3 ms·

If people want to pay for the convenience of a product that doesn't need to be prepared, has a long shelf life, and can be thrown in a purse and survives bumpy

If people want to pay for the convenience of a product that doesn't need to be prepared, has a long shelf life, and can be thrown in a purse and survives bumpy rides...then let them. There is real value in this kind of convenience and it shows because people are clearly willing to pay for it. Yes, absolutely you can just boil a bunch of eggs every few days and take them with you in relatively large hardshell containers everywhere....but when you're running to the gym, going to meet a friend, riding public transportation, running from meeting to meeting at work, going to a concert....I mean...you've got to admit that the RXBar starts sounding better than having $2.

JoshMnem 9y ago
I'm not stopping anyone -- just pointing out that it's not rational or solving a real problem. :) I wouldn't carry hard-boiled eggs around with me either. I do carry small bags of nuts and dried fruit around though.
- askafriend 9y ago
  You’re saying convenience is not a value add, which I think is wrong. It actually is solving a real problem. Just not one you may particularly care about.
  - riot504 9y ago
    Anything sold is sold for the sake of convenience. Most of the problems we seeing being advertised today are marketed as solving real problems, when in fact its being sold a convenience. Spending 10 minutes boiling a few eggs, then putting them into a container isn't really that difficult, time consuming or inconvenient we've just been sold that it is thus the market for nutritional bars.
  - JoshMnem 9y ago
    Except for the eggs (which I would argue are not necessary at all but are due to a false demand created by marketing) it isn't really a convenience. Most people don't need or normally want three egg whites at random times between meals, but they have been trained to "need" it via thought manipulation (a.k.a. marketing). If people want to know what their diets really need, it usually isn't something like protein or supplements -- it's to stop eating things that contain refined, added sugars and to start eating more fresh vegetables. :) I don't think that buying a few bags of nuts and dates is more difficult than buying a "nutrition" bar -- it's just a different kind of habit, and one that a person has to actively self-train (rather than be trained in by external manipulations). It isn't worth debating it too much -- I just find it interesting. I lean towards DIY with food in general.

JoshMnem 9y ago

I'm not stopping anyone -- just pointing out that it's not rational or solving a real problem. :) I wouldn't carry hard-boiled eggs around with me either. I do carry small bags of nuts and dried fruit around though.

askafriend 9y ago
You’re saying convenience is not a value add, which I think is wrong. It actually is solving a real problem. Just not one you may particularly care about.
- riot504 9y ago
  Anything sold is sold for the sake of convenience. Most of the problems we seeing being advertised today are marketed as solving real problems, when in fact its being sold a convenience. Spending 10 minutes boiling a few eggs, then putting them into a container isn't really that difficult, time consuming or inconvenient we've just been sold that it is thus the market for nutritional bars.
- JoshMnem 9y ago
  Except for the eggs (which I would argue are not necessary at all but are due to a false demand created by marketing) it isn't really a convenience. Most people don't need or normally want three egg whites at random times between meals, but they have been trained to "need" it via thought manipulation (a.k.a. marketing). If people want to know what their diets really need, it usually isn't something like protein or supplements -- it's to stop eating things that contain refined, added sugars and to start eating more fresh vegetables. :) I don't think that buying a few bags of nuts and dates is more difficult than buying a "nutrition" bar -- it's just a different kind of habit, and one that a person has to actively self-train (rather than be trained in by external manipulations). It isn't worth debating it too much -- I just find it interesting. I lean towards DIY with food in general.