Such a difficult space to break into with new products and the sharks are right about cola flavor being the hardest one to replicate without sugar. If someone could crack that code (true cola flavor with less sugar and without the "diet" ingredients), they could make a splash, but obviously his wasn't cutting it.

Also, I think it's a bit of a tough sell visually when the person pushing the healthy drink is rather overweight. That sounds harsh, but I think it's part of the package and part of the "sell" aspect. 

[sasha206]

That game was so fucking stupid.  "How much would it take for you to kiss the person next to you with your eyes wide open?"  That's supposed to be amusing?  Cards Against Humanity is absolutely hilarious.  This game, other than cute packaging and cute name, is a dud.

[tvrox]

I recently gave up drinking soda so I was interested in the drink, but did they say if it was caffeinated or not? If it was caffeinated I would definitely be a customer. Also, I love blood orange flavor.

[augmentedfourth]

On 4/16/2019 at 9:19 AM, JTMacc99 said:

I can think of two things I would instantly deploy the upside down cap things for in my home. One was honey and the other is the all natural, vegan hippie shaving cream that I use. The pump on that bottle craps out with a good two or three weeks of shaves left in it, and the whole standing the bottle on top of the new bottle to drain down doesn't work very well because the stuff is so thick. I would just toss the pump and use the upside down cap from day one.

Having said that, I cringed when he read off his sales figures and heard him cite declining sales. Interesting product, definitely not something any of the investors are going to want to jump in on at this point. Maybe being on TV will help him clear out some inventory.

The guy broke the fourth wall a little bit (and Rohan picked up on it) when he kind of quietly mentioned that entrepreneurs don't get to choose when they appear on the show. That led me to believe that maybe his situation wasn't as dismal when he first applied. Rohan was right, you shouldn't count on an appearance on the show as part of your business plan, but at the same time, you also have to wonder who just got lucky with the timing. But hey, no one ever said anything about this show was fair.

On 4/16/2019 at 9:37 AM, seacliffsal said:

I thought the game guy should have gone with Kevin.  Each of the Sharks has a distinct area of expertise and Kevin's is definitely the toy and game space.  The extra 10% would have been worth it in my mind.  And, when Kevin invests he is going to do what it takes to make money (although he does make investment mistakes-wasn't he in on Toysaroo or whatever that disaster subscription toy company was [along with Mark]?).

I can't put my finger on why, but to me, it always feels wrong when a shark asks for more than 49%. Just let the entrepreneur keep the majority of his/her company. If you believe in the product, you'll still make money.

The soda guy had an uphill battle coming in. If I saw something like that at one of the fancier grocery stores around here, I'd check it out and give it a try, but like he said, I can't imagine repeatedly ordering a beverage online.

I agree that Rohan is one of the better guest sharks. 

[silverspoons]

6 hours ago, tvrox said:

I recently gave up drinking soda so I was interested in the drink, but did they say if it was caffeinated or not? If it was caffeinated I would definitely be a customer. Also, I love blood orange flavor.

It does not have caffeine, $30 shipped for a 12 pack is kind of high to me.   Anything heavy like soda needs to be in stores or the shipping can kill it. Even amazon stopped sending most soda on prime to my area because of shipping costs, but when I visit another city, amazon ships a great variety. I love me some birch beer and it is not sold in the west. Jet.com will only send 1 12 pack every 3 months to me (They did everything to top me from using different cards or sending it to a neighbor because they lose on shipping). 

[tvrox]

16 hours ago, silverspoons said:

It does not have caffeine, $30 shipped for a 12 pack is kind of high to me.   Anything heavy like soda needs to be in stores or the shipping can kill it. Even amazon stopped sending most soda on prime to my area because of shipping costs, but when I visit another city, amazon ships a great variety. I love me some birch beer and it is not sold in the west. Jet.com will only send 1 12 pack every 3 months to me (They did everything to top me from using different cards or sending it to a neighbor because they lose on shipping). 

Thanks! Yeah I agree, the drink is not worth it then.

[retrograde]

My household is big into card, tabletop and party games, but we'd never buy Pricetitution. It just doesn't sound like it would be fun for more than a few rounds, and doesn't seem like something you'd want to play again.

That said, I do think a large part of the game market is people just buying them as gifts for friends, regardless of whether they get played or not. And as this one has a catchy name and packaging, it would probably do okay on that alone. But I can't see it going viral in a Cards Against Humanities way, where you play it at a friend's place and want to buy it for yourself. 

[aemom]

On 4/15/2019 at 6:51 PM, bilgistic said:

So I'm the only person who turns an old bottle upside down atop the new one and lets gravity send the remaining product into the new bottle?

No, we also do this all the time.

On 4/16/2019 at 10:00 AM, ljenkins782 said:

This game didn't interest me a bit. If the person is in no danger of actually having to do that thing...what's the point? It's like a completely no-stakes version of Truth or Dare. It seems so arbitrary, "ok, so IF I had money to give you, how much would it take for you to do "X" [that you won't actually have to do because I don't have actual money]" Who cares? 

That was exactly what I was thinking as well.  I can write any number down at all and I don't even have to justify my response.  The game would get old very fast.

Edited May 13, 2019 by aemom
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