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My invention hit it big so now I'm gonna buy a couple of McMansions
- Thread starter open_mouth_
- Start date
MissDeviling
Member
This is exactly what I need. I shed like a dog. Might get this. 
Congrats on your success, OP!
Congrats on your success, OP!
Link
The Autumn Wind
Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I'll pass along the info.
open_mouth_
insert_foot_
Update 9/29/16:
- Thank you once again, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone who has had kind words, advice, and support for us. We're very blessed and we certainly won't take it for granted.
- Everything is moving so fast right now and things have been going swimmingly. It's definitely a rush. I constantly have to force myself to take breaks so I can dedicate time to the family. I play the weekly games of softball, but that's about my only extra-curriculars these days, other than taking the wife & kids out to fall fairs and other fun stuff. I did finally get to watch Suicide Squad the other day... damn, what a trainwreck.
- We added one employee to our two man team and we have been outsourcing as much as we can in terms of distribution, sales, marketing, admin stuff, etc. although we still do much of it ourselves. Scaling (aka ramping up) is definitely a challenge to get right and still keep things going smoothly while hitting all the targets. Start-ups that grow quickly often times hire an experienced MBA to handle the high-level scaling because it really does require quite a bit of expertise to nail it.
- We started rolling out to Bed, Bath & Beyond locations nationwide. Will take a few months to get into all, but should be in all by year's end. It was surreal to walk into one yesterday and, for the first time, see TubShroom in a brick and mortar location. Early reports have it moving well so crossing my fingers that it can keep up. We're onboarding (ie setting up) with a few other national chains, so hopefully those go as well as BB&B. When I was there, some lady picked one up, examined it and then put it back down. I was about to call her back and sell her on it but then I decided to let nature run it's course, instead lol. Here's a pic I snapped yesterday:
- Our upcoming product, called SinkShroom, has raised over $67k in pre-orders via Kickstarter so we're very happy about that. We should have that out to pre-order customers in late November. I don't think the demand is quite as high with clogged sinks as it is with tub drains but we'll see. We did get a lot of requests for it so it could do well, hopefully.
- The counterfeit battle is still ongoing and will probably go on for the life of the product, but the goal is to get it in check and to send a message. We've hired a firm that specializes in brand protection and they're already on the case. We want to cut the head off of the biggest snake first to slow the flow of fake goods into the markets... using a combination of criminal and civil avenues.
- The other project I've been working on is called TOGA. It's a holder/upgrade/keychain for EOS lip balms. EOS has taken the lip balm market by storm in the west, as many of you know, and one day, as I was admiring their quick rise up the market share charts against more established players (Burt's Bees, Chapstick, etc.), it hit me that perhaps something that could make it easier to use could do well. My daughters use the silicone holders for the purell hand sanitizers so this was inspired by that in many ways. The Kickstarter preview work-in-progress page can be found here. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I plan to launch it at the end of next week to find out. This is the project that I mentioned is being dedicated to help improve education & development for the world's most impoverished people/areas. Any thoughts, feedback, or advice any of you can provide would, as always, be most welcomed. I've got a solid roll out plan in place, but ultimately it will be the market that decides it's fate. This is the first time I'm sharing this publicly, so feel free to critique or ridicule
radioactivez0r
Member
I got a TubShroom off Amazon, I cleaned it this morning and jesus it was grossly effective, lol. I seem to still have a draining problem prior to installation but so far so good
EightBitNate
Member
I'm sure if you would've told the lady at BB&B "hey, I invented this" she would've bought one lmao
WordAssassin
Member
- The other project I've been working on is called TOGA. It's a holder/upgrade/keychain for EOS lip balms. EOS has taken the lip balm market by storm in the west, as many of you know, and one day, as I was admiring their quick rise up the market share charts against more established players (Burt's Bees, Chapstick, etc.), it hit me that perhaps something that could make it easier to use could do well. My daughters use the silicone holders for the purell hand sanitizers so this was inspired by that in many ways. The Kickstarter preview work-in-progress page can be found here. I honestly don't know what to expect, but I plan to launch it at the end of next week to find out. This is the project that I mentioned is being dedicated to help improve education & development for the world's most impoverished people/areas. Any thoughts, feedback, or advice any of you can provide would, as always, be most welcomed. I've got a solid roll out plan in place, but ultimately it will be the market that decides it's fate. This is the first time I'm sharing this publicly, so feel free to critique or ridicule
This is super cool, BUT, isn't there some kind of lawsuit or something against EOS? Something about how due to the shape of the balm can, bacteria grows in the bottom half and all kinds of people were getting infections on their lips?
If they've fixed their product since that happened then you could totally have another winner on your hands because that stuff IS super popular, but I'd be weary if there's still claims of it causing infections and stuff. I actually thought EOS was gonna discontinue making the pod-design, last I'd heard. I'll try to find out more.
Edit: This says it was "resolved" but it sounds kind of... mixed? Instead of changing anything they insist it's safe (despite a class action lawsuit with many people who broke out in blisters and needed medical treatment) and have merely put "safety tips" on how to properly use it on the box, and the CAL has been settled. Still seems... I dunno. D'you have any insight to any of this since you're developing a companion product?
EdwardTivrusky
Member
Hah, perfect timing, I may be helping you get another gold-plated yacht OP
I was looking for a hair-catcher and was planning to buy one today and you're on Amazon UK so i may get one of these as it looks spot on
I was looking for a hair-catcher and was planning to buy one today and you're on Amazon UK so i may get one of these as it looks spot on
and before all foreign products are banned for being unbritish /s
/s
Captain Tuttle
Member
Just saw that the tub shroom is an Amazon Gold Box Deal today
Nicely done OP
Nicely done OP
desertdroog
Member
I bought myself a Tub Shroom from Amazon and it arrived today. My house is from 1957 with original fixtures, wiring and pipes. Here's to your product helping me keep this Mid-Century Ranch in working order from the plumbing and draining side.
I hope you look into some domiciles that are not fly by night McMansions. Hold out for something vintage from Eichler, Allied, Haver or if you can swing it eventually Frank Lloyd Wright.
I hope you look into some domiciles that are not fly by night McMansions. Hold out for something vintage from Eichler, Allied, Haver or if you can swing it eventually Frank Lloyd Wright.
Zoe
Member
Don't pick your nose in the shower?
open_mouth_
insert_foot_
Thanks for the support, everyone =) Hollycat, you're hired.
Things have been going great since my last update. We just launched the bathroom sink version called SinkShroom and fulfilled all the Kickstarter backers in the nick of time. Early indications are that it will be a nice little sis to TubShroom.
We've had several threads go viral on facebook as well as positive buzz in various media. We were on HSN again and a certain popular investor show reached out to us, but that's up in the air, naturally. We're in Bed, Bath & Beyond nationwide and it's doing terrific in there. We also just got into Ace and a few more chains are lined up to take us in.
We've been approached by some big players, but now isn't the right time to do anything of that sort. The goal is to become the complete drain protection company for every drain in the home. I think we'll get there, but momma never said it would be easy...
Things have been going great since my last update. We just launched the bathroom sink version called SinkShroom and fulfilled all the Kickstarter backers in the nick of time. Early indications are that it will be a nice little sis to TubShroom.
We've had several threads go viral on facebook as well as positive buzz in various media. We were on HSN again and a certain popular investor show reached out to us, but that's up in the air, naturally. We're in Bed, Bath & Beyond nationwide and it's doing terrific in there. We also just got into Ace and a few more chains are lined up to take us in.
We've been approached by some big players, but now isn't the right time to do anything of that sort. The goal is to become the complete drain protection company for every drain in the home. I think we'll get there, but momma never said it would be easy...
open_mouth_
insert_foot_
SpitfireKit
Neo Member
Purchased!
This thing ACTUALLY works.
This thing ACTUALLY works.
How did you develop the product? Did you hire a product designer and a material engineer? Or did you do it all by yourself? If so, how did you gain the knowledge to make a design, choose the right material and make prototypes?
I always wonder how it goes because most inventors seem to have engineering degrees.
I always wonder how it goes because most inventors seem to have engineering degrees.
Stallion Dan
Member
How did make money from selling an old gadget? Had those things since the 80s at least.
Baraka in the White House
2-Terms of Kombat
Novel Mike
Member
Such a cool product and grats to you OP for making it big.
crazepharmacist
Member
I just purchased a sinkshroom. I buzz my own hair over the sink so my dad is always yelling at me for clogging up the drain. This will be a lifesaver for me.
Kicking myself in the foot for not coming up with this on my own.
Kicking myself in the foot for not coming up with this on my own.
Host Samurai
Member
Congrats OP. I am into product development as well and its my dream to create something my own and release it to the world. Very inspiring.
I would not feel good about my life if I was considering flexpay for a 12.95 purchase
Don't shit in the shower.
Steeped in a Sea of Games
Member
I bought one of these things. It's pretty great really.
Well...there was that one gaffer who said that he would shit in the shower and his girlfriend would clean it up. Sooo...this might apply.
that was a joke, right?
Wow
SenjutsuSage
Banned
I'm definitely buying one of these. Thanks!
Need one of these for the bathroom sink, ASAP. That would be the ultimate lifesaver. Please work on that.
edit: Nice! You already have that available. Totally buying that, too.
Need one of these for the bathroom sink, ASAP. That would be the ultimate lifesaver. Please work on that.
edit: Nice! You already have that available. Totally buying that, too.
No, not kidding...there really was a thread about that. Now, if the poster was joking...not sure. All I know is that he seemed to be pretty serious at the time. Was like 2 years ago, so it would take me awhile to search for it in my subs, but...it's out there...somewhere.