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It is a shame that Juicero could not develop a product with a lower price point that could reach a much broader marketplace. With the initial price point they

It is a shame that Juicero could not develop a product with a lower price point that could reach a much broader marketplace. With the initial price point they should have clearly seen that their customer pool was going to be smaller than that of a lower cost product. It seems that they did not have enough time and money to right their ship. It is sad to see a dream die even if you don't agree with the product or business plan.

eropple 9y ago
I think it's more a shame that they didn't actually make a product anyone needed. Just remember that this was a thing actually said about real life humans who can walk and talk and dress themselves: > One of the investors said they were frustrated with how the company didn’t deliver on the original pitch and that their venture firm wouldn’t have met with Evans if he were hawking bags of juice that didn’t require high-priced hardware. Juicero didn’t broadly disclose to investors or employees that packs can be hand squeezed, said four people with knowledge of the matter. This was a dumb thing from the jump. Maybe all that money spent on an evenly-pressing juice-o-tron would have been better used almost anywhere else.
- Powerofmene 9y ago
  I agree they should have done what they said they would do and should have talked to potential customers before making something that was not wanted or needed. And I do not dispute what you say about the product not being needed. I also agree that the money would have been better used on other companies but personally I think that the employees are the losers here (as are the investors). If the employees truly believed in their product then the employees have worked on something that has gone nowhere. All their work and effort is gone. That cannot be regained. These people are out of work. And for that reason, it is sad.
adwn 9y ago
> It is sad to see a dream die even if you don't agree with the product or business plan. Why is that sad? They were trying to solve some made-up problem in a way that would have wasted resources and created a lot of waste. They didn't do this to make the world a better place, their goal was to get rich (which isn't immoral by itself), so why should we – as a society or as individuals – be sad that they failed?
- Powerofmene 9y ago
  Whatever their motivation, there are employees who had no say in the decisions the founders made who are now out of work. It is sad that the founder and those who make product decisions etc did not think of their employees when they went off in a direction with little hope of success and mainly because they failed to carry out basic business research.
Grustaf 9y ago
I don't think the price point per se is an issue, people happily pay over 400 for a quality juicer. But the kind of person who does that probably wants the full experience, chopping the vegetables etc. This experience just seems too similar to just buying high quality juice in the shop. I know this model works for coffee, but there the prefab alternative is not an option.
- CodeWriter23 9y ago
  I think the "full experience" you speak of is getting fresh juice rather than some pre-oxidized slurry in a bag. And shame on the VCs for not using their heads. You can't get a half pint of juice out of a pint bag of fruits and veggies. Which reminds me of my brilliant idea of making fresh squeezed lemonade for our wedding guests. I had to cut a whole 25lb box of lemons in half and then press them into the Kitchen Aid to get about two quarts of juice. It took me hours and a lot of elbow grease to do that.
- krrrh 9y ago
  Most people I know with juicers also like the fact that they can save money by throwing in fruit or veg before it goes bad. It makes it easier to capture the shopping surplus that otherwise ends up in the trash. The QR-code scanning Juicero basically does the opposite.
Steko 9y ago
> It is a shame that Juicero could not develop a product That's where the period goes.
dingo_bat 9y ago
I don't think it's about price really. People pay $700 for all sorts of high quality kitchen appliances. But all that was good about the machine was offset by the lock-in, stupid pre-pulped juice packs, DRM, always-on internet, and other user-hostile stuff. You're right that people may have been able to stomach all that 1984 stuff if the price was low.

eropple 9y ago

I think it's more a shame that they didn't actually make a product anyone needed. Just remember that this was a thing actually said about real life humans who can walk and talk and dress themselves: > One of the investors said they were frustrated with how the company didn’t deliver on the original pitch and that their venture firm wouldn’t have met with Evans if he were hawking bags of juice that didn’t require high-priced hardware. Juicero didn’t broadly disclose to investors or employees that packs can be hand squeezed, said four people with knowledge of the matter. This was a dumb thing from the jump. Maybe all that money spent on an evenly-pressing juice-o-tron would have been better used almost anywhere else.

Powerofmene 9y ago
I agree they should have done what they said they would do and should have talked to potential customers before making something that was not wanted or needed. And I do not dispute what you say about the product not being needed. I also agree that the money would have been better used on other companies but personally I think that the employees are the losers here (as are the investors). If the employees truly believed in their product then the employees have worked on something that has gone nowhere. All their work and effort is gone. That cannot be regained. These people are out of work. And for that reason, it is sad.

adwn 9y ago

> It is sad to see a dream die even if you don't agree with the product or business plan. Why is that sad? They were trying to solve some made-up problem in a way that would have wasted resources and created a lot of waste. They didn't do this to make the world a better place, their goal was to get rich (which isn't immoral by itself), so why should we – as a society or as individuals – be sad that they failed?

Powerofmene 9y ago
Whatever their motivation, there are employees who had no say in the decisions the founders made who are now out of work. It is sad that the founder and those who make product decisions etc did not think of their employees when they went off in a direction with little hope of success and mainly because they failed to carry out basic business research.

Grustaf 9y ago

I don't think the price point per se is an issue, people happily pay over 400 for a quality juicer. But the kind of person who does that probably wants the full experience, chopping the vegetables etc. This experience just seems too similar to just buying high quality juice in the shop. I know this model works for coffee, but there the prefab alternative is not an option.

CodeWriter23 9y ago
I think the "full experience" you speak of is getting fresh juice rather than some pre-oxidized slurry in a bag. And shame on the VCs for not using their heads. You can't get a half pint of juice out of a pint bag of fruits and veggies. Which reminds me of my brilliant idea of making fresh squeezed lemonade for our wedding guests. I had to cut a whole 25lb box of lemons in half and then press them into the Kitchen Aid to get about two quarts of juice. It took me hours and a lot of elbow grease to do that.
krrrh 9y ago
Most people I know with juicers also like the fact that they can save money by throwing in fruit or veg before it goes bad. It makes it easier to capture the shopping surplus that otherwise ends up in the trash. The QR-code scanning Juicero basically does the opposite.

Steko 9y ago

> It is a shame that Juicero could not develop a product That's where the period goes.

dingo_bat 9y ago

I don't think it's about price really. People pay $700 for all sorts of high quality kitchen appliances. But all that was good about the machine was offset by the lock-in, stupid pre-pulped juice packs, DRM, always-on internet, and other user-hostile stuff. You're right that people may have been able to stomach all that 1984 stuff if the price was low.