Meh they usually show very nice growth right? It's usually niche products as well so their profit margins should be nice too.

It's sad financial statements aren't public in the USA (they are in most european countries), it would make this show a lot more entertaining if you could rewatch old episodes and then try to find their financial statements .

they said "before shark tank we sold for 150k last year and this year we've done 300k"

Sorry if this has been brought up before, but does anyone else get legitimately tilted when the intro says the entrepreneurs must get their full asking price or walk away with nothing? That isn't part of the show at all. Why not say all offers are submitted anonymously and in an unspecified currency as well?

BTW, I am a Jew with a Christmas tree and am really enjoying not buying one of those stars. I also can't wait to not buy mensch on a bench for years to come.

The rule might be poorly worded, but it is a rule. If a contestant asks for 300k for 10%, they need to get a deal where the contestant gets at least 300k in money. It can be 300k for 100% of the company, but it must be 300k.

Johnny -- that is part of the rules of the game, imported from Dragon's Den. It's part of the reason you see Kevin beat people up on valuation. [Albeit, another large part of Kevin's valuation schpiels is O'Leary refusing to do any deal that isn't a low-risk return.] If they asked for $200k, and Kevin thinks the enterprise is only worth $500k, then he'd have to own 40%. Hence why Kevin often says stuff like "I'd love to do a deal, but you asked for too much money."

We've also seen a Shark offer them half the money that they asked for, and fulfill the rules of the game by offering them a line of credit for the rest.

re: mensch
Were you surprised at how many he's been able to sell?

Interesting. Seems like it is not useful.

It's a rule that makes contestants think about their valuation and not just grossly overvalue it every time and just see how it goes in negotiations.

Example if you think your company is worth 1 million and you are not willing to give up more than 25%, going in and asking for 300k for 15% is a big risk since if the sharks value it correctly they'll ask for more than you're willing to give up.

Wether it has a big impact in reality, I'm not so sure. It's also a fun rule to make it fit with the concept of a show.

Yeah looking back I see that connection now. I always assumed that the valuation talk was really about equity not dollar amount specifically. Maybe they didn't emphasise it enough in the intro for my silly ass.

Anyway, Mensch. No I am not surprised. I think it is a good $$ making idea. It's all personal choice how each family decides to fold pagan/American/consumer based tradition into their lives. Personally I'm not going to pay $39.99 for a tweaked version of a not even vaguely religious new "tradition" to somehow drizzle my Jewish identity into it in an attempt to reconcile the guilt I feel for the guilt I feel for my kids feeling excluded. Lots of people will though. Despite feeling insulted a little by it myself, I really don't begrudge those who buy into it or the folks who exploit them with a ****ty looking overpriced doll based on what should have been a punchline at a dinner party.

My tone might betray that assertion, I realize.

It's a rule that makes contestants in a lesser bargaining power....

FYP

So is it me, or did the footprint chick get bent over a barrel by Barbara? For a hustler, she sure sucks at negotiating.

Is 50% of all future ideas something that can be contractual or is it just an honour type promise.

and no it wasn't just you, felt like she was desperate for cash which would be a bit worrying.

Yeah her determination was manic, but she fought for the 1% of this idea and gave 50/50 to all future ideas out of the blue. She will either make it or fail fast with her pace.

I'm not buying it until the fiddler on the roof footprints version is released. You, know. 'Cause Jewish.

I think it can't be legal to own 50% of all someone's future companies? If Barbara doesn't put in the work necessary she'll just tell her to **** off I hope

Agree she took a ****ty deal, got the idea she was desperate for a wealthy connection, given her lifestory she might really feel like she needs that.

I'm guessing it's just an informal agreement that any future ideas we chose to work on it's 50:50 partners rather than 51:49 but it did sound strange.

The reason Mensch on a Bench interests me is that as a non-Jew it seems like tradition is so important. After writing that sentence, I remembered the Fiddler on the Roof song, so maybe that's cliched.

Because of the importance of tradition, I would never have thought that Mensch would get traction in a holiday that is ~2000 years old. But now that it has gotten at least some traction, I wonder if it might have legs.

Plus...8 days of giving gifts, right? I can see how some people would be willing to buy this thing for one of them because if I were Jewish, it is one less gift I have to figure out.

footprint women struck me as a women who makes a ton of money... from a divorce. i know she said she was self made, but... ehhhh

stupiest episode ever

Actually, gifts are not part of traditional Hanuka. Money is. The custom is to give money to the kids every night of Hanuka. Somehow (probably through assimilation) it changed to gifts.

talking to a Jewish friend today about Mensch and he pointed out that it is just a Jewish version of Elf on a Shelf. That's embarrassing. Now that he's explained what Elf on a Shelf is to me...schmeh.

That was clearly mentioned in the pitch. He's not incorrect that there's a pretty big lack of branding for Chanukah. There's money there for someone to do it right, it's just not 50 million or something.

Yeah that is part of my point. That said, I know Jewish people who are very caught up in keeping up with the Christmas season.

I must have missed it because I didn't know what Elf was. Embarrassing.

Worse than last years xmas episode.

the christmas light thing was beyond terrible. That design only works on homes with no soffitts.

Yeah I already saw that show for two or three times just because of my friend. Well! It was not so bad and I really enjoyed it. I also think that what happened if I would be in the negotiation room myself. I am sure then I would get the best experience about the learning. Anyhow Cuban is really awesome.