5 ms·

Why don't we hear - on HN or in the startup world - talk of disrupting this industry?

shirro 11y ago
I don't know about disrupting the technology but there looks to be a lot of room to do things with distribution and product differentiation. Here is an Aussie startup http://tomorganic.com.au/ http://tomorganic.com.au/
Kristine1975 11y ago
If you mean the tampon industry: It already has been disrupted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup
- e40 11y ago
  I love this bit: Menstrual cups are safe when used as directed and no health risks related to their use have been found. However, no medical research was conducted to ensure that menstrual cups were safe prior to introduction on the market. Ah, the old assumption of safety.
  - nostrademons 11y ago
    Kinda like how saccharine was discovered because a chemist had neglected to wash his hands after coming home from work, bit into a dinner roll, found it sweet, and then went around tasting everything in his laboratory until he found the sweet compound? Makes me wonder how humanity ever discovered wine. "If you take grapes, squeeze the juice out of them, let it sit until its been colonized by a fungi, it'll develop a nerve poison that you should drink because it'll make you sick less often than water from that stream." To say nothing of beans, nutmeg, elderberry, or other foods that are poisonous when eaten raw.
    - bathMarm0t 11y ago
      I own a small vineyard. I can tell you without a doubt that the process of making wine is literally BEGGING to happen. The skin of the grape is covered with yeast cultures that are ready to ferment the sugar inside the grape. The second that there's a breaking of the skin (aka a deer comes by and grabs a snack), the process kicks off. After a couple of days, there's enough alcohol content in the grape that bees can hone in on the broken cluster (via smell or whatever). Get enough bees around, and they start eating more grapes, and voila. Bee-booze-chain-reaction. Ruined crop. RIP2015.
    - gcb0 11y ago
      fun fact: beer was discovered way, way before bread. those things happen by itself. leave grain in rain. next day: shitty beer. then just interact from there.
icebraining 11y ago
A few startups (and non-startup projects like http://www.tampon.club/ http://www.tampon.club/) have been submitted, such as Looncup (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/700989404/looncup-the-worlds-first-smart-menstrual-cup https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/700989404/looncup-the-w...) and subscription-based delivery of tampons and pads. "Bloom has a lot of competition in the tampon subscription space. In September, Juniper launched for the high-end market with a discreet box of tampons, pads, pantyliners, and "indulgences" such as chocolate and tea for $28 a month. Then in November, My Cotton Bunny launched with a box of tampons or pads and a surprise gift for $13.75 a month. Le Parcel launched in January, offering a box of tampons, pads, chocolate, and a gift for $15 a month. There’s also Sent Her Way in California, Perfect Timing in New Jersey, and Trinkets in the UK." http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/4035188/tampon-subscription-service-launches http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/4035188/tampon-subscription...
- spacehome 11y ago
  What's the value-add over Amazon? Is it the "discreet" boxes? Maybe some people need it? I treat it with the same secrecy that I treat my toilet paper.
  - tomp 11y ago
    Not having to think about reordering it every month? In any case, subscription "stuff" seems to work, people are signing up for it!
    - icebraining 11y ago
      I think spacehome is asking because Amazon already allows one to subscribe for tampons and other hygiene products, under their "Subscribe & Save" feature.
      - tomp 11y ago
        Oh, I didn't know that. Interesting...
  - 11y ago
youknowitstrue2 11y ago
Because probably nobody here has ever talked to a girl.
- hellofunk 11y ago
  I talked to one once, a few years ago. They are actually pretty interesting and I'm thinking of doing it again at some point.
oxplot 11y ago
Not sure if it counts as disruptive but few years ago THINX underwear was on the news [1]. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021090 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021090
bliti 11y ago
My brother in law works for P&G in their tampon department as a researcher. He is a chemical engineer. He tells me most advances come from small startups outside the US and and they are usually quietly acquired. There seems to be a lot of red tape to get through before you can even do something small in that industry. It's not like you can throw some code and have a tampon 2.0 in a weekend. Tampons are a really complex thing. He explained to me how different types of fabrics and the way they are used can be potentially fatal ti some women. Thats why the research for the common tampon is ongoing.
dang 11y ago
There's a startup in the most recent YC Fellowship batch: http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/the-flex-company/ http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/the-flex-company/.

I don't know about disrupting the technology but there looks to be a lot of room to do things with distribution and product differentiation. Here is an Aussie startup http://tomorganic.com.au/ http://tomorganic.com.au/

Kristine1975 11y ago

If you mean the tampon industry: It already has been disrupted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstrual_cup

e40 11y ago
I love this bit: Menstrual cups are safe when used as directed and no health risks related to their use have been found. However, no medical research was conducted to ensure that menstrual cups were safe prior to introduction on the market. Ah, the old assumption of safety.
- nostrademons 11y ago
  Kinda like how saccharine was discovered because a chemist had neglected to wash his hands after coming home from work, bit into a dinner roll, found it sweet, and then went around tasting everything in his laboratory until he found the sweet compound? Makes me wonder how humanity ever discovered wine. "If you take grapes, squeeze the juice out of them, let it sit until its been colonized by a fungi, it'll develop a nerve poison that you should drink because it'll make you sick less often than water from that stream." To say nothing of beans, nutmeg, elderberry, or other foods that are poisonous when eaten raw.
  - bathMarm0t 11y ago
    I own a small vineyard. I can tell you without a doubt that the process of making wine is literally BEGGING to happen. The skin of the grape is covered with yeast cultures that are ready to ferment the sugar inside the grape. The second that there's a breaking of the skin (aka a deer comes by and grabs a snack), the process kicks off. After a couple of days, there's enough alcohol content in the grape that bees can hone in on the broken cluster (via smell or whatever). Get enough bees around, and they start eating more grapes, and voila. Bee-booze-chain-reaction. Ruined crop. RIP2015.
  - gcb0 11y ago
    fun fact: beer was discovered way, way before bread. those things happen by itself. leave grain in rain. next day: shitty beer. then just interact from there.

icebraining 11y ago

A few startups (and non-startup projects like http://www.tampon.club/ http://www.tampon.club/) have been submitted, such as Looncup (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/700989404/looncup-the-worlds-first-smart-menstrual-cup https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/700989404/looncup-the-w...) and subscription-based delivery of tampons and pads. "Bloom has a lot of competition in the tampon subscription space. In September, Juniper launched for the high-end market with a discreet box of tampons, pads, pantyliners, and "indulgences" such as chocolate and tea for $28 a month. Then in November, My Cotton Bunny launched with a box of tampons or pads and a surprise gift for $13.75 a month. Le Parcel launched in January, offering a box of tampons, pads, chocolate, and a gift for $15 a month. There’s also Sent Her Way in California, Perfect Timing in New Jersey, and Trinkets in the UK." http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/4035188/tampon-subscription-service-launches http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/4/4035188/tampon-subscription...

spacehome 11y ago
What's the value-add over Amazon? Is it the "discreet" boxes? Maybe some people need it? I treat it with the same secrecy that I treat my toilet paper.
- tomp 11y ago
  Not having to think about reordering it every month? In any case, subscription "stuff" seems to work, people are signing up for it!
  - icebraining 11y ago
    I think spacehome is asking because Amazon already allows one to subscribe for tampons and other hygiene products, under their "Subscribe & Save" feature.
    - tomp 11y ago
      Oh, I didn't know that. Interesting...
- 11y ago

youknowitstrue2 11y ago

Because probably nobody here has ever talked to a girl.

hellofunk 11y ago
I talked to one once, a few years ago. They are actually pretty interesting and I'm thinking of doing it again at some point.

oxplot 11y ago

Not sure if it counts as disruptive but few years ago THINX underwear was on the news [1]. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021090 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8021090

bliti 11y ago

My brother in law works for P&G in their tampon department as a researcher. He is a chemical engineer. He tells me most advances come from small startups outside the US and and they are usually quietly acquired. There seems to be a lot of red tape to get through before you can even do something small in that industry. It's not like you can throw some code and have a tampon 2.0 in a weekend. Tampons are a really complex thing. He explained to me how different types of fabrics and the way they are used can be potentially fatal ti some women. Thats why the research for the common tampon is ongoing.

dang 11y ago

There's a startup in the most recent YC Fellowship batch: http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/the-flex-company/ http://techcrunch.com/2016/03/31/the-flex-company/.