'Shark Tank' contestant enters the set on a toilet seat, gets flushed out by judges without a deal
Entrepreneurs know that making an impact with a spectacular entrance on "Shark Tank" is the key to a successful pitch. But one founder's idea of a striking entry was rather unusual as he rode into the tank on a toilet seat! To promote his toilet deodorizer under the brand 'Plop Star,' Tyler Jay went all the way to create a unique motorized throne. However, the Sharks didn't buy into his style and flushed him out without offering a deal.
Jay was seeking $150,000 for 10% of the business. After his toilet seat ride got a chuckle out of the sharks, he went on to pitch his product, Plop Star, a discreet bathroom deodorizer that lets customers “rock the bowl." He shared that he always felt uncomfortable leaving "evidence" behind in an unfamiliar bathroom, and so he came up with the portable solution that comes in the form of tablets. He explained to the Sharks that all users have to do is plop a tablet in the bowl ten seconds before taking a seat, and the product will leave nothing but a pleasant citrus smell behind.
After handing out samples, he shared that the tablets come individually wrapped, and a pack of 30 costs $12.99. He added that the main competitor for his brand is a product called Poo Pourri, and he wants to take them on. Before he could go further, Mark Cuban made the first move to drop out of the deal, in his unique way. "I'm a man who likes to leave his 'mark'. I'm out with prejudice," he said. "That's the greatest out I've ever seen," guest Shark Rohan Oza said in response to Cuban's exit.
On the other hand, Lori Greiner was impressed by the product. Bragging about her success with Squatty Potty, she told Jay that she could help him blow the product up. However, she was apprehensive of the competition and ultimately chose to drop out. Oza also said he liked Plop Star, but he felt a business-to-business model would be better for the company. According to him, Jay had no clear plans to scale the business, so he was out.
Soon enough, Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O'Leary bowed out, saying that they didn't see eye to eye with the entrepreneur, and they also didn't see the need for the product and had a problem with its comparatively large cost. This meant they had no offers on the table and had to reverse out on the toilet, empty-handed.
While Jay failed to get a deal on the show, the company benefited from the appearance on the show. While the website and the e-commerce stores of the product went quiet during the pandemic, it made a strong comeback in 2021, as per Looper. The company still seems to be in business, with its official website regularly getting updated.
More on Market Realist:
'Shark Tank' contestant's product gets called out a 'cheater's app', then bags a $70,000 deal
'Shark Tank' judge Robert Herjavec spends big on pet speaker deal, but founder loses way more equity
'Shark Tank' contestants take Kevin O'Leary for a bicycle ride — win $200,000 deal with two judges
