Buzz
Since its premiere in 2009, ABC’s Shark Tank has offered aspiring entrepreneurs a chance to secure life-changing venture capital from the show's investors, known as the 'sharks.' These investors have remained largely the same throughout the series, and calling them seasoned would be an understatement. They've backed products that became massive hits post-show, like Scrub Daddy.
The sharks have also passed on opportunities to invest in products that went on to achieve huge success, such as the Ring Doorbell. And, of course, they’ve encountered their share of questionable ideas, including the 10 we’re about to explore.
Here are 10 of the most absurd products to appear on Shark Tank.
10. Morninghead (Not as Thrilling as It Seems)
What exactly is a scam? In this context, it's a product that's perfectly ordinary, simpler than a basic DIY project, and can rake in substantial profits from unsuspecting buyers. It's basically a ridiculous idea dressed up with clever marketing.
Morninghead embodies this classic scam. Created for people who wake up with bedhead but are too lazy to shower and wash their hair, it’s not dry shampoo or a special comb. It's simply a shower cap that you pour water into.
Once the water is poured into the shower cap, you place it on your head and move it around with your hands. Voila! Your hair is damp when you remove the cap! Not clean—just damp. This so-called miracle cure for bedhead didn’t just make the sharks chuckle; it also left the entrepreneur without a deal.
If only Morninghead lived up to the hype.
9. Sticky Note Holder
The need for organizational tools in homes and traditional offices will always exist, and there will always be someone ready to meet that demand.
The issue is that with the rise of computer technology, the need for sticky notes has drastically diminished, making this particular pitch a bit cringeworthy. It’s not necessarily that the entrepreneur’s idea is foolish—it’s more that her pitch was poorly thought out. (Well, okay, the product itself is a bit silly too.)
Mary Ellen Simonsen invented a 'sticky pad' for sticky notes that attaches to the side of a computer monitor. She demonstrated how it worked by sticking what looked like a cardboard pad to the side of a home laptop screen—definitely not the most compelling demo. She requested a million-dollar investment and claimed each holder would sell for $9.50. When the sharks asked how she knew people would pay this price, she replied, 'I conducted surveys.'
Furthermore, when it was revealed that she didn’t have a patent for the product, one of the sharks, Daymond John, captured the issue perfectly: 'I wouldn’t waste your money or time on the patent. I think no sales, a useless idea–I’m totally out.'
8. Licki Brush
This product is undeniably silly, but it’s also strangely brilliant. If they weren’t so serious about turning a profit from it, we might just label them the biggest pranksters in the pet grooming world.
The entrepreneurial duo behind PDX Pet Design are all about cat grooming. Tara, the co-founder, starts the pitch by making some odd claims about how cats might see humans as just big cats—not a separate species. Then she introduces the 'problem' her product supposedly solves: 'So why should you be excluded from their intimate bonding ritual?'
That’s a huge red flag right there.
Tara’s husband, Jason, the other half of the company, brings out a cat. Tara then presents a large, spiky, silicone tongue. No, this isn’t the setup for The Aristocrats. So what’s this bizarre tongue doing near the cat? Oh no, please don’t tell me… 'You’re not going to put that in your mouth, are you?' Oh yes, Tara proceeds to put the tongue brush in her mouth and licks the cat 'just like a momma cat licks her young.'
The sharks' reactions are absolutely priceless. Tara reassures them that she’s not joking—this is a legitimate product. And yes, you can still buy them today!
7. No Fly Cone
An entrepreneur named Bruce, frustrated by the constant presence of flies in his office (which happens to be his barn), pitches the No Fly Cone to the sharks. This cone-shaped fly trap is designed to be placed over a dog poop scooper. To add some star power to the pitch, Seth MacFarlane, who takes horseback riding lessons from Bruce, makes a guest appearance as a 'spokesperson' for the product. Unfortunately, Seth doesn’t live in a barn and doesn’t have a dog, so flies aren’t exactly a problem for him.
So, is the product useless for most people? Yeah, kind of, considering the pitch revolves around needing leftover dog poop for it to function properly. But hey, if you happen to work in a barn and need to manage a fly infestation, this might just be your dream product!
6. Fish FrenZ
Let’s see what Shark Tank Australia is up to! Lourens Badenhorst, that’s who.
Lourens found himself in a tight spot with his pitch. His invention, a container that dispenses bait while drifting with the water current, could have been a great asset for fishers. However, his decision to emphasize the 'good for women' angle diverted attention away from the product's true potential.
When marketed as a tool that gives women a 'competitive edge' in fishing, the product loses credibility. On the show, Janine and Naomi, the female sharks, repeatedly question Lourens about why it's specifically beneficial for women. Even the other sharks wonder, 'Is this only for women, or can men use it too?' Lourens insists that it's not just for women, though he claims female fishers are seeking an advantage. When asked if men desire the same, Lourens dismisses it, suggesting men already know everything about fishing, which unintentionally implies women don't.
Aside from the misguided marketing, Lourens hasn’t sold a single Fish Frenz bait release container, and his pitch was a failure. He walked away without securing a backer. Seems like he missed the mark in impressing the sharks. Maybe it's time for him to go home and take care of his goldfish instead.
5. UroClub
Have you ever found yourself on a golf course in desperate need of a bathroom, with no trees or bushes around? No need to panic! The UroClub is here to solve all your urination woes, providing an innovative solution to your problem when you're on the green.
The UroClub is cleverly disguised as a seven iron, but in reality, it’s a pee receptacle. You attach the privacy towel to the front, open the club near the handle, position yourself, and let it go. While the design is fairly decent and the intention behind it is good-natured, the practicality falls short. After all, you’re not golfing under that privacy towel, and considering the potential audience and market, it’s clear that it’s not a unisex product.
Ultimately, it ends up making its way onto the list of disappointing products.
4. BareEASE
I never imagined I’d have to include a woman on this list after Lourens' pitch, but this product doesn’t sit well with me. The person behind it is Dr. Edna Ma, an anesthesiologist. BareEASE is a numbing kit used in preparation for bikini waxing. The user wears BareEASE underwear, which contains numbing cream, an hour before their waxing or laser session in the bikini area.
The sharks had mixed reactions to the product, ultimately deciding to pass on it due to insufficient sales and the overwhelming competition.
I don't have mixed feelings about this at all. I wouldn't want to wear underwear that numbs the important parts of my body—not even for a bikini wax. Besides, I have no desire to go through with a bikini wax in the first place.
3. Pet Paint
I don't even need to explain what this is for you to understand. It's simply colored hairspray for your pet. The spray comes with stencils, too. But don’t get it twisted—this isn’t as cool as it might sound. Why? Because once you spray-paint your dog, you’ll be stuck cleaning them afterward.
There are so many issues in the world that need attention; the lack of colorful paint on your pet isn't one of them.
2. Kook’n Kap
*sigh* The Kook’n Kap.
Isn't it frustrating when your hair ends up smelling like whatever you've just cooked? Juli Deveau and Ozma Khan sure think so. They pitched another product to the sharks that's affordable (no need to splurge on an expensive hair cover). It's like a shower cap for your hair when you're cooking, preventing the smells from sticking. Juli and Ozma call it the modern-day chef hat.
Watching the pitch is a complete waste of brain power—and so is considering buying this product. Next!
1. I Want to Draw a Cat For You
Someone pass me BareEASE to numb the pain in my head, because I just can't wrap my mind around how the 'I Want to Draw a Cat for You' guy is making money, while I'm still struggling to cover rent with my 9-5 job.
Steve is a quirky entrepreneur with a business idea that makes no sense—but somehow it works. People send him requests for custom-drawn cats, and Steve sketches them out and sends them back. That's the whole thing. These aren’t fine art cats—more like NFT-style garbage cats. Strangely, they’re kind of cool? But whatever, who cares what I think? Before even going on Shark Tank, Steve scored a Black Friday deal with Groupon and makes real money off of it (not a lot, but enough).
Mark Cuban offered him $25,000 for a 33% stake in the company and promised to draw a cat for every 1,000 cat drawings.
It’s a ridiculous idea. But it’s a damn clever business plan.
