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Juicero, Maker of the Infamous $400 Juicer, Is Shutting Down (fortune.com)

Posted by msmash on from the enough-already dept.

Beth Kowitt, reporting for Fortune: Juicero has run out of juice. The San Francisco-based maker of counter-top cold-press juicers said today that it is shutting down operations and suspending the sale of its presses and produce packs immediately. The announcement on the company's website comes after the startup said in July that it was undergoing a "strategic shift" to more quickly lower the cost of its $399 juicers and $5-7 juice packs filled with raw fruits and vegetables. As part of the shift, the company said then that it would lay off about a quarter of its staff. At the time, Juicero CEO Jeff Dunn wrote in a letter to employees obtained by Fortune that the current prices were "not a realistic way for us to fulfill our mission at the scale to which we aspire." But Juicero realized it couldn't bring down the cost of its products as a standalone company. It was too small to achieve the required economies of scale on its own. The company will now focus on finding a buyer, it wrote in Friday's blog post. From an article in April: After the product hit the market, some investors were surprised to discover a much cheaper alternative: You can squeeze the Juicero bags with your bare hands.

111 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. it was a scam by nimbius · · Score: 4, Informative

    The juicer was nothing more than a cpu and a stepper motor that wrung out a sack of pre shredded vegetables into a glass. Investors immediately called this out, which is likely why juicero isnt around anymore. Not to mention the device was only compatible with DRM juice bags pre-purchased at $40 per week.
    complete hardware teardown available here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    --
    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:it was a scam by amicusNYCL · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't think it was a scam per se, the people running the company are just idiots. Selling bags of pre-crushed fruit and vegetable juice is great if they can do it efficiently and cheaply, there was no reason to tack on some $400 machine to remove the juice from the bag. Or, make the machine a $20 add-on to buying the juice if you really want a machine to do it for you, it really doesn't need to be a complex machine and there's certainly no reason to restrict it to only work with a single brand of bag, that makes it less useful. They shot themselves in the foot by making the machine their primary product instead of the juice. It's just short-sightedness, they didn't even realize what their product was.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    2. Re:it was a scam by halivar · · Score: 1

      I didn't know I needed that video in my life, but I did. It's redneck zen.

    3. Re:it was a scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I don't think it was a scam per se

      Then I seriously suggest reading the link to the prior Slashdot article:

      Doug Evans, the company's founder, would compare himself with Steve Jobs in his pursuit of juicing perfection. He declared that his juice press wields four tons of force -- "enough to lift two Teslas," he said. Google's venture capital arm and other backers poured about $120 million into the startup. Juicero sells the machine for $400, plus the cost of individual juice packs delivered weekly. But after the product hit the market, some investors were surprised to discover a much cheaper alternative: You can squeeze the Juicero bags with your bare hands. Two backers said the final device was bulkier than what was originally pitched and that they were puzzled to find that customers could achieve similar results without it.

      if you are touting your product as something which delivers 4 tons of force, and consumers can squeeze the same amount of juice out of the bags by hand ... you're either a lying sack of shit (ie a scam) or a complete fucking moron.

      $120 million in financing for a machine which did no better than human hands?

      This product literally offered nothing except bags of produce, which you could buy more cheaply yourself and feed through an actual juicer.

      They were trying to create a razor-blades model where none existed. And they ultimately added nothing of value.

      This was either a scam from the start, or they eventually realized they had no actual product along the way and it became a scam. But there's no way what they didn't know they were full of shit.

    4. Re:it was a scam by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      It's just short-sightedness, they didn't even realize what their product was.

      Presumably they knew how to make the machine that they made, but didn't know how to cost-effectively package shredded fruit. You really have to be able to make money on both ends if you're not tying the razor to the blades.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:it was a scam by JohnFen · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Honestly, the machine they made was a case study in how not to design a consumer machine. It was seriously over-engineered and therefore overpriced all by itself.

    6. Re:it was a scam by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Honestly, the machine they made was a case study in how not to design a consumer machine. It was seriously over-engineered and therefore overpriced all by itself.

      Make something too cheap, and people are convinced it's not worth buying. Make something expensive and too crappy, and you really are a scammer. But maybe there are particulars you're not communicating here.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    7. Re:it was a scam by Pascoea · · Score: 2

      Yes! An AVE\Boltr link! That channel is 100% gold. Many many many hours spent laughing my balls off.

    8. Re:it was a scam by serviscope_minor · · Score: 1

      Presumably they knew how to make the machine that they made, but didn't know how to cost-effectively package shredded fruit.

      No, the best guess is that they outsourced the design of the machine to an engineering company, and did a poor job of that. It seems unlikely the machine cost less than what they were selling it for and most likely much more.

      The machine has a crazy design.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    9. Re:it was a scam by llZENll · · Score: 2, Informative

      It is a cpu and stepper motor, but an insanely awesomely built one! If you watch the video you posted you will see, there are massive solid steel worm drives, gears, and bearings (many custom for this piece). The press plate is a giant 1"+ thick solid piece of CNC machined aluminum, it honestly looks like you could crush small car pieces with this thing, the marketing of how powerful it is seems like it could be true. The tear down guy obviously knows his stuff, and is very impressed with it, he said it cost upwards of $1000 to make, which explains why they had to sell the juice subscription with the machine.

      Although it's not the dumbest idea in the world, it certainly seems like it at face value. If you didn't have to subsidize the machine, you could sell juice packs for probably half as much or less. Then simply sell a levered press you clamp to your counter, which would cost well below $50 and have a few moving parts and last forever. Although this plan is better in nearly every way (cheaper to make, cheaper to sell, better for the environment, less to break, easier to make, simpler for the consumer), it has ZERO attraction in a VC sales pitch, which is why we end up with wifi/kcup/iot crap like this.

    10. Re:it was a scam by JohnFen · · Score: 1

      I wasn't saying (and I don't believe) that they're scammers*. I think that they designed a product for a market that only existed in their imaginations.

      * The part the could be considered scammy was the internet connectivity, which I believe only existed in order to be able to get funding from SV. Nobody would have given them big investment money if what they made was a juicer. An Internet-connected device, however, that's a different story, so they made it internet connected even though doing so added literally no value to the product.

    11. Re:it was a scam by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You can't squeeze blood from a stone, and you can't squeeze juice from a lemon that has already been completely squeezed dry.

      Force does of course come into the equation ... to a point. Once all the fruit's cells have been squished and drained of all fluid, no amount of force will yield any more. And that happens way, way before you apply 2 tons of force.

      Besides, raw squeezing power isn't the best way to harvest juice from a fruit. The best way actually depends highly on the fruit. Some you have to squeeze, some you have to shred and squeeze the shreds, with others again it's best to shock-freeze them and then "beat" them... simply applying pressure isn't exactly the best way to get juice from (most) fruits.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    12. Re:it was a scam by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You're begging for an Apple joke, you know that, right?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    13. Re:it was a scam by whoever57 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I don't think it was a scam per se, the people running the company are just idiots.

      I imagine that they thought they could be the juice version of Keurig.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    14. Re:it was a scam by mhkohne · · Score: 1

      I think if it was a scam, he wouldn't have spent so much money on engineering and product - I think this is real, honest-to-gods stupid coming out to play with other people's money.

      --
      A thousand pounds of wood moving at 300 feet per minute. Don't get in the way.
    15. Re:it was a scam by tomhath · · Score: 2

      He spent other people's money, and (I assume) kept some of it for himself in return for his visionary ideas and management skills.

    16. Re: it was a scam by guruevi · · Score: 2

      Force is a tricky measurements. I can lift 2 Teslas worth of weight with my bare hands too, give me either a lever or make the area I apply force to small enough (although it would probably go through my hand at that point).

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    17. Re:it was a scam by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      It's an iPhone.

      The machine was a shiny toy, designed to be desirable and get people to buy into their overpriced ecosystem. They sold it at a loss, hoping to make money on the juice bag subscriptions. Break even was probably around a year.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    18. Re: it was a scam by guruevi · · Score: 1

      In other words it was massively over engineered by a first grade engineer.

      If you only need 20g/cm2 to squeeze the juice but you build something that applies 4T/cm2 you're just wasting energy.

      --
      Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
    19. Re:it was a scam by Moof123 · · Score: 1

      The key is to add metal weights. Many products do this to give the "heft of quality" for pennies of metal.

    20. Re:it was a scam by h4ck7h3p14n37 · · Score: 1

      Selling bags of pre-crushed fruit and vegetable juice is great if they can do it efficiently and cheaply, there was no reason to tack on some $400 machine to remove the juice from the bag.

      Doesn't bottled juice already solve this problem? One of the people involved with Juicero was even from Bolthouse Farms.

    21. Re:it was a scam by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      If you check his older videos you'll realize he gets more Canuckistani by the year.

      It is the Canadian version of being Oirish.

      He's basically a Canadian minstrel show at this point.

    22. Re:it was a scam by petermgreen · · Score: 2

      The thing is k-cups are about 60 cents per serving. That is cheaper than popping down the coffee shop. Yes it's expensive compared to bulk coffee but k-cups let you conveniently keep a variety of hot drinks available.

      Juicero on the other hand seemed to start at about $6 per serving. That is just way too high.

      --
      note: i'm known as plugwash most places but i screwd up registering that here somehow in the past and now can't register
    23. Re:it was a scam by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      The hardware is so awesome, this is great news! I'm hoping to pick some up super-cheap and build a giant robot chef out of them!

    24. Re:it was a scam by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      You might be surprised at the number of additional juices with interesting chemical properties that can be squeezed from a lemon with additional force.

      You can't squeeze blood from a stone, but rocks are like sponges and you can squeeze a lot of water out of them.

      I have a fancy juicer and I mostly use it for vegetables. Removing the insoluble fiber from vegetables is useful. But whole fruits are way better than juices.

      What I'd really like to see is a study that compared filtered "apple juice" to traditional "apple cider" that has minimal filtering. We know whole apples reduces health risks, if the cider increases risks then the difference is probably down to the fiber.

    25. Re:it was a scam by hey! · · Score: 2

      Or engineer the packs so they cannot reasonably be squeezed by hand.

      Nothing is easier than eating more veggies. You just eat more veggies. But I think we've reached -- or at least are approaching -- a tipping point where food in its unpackaged state is no longer perceived by many people as food.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    26. Re:it was a scam by whoever57 · · Score: 1

      I didn't say that they could have been the juice version of Keurig, just that they thought they could be.

      --
      The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
    27. Re: it was a scam by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      It looks like you need around 10kg/cm2 to squeeze juice.
      The idiocy of the machine is that it achieves this kind of pressure by squeezing the whole pack at once, which indeed requires 4 tons of force. A smarter design would squeeze the pack bit by bit and achieve high pressure by applying moderate force on a small area.
      And that's indeed what happens when you press the pack by hand. Your hand can only produce maybe 30kg of force but it is applied only on your fingertips. The result is a pressure similar to that 4 ton press.

    28. Re:it was a scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I just wish he could afford a camera that auto-focuses properly. Spent all that Patreon cash on the Juicero review maybe.

      Skookum will be in the dictionary a few years from now though, so he's got that going for him.

    29. Re:it was a scam by Shikaku · · Score: 1

      Because it costed around $1000.

      I wish I was kidding, but every part was overdesigned. There's WiFi in it, it has a camera (for the juice pack DRM), a stupidly powerful motor to apply tons of pressure over a large area (which is why it's easier to squeeze with your hands, less area for the pressure), the molds are ginormous for the plastic outside and inside, the parts are custom and almost NEVER off the shelf at all, etc.

      In short, no limit was set on what they wanted to do and it was crazily overengineered and way too high quality; depending on the product itself, this might be fine, but this JUST SQUEEZES JUICE.

      If you don't believe me, just watch this guy tear it down then. He's ogling the hardware itself because it's so fucking crazy how high quality the parts are.

      https://youtu.be/_Cp-BGQfpHQ

    30. Re:it was a scam by DMFNR · · Score: 1

      The Juicero was ridiculously over engineered. Extremely complicated molds, very intricate machining on the metal parts, just a ridiculously overspec'd machine in every sense. There are very few commodity parts in the machine, the labor costs surely were through the roof. As some one who spent some time in the tool and die field, I can say the parts themselves are just mind blowing. It is an absolutely beautiful machine inside, even if it is completely useless. I guarantee they were taking a massive loss on the machine. Check out this teardown:

      https://youtu.be/_Cp-BGQfpHQ

      They let their engineers just go nuts and blew through that VC money like a fat line of coke.

    31. Re:it was a scam by DMFNR · · Score: 1

      From what I've read they pretty much just gave a blank check to Yves Béhar's studio and built exactly what they got back without stopping for a second to attempt to even consider whether the design could be produced at a reasonable cost.

    32. Re:it was a scam by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Coffee has to be heated. Keurig has a market because it adds convenience compared to other filter makers.
      Juice, on the other hand, can be kept chilled in the fridge. There's no extra convenience over just pouring yourself a glass, and actually a heck of a lot more inconvenience.

    33. Re:it was a scam by nnull · · Score: 1

      I had a chance to visit this company and their brand new manufacturing facility in Commerce (These startups love to invite everyone). They had brand new top of the line equipment to make products (Reiser/Vemags, Mettler, etc) Most of them don't even know anything in manufacturing or how to get their lines to work. They could have made and sold various different products out of this facility (Really, they have the equipment to do so). They could have easily did something else in food manufacturing if they so desired, even as another brand to make money. They could have easily reduced costs and still make a profit.

      So perhaps it was a con. These startup CEO's and owners make money off of failure somehow. It's a get rich quick scheme, just like all the vape manufacturers popping up everywhere. Somehow they get people to give them money for this crap, even when they know they're complete idiots. Considering people still invest in Amazon, doesn't really surprise me. Nobody ever gave me money, bankers would laugh at me. I had to buy broken used machines and rebuild them on my way up before I could even buy a brand new line (At least I have the satisfaction my company will still be around when I die). How someone like this could look at themselves in the mirror and compare themselves to Steve Jobs is beyond me. I'm pretty sure we'll hear about these people (not the company) again at some other startup failure.

      I'm also sure no one will buy them out, they'll probably ask for too much money for a semi working facility. I'll buy their equipment when they sell for pennies during the auction.

    34. Re:it was a scam by nnull · · Score: 1

      There must have been a reason for them to spend all this money. More than likely so it goes to all their buddies knowing this company was doomed to failure.

    35. Re:it was a scam by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Not at all. If they were the juice version of the Keurig then they would be in this mess. There's nothing over priced about Keurig machines and the machines aren't the primary product. These idiots ran their company in the opposite way.

    36. Re:it was a scam by BlackPignouf · · Score: 1

      If you have anything planned in the next 10 hours, don't start watching this Youtube video!

    37. Re:it was a scam by DMFNR · · Score: 1

      He talks about his professional engineer ring in one video and he's cracked a few jokes about being a dork with a doctorate. I'd guess depending on the things he talks about, the areas he seems extremely knowledgable in, and the traveling he does for work that he's an engineer in the mining industry who truly enjoys getting his hands dirty. So probably quite a bit more educated than a "repair guy", yet way the hell cooler than most people who's title starts with doctor and primary tool is a clipboard.

    38. Re:it was a scam by DidgetMaster · · Score: 1

      It seems their problem was that they did not work for NASA or the Military. Government is famous for spending $Millions to engineer and build something that could just as easily been done by buying a $2 hammer or wrench from Home Depot. As this proves, the free market does put up with that kind of thing.

    39. Re:it was a scam by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Metal? No. Cast concrete in the base.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
    40. Re:it was a scam by Luthair · · Score: 1

      Over engineered or over designed? I would bet it was mostly done for an image & industrial design perspective than a mechanical engineering.

  2. Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 5, Informative

    Actually, juice is highly correlated with diabetes if done to excess.

    Vegetable juices are fine, but fruit juicers can lead to substantial increases in both pre-diabetes and adult onset diabetes, if not part of a varied diet.

    And having robots take away the exercise of squeezing it is just making it worse. Calories need to be burned somehow.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      Depends on which juice. Try celery juice and see what happens.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    2. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Luthair · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So you think that celery is a fruit?

    3. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 4, Funny

      So you think that celery is a fruit?

      I think we found a Juicero investor!

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    4. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Luthair · · Score: 1

      Do some googling on drinking calories

    5. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      [citation needed]

      go read any of the fine medical journals online, at your public library or university library.

      I'm not doing your work for you.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    6. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you

      I have another fun fact: blanket statements are stupid. Yeah, even that one.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    7. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

      You can make juice from just about anything. There's carrot juice available in some supermarkets.

      --
      If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
    8. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Informative

      [citation needed]

      Citation: Fruit Juice Intake Predicts Increased Adiposity Gain in Children

      Citation: Reducing childhood obesity by eliminating 100% fruit juice

      Citation: Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes

      Citation: Intake of Fruit, Vegetables, and Fruit Juices and Risk of Diabetes in Women

      Citation: Soft drink and juice consumption and risk of physician-diagnosed incident type 2 diabetes

    9. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      go. read. the. fine. journals.

      seriously, they publish review issues every year or two. I'm not your biochem prof.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    10. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Stolovaya · · Score: 1

      As the one saying "go read journals", it's up to you to provide the actual evidence.

    11. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      It's well known in the medical community. Go get a degree there.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    12. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by gnick · · Score: 1

      The post you replied to was specifically calling out fruit juices and you responded with celery. Carrots aren't fruit either.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    13. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 2

      You mean like this?

      large scale medical study of Americans and fruit or fruit juice intake diabetic risk factors

      now stop pretending you have any idea how google or tech works - AND DO YOUR OWN SEARCHES

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    14. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by barrywalker · · Score: 1

      So I can milk a cat?

      You can milk anything with nipples.

    15. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You made the claim you source the info.

      If you wrote a paper for your biochem prof and in the sources section you said "google it" you would rightly get a F.

      You don't want to back your words up with something, then either shut it or take the gripes about no sources.

    16. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      This isn't an academic journal. Link way above. Next time do your own search. And stop doing these fad diets, they're bad for you.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    17. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by diesalesmandie · · Score: 1

      And having robots take away the exercise of squeezing it is just making it worse. Calories need to be burned somehow.

      Before this sentence i was with you, but if someone wants to burn calories they shouldn't rely on something that is the equivalent of a muscle spasm with respect to burning calories, they should take a (very slow, if recently inactive) jog. Taking this "every little helps" approach to burning calories doesn't help anybody, you need to fuckin break a sweat and slowly build up your endurance to the point that you can withstand an very quick heartrate, or much easier you can change your diet...just sayin

      --
      This is my sig, there are many like it but this one is mine
    18. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Desler · · Score: 1

      Which journals, which volumes and which specific studies?

    19. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Desler · · Score: 1

      So then why are you incapable of providing even a single citation?

    20. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Desler · · Score: 1

      Yes that would be providing evidence.

    21. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Major+Blud · · Score: 2

      It's crazy how few people know this. 12 fl oz of orange juice contains slightly more carbohydrates as a can of Coke Classic:

      12 fl oz Coke = 36.05
      12 fl oz O.J. = 38.4

      https://www.google.com/search?...

      https://www.fatsecret.com/calo...

      I'm a Type 1 diabetic, and when I have bouts of hypoglycemia, the Dr. recommends I drink orange juice if I don't have any glucose tablets handy for this very reason.

      --
      If you post as Anonymous Coward, don't expect a reply.
    22. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      Actually, jogging can be risky. Walking is better, and in small to moderate increments. Slips and falls due to dietary imbalance can be far worse to an aging population that is increasingly obese (medical obesity).

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    23. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      do your own fricking research next time, sunshine. I'm not your prof.

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    24. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Calories need to be burned somehow.

      I challenge you to burn more than a calorie when squeezing juice. If your heart rate raises by more than 1bpm for more than 30 seconds you should see a doctor about your fitness.

    25. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It's crazy how few people know this. 12 fl oz of orange juice contains slightly more carbohydrates as a can of Coke Classic:

      And for decades parents have been hoodwinked into thinking that giving their children glass after glass of essentially sugar is healthy. This has been promoted by the people who want to sell juice, but the claims of "gee, I'm feeding my kids fruit juice so it must be healthy" has always been a lie.

      It really is time to start calling out all of this BS marketing for what it is -- outright lies by people who wish to sell more product, but who don't give a fuck about you or your health.

    26. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by dgatwood · · Score: 2

      I'm suddenly reminded of a conversation I had in which a product was described as containing Chihuahua cheese, and I snarkily asked how one milks a chihuahua.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    27. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by JohnFen · · Score: 1

      Actually, juice is highly correlated with diabetes if done to excess.

      Literally everything will make you sick or kill you if done to excess. Remember the toxicologist's saying: "the dose makes the poison".

    28. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by pjt33 · · Score: 3, Funny

      If you think that's bad, I've heard of a product called American cheese...

    29. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by pjt33 · · Score: 1

      Most fruit juice is about 10% sugar, so one large glass of juice (250ml, about 8.5 US fl.oz.) already takes you up to the WHO's daily recommendation of free sugar intake (25g, just under 1oz).

    30. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by omnichad · · Score: 1

      Chihuahua is a state in Mexico. Both the dog and the cheese are named after it - much like Cheddar is named after Cheddar, England and Pomeranian dogs are named after the Pomerania region of Germany.

    31. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by dgatwood · · Score: 2

      Wow. I bet you're fun at parties. :-D

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    32. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Moof123 · · Score: 1

      +1. We figured this out before having our kid, and boy am I glad we did. He has not developed a real "sweet tooth", no cavities so far, etc. Meanwhile I struggle with hard to kick sugar addiction that I have yet to properly kick.

      I remember babysitting a friends kid for a stretch, picking him up from daycare and a box of juice for the ride home was a required step, and the parents thought it was a responsible thing to do (and I knew no better at the time either).

    33. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Desler · · Score: 1

      The Aspergers is strong in this one.

    34. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by omnichad · · Score: 1

      I'm much more interested in having fun at parties, not being fun at parties. So they tend to be with smart people who like to know things.

    35. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      Well, the "diabetes juice" link they ran on slashdot wasn't juice it was "juice cocktail" which is just non-carbonated soda.

      Another popular link by the slashdot anti-juice crowd is the one that shows that processed fructose is even worse than processed sucrose. No doubt true, but the results don't seem to hold for actual juice.

    36. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by JohnFen · · Score: 1

      I don't understand the point you're trying to make, unless it's that eating a piece of taffy is putting your life at risk.

    37. Re: Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by Aighearach · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Odd list of citations, since 3 of them are re-tellings of the same study which contradicts other past studies in some regards, 1 of them isn't even a study it is just a link about promoting a message of reduced fruit juice consumption, and the other is a study that says if you give fat kids fruit juice they get fatter, and if you give them whole fruit they lose weight. That actually just tells you that those kids are eating too many total calories and the fruit juice had a lot of calories; the rest of their diet was unchanged, after all. It tells you nothing about what happens if you eat the same amount of calories, but some of them were from fruit juice vs something else.

      You make it sound like you found 5 studies, but you found 1 study and it relies on self-reporting and it says in the conclusions that participants might have reported fruit "punch" as fruit juice. Regionally in the US "fruit juice" is actually the colloquial name for it even when it is only 5% juice. It was a pretty good study, but other people recalculating the results to generate additional charts is not the same thing as having additional studies that verify the results.

    38. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by cheesybagel · · Score: 1

      Because of the sucrose in oranges I bet. I assume peach juice would have similar effects assuming you can get it.

    39. Re:Fun Fact: Juice isn't good for you by newcastlejon · · Score: 1

      So I can milk a cat?

      Yes and I've got to do it every damned day.
      Bloody Harkonnens...

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
  3. $55k by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

    I earn $55k in Government IT support in Silicon Valley. $399 seems like a lot to me. I can go to Costco and get juice for $1.

    1. Re: $55k by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Umm, creimer, is that you?

      I'm neither APK nor 110010001000. I'm honored to be the third most recognized name on Slashdot.

      Where's your Amazon referral link?

      Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: How People Make Orange Juice

    2. Re: $55k by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Taking pride in being infamous as an insufferable jackass...

    3. Re: $55k by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

      Why would you value being "famous" on a website that is, in your own words: dying, irrelevant, and no longer worth anything?

      I was wrong. It took three months for my trolls to convince me otherwise. I'm here to stay. ;)

      Don't try to kid us, tubby, you're a fucking joke.

      I'm laughing all the way to the bank.

  4. What did you expect? by burtosis · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The appliance was trying squeezing the juice out of customers using some bizzare combination of the pricing model of printer toner combined with a predatory monthly app subscription and a keurig. Not sure who the hell thought people would actually swallow this. At least do something novel like having the machine hold 30 different packets and custom order a drink. As it is it was an outright money grabbing scam.

    1. Re:What did you expect? by qvatch · · Score: 1

      yeah, it couldn't even make avacado toast.

    2. Re:What did you expect? by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      It was a stupid and obvious scam to me but then so are many other very successful products. Based on performance of past results, I'm actually surprised it didn't work. Maybe they failed to use the right buzzword formula in their marketing pitch. Maybe they failed to simply grease the right palms. Now I guess we'll never know. But I can tell you one thing for sure; much better thought out, more worthy ideas have completely failed to get any investment at all, but somehow this type of usurious crap keeps getting $millions dumped on it.

    3. Re:What did you expect? by cmseagle · · Score: 1

      combination of the pricing model of printer toner combined with a predatory monthly app subscription and a keurig.

      Not sure who the hell thought people would actually swallow this.

      Probably some people who saw the success of the market model of inkjet printers, Netflix, and Keurig.

    4. Re:What did you expect? by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      Don't you lump Netflix in with the printer toner racket.

    5. Re:What did you expect? by istartedi · · Score: 1

      Even if the machine had 30 different packets and custom drinks, it's not innovative. That's what Coca Cola Freestyle does, and it has a lot more than 30. I'd be surprised if Coke didn't have some patents they'd be violating.

      --
      For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
    6. Re:What did you expect? by djinn6 · · Score: 1

      You make fun of avocado toast, but the ones I had were pretty decent snacks. They each consist of a sunny-side-up egg and a piece of toast, held together with avocado paste and some garnish on top. For $5, it's not that expensive. Breakfast in SF generally starts at $10.

  5. I am like SO SAD by Drunkulus · · Score: 2

    We all thought Juicero would redefine the paradigm of disruption. Some people said it was as dumb as Snapchat or Bitcoin, and maybe they were right, but it's still just a tragic loss for all those visionary investors.

  6. *shrug* by Kierthos · · Score: 1

    And nothing of value was lost.

    I mean, look at the damn thing. Clearly, this was designed to piggyback on the market that Kuerig is exploiting. The difference is, the Kuerigs (or at least the older models) don't have DRM, don't require Kuerig branded cups, and can do more than coffee. I've seen tea and cocoa K-cups, because basically, the operation is the same - run hot water over contents of K-cup.

    This damn thing had a much more limited run of choices, there were no outside brands you could use with it, and the stupid thing wasn't even that efficient. I mean, I'm sure people with more money than sense bought some, but given the price point and the problems it had, there was no way this thing was going to take off.

    And now they're looking for a buyer? Good luck with that. I'd say that I doubt any investor is quite that stupid, but it's possible that Juicero has some patents that are worth something.

    --
    Mr. Hu is not a ninja.
    1. Re:*shrug* by Desler · · Score: 1

      The difference is, the Kuerigs (or at least the older models) don't have DRM, don't require Kuerig branded cups, and can do more than coffee. I've seen tea and cocoa K-cups, because basically, the operation is the same - run hot water over contents of K-cup.

      Everyone of these points is untrue.

      https://www.techdirt.com/artic...

  7. Where will they pivot this to? by stabiesoft · · Score: 1

    I wonder, what can you turn a machine that squeezes small packages? Grape press maybe for making wine? Olive press? I know, peanut butter maker.

    1. Re:Where will they pivot this to? by HornWumpus · · Score: 1

      Medicinal pot infused oil press. CA

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  8. funding? by argStyopa · · Score: 2

    https://www.crunchbase.com/org...

    Burning through $150 million in funding since 2013 ($88000 per DAY including weekends), they might as well have been juicing actual money.

    --
    -Styopa
    1. Re:funding? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      If you think that is a big number for a manufacturer of both equipment and associated consumables all while struggling to expand your market then your in for a surprise of you ever go into business.

    2. Re:funding? by argStyopa · · Score: 1

      No of course it isn't.

      But if you somehow think that's the place you *should be starting at* with a brand-new idea, brand-new tech, brand-new market, and entirely unproven business model, BEFORE YOU'VE SOLD A SINGLE DEVICE? Well - I guess your investors are either ridiculously optimistic or you're one persuasive son of a bitch.

      --
      -Styopa
    3. Re:funding? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      brand-new idea

      It's not.

      brand-new tech

      There is no tech.

      entirely unproven business model

      It's not. Quite the opposite actually, it's a business model that has not only proven itself but has been very lucrative in all the other markets.

      brand-new market

      You may notice I changed the order of my responses and that's because this one here is very relevant. This is a brand new market. However the business model is highly reliant on the first mover principles. It is also dependent on market saturation to make it economical. It's not a model you can try in some idle corner especially if some other predatory company is keen to try and beat you to the punch.

      In some business cases it not only makes sense but it is also highly correlated to success that you get a large VC funding and then hit an entire market at once as quickly as possible, especially with potential competitors who are more resourced than you are.

  9. value != effort by supernova87a · · Score: 1

    The issue with Juicero, as with so many areas where people work on something that is their passion (whether food, music, art, coffee, wine) is that they start to forget that the effort they put into it does not necessarily translate into how much other people value it, or how much people are willing to pay for it.

    You get people who think that because they slaved away for hours on a painting, essay, cup of coffee or artisinal x,y,z, etc means that they can charge big $$ for it.

    If that were true, history / philosophy / library science majors would be pulling in huge bucks for all the time they spent studying esoteric things that no one cares about, while people who scrape the internet for cute cat videos would be sitting in poverty.

    The other thing they start to forget is that few people care about the extra details that they care about, because they've been immersed in the topic for years and lost an absolute sense of proportion, such as:
    - the ability to remotely cancel juice bags on expiration
    - having a squeezing mechanism that saves you 10 seconds of effort but costs $400...

  10. Are They Dumping Them On eBay Yet? by careysub · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can I buy a Juicero on eBay for $50 (shipping included) yet? There are probably things I need to crush, now I'll be set. (Yeah I know I'll have to Arduino the controller.) Yes, I see people trying to recoup their losses by offering their ill-advised purchase for $180 (and up) starting bids on eBay.

    But this guy has the right idea selling a "Juicero 2.0", a hand cranked roller press, which he says (no doubt truthfully) is twice as fast as a Juicero, and costs only $150.

    --
    Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
  11. TAM/SAM confusion by bagofbeans · · Score: 1

    TAM for decent fruit/veg juice probably 90% western world.

    SAM for this product considering initial outlay and consumables pricing... I doubt it's 1% of all households and businesses.

  12. Very Expensive Hand Squeezed Juice by pubwvj · · Score: 2

    "You can squeeze the Juicero bags with your bare hands."

    Which makes for a very expensive $5-$7 cup of juice.

    46 oz of V-8 Original is only $2.84.

  13. Re:Yay, less pseudoscience by AC-x · · Score: 1

    One of those things has a vast amount of scientific research and evidence behind it, the others do not. Can you guess which one?

  14. Perfect for the Museum of Failed Inventions! by Traf-O-Data-Hater · · Score: 1

    The question is, which MOFI would get a Juicero first?
    The one in Sweden https://idle.slashdot.org/stor...
    Or the one in Austria http://nation.com.pk/entertain... ?

  15. Juicero to announce JuiceCoin Initial coin offer by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    Pivot pivot pivot. never fail. Squeeze it for everything it's worth.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  16. Re:Juicero to announce JuiceCoin Initial coin offe by tonique · · Score: 1

    ...and in Juicero's case, you could do that squeezing with your own hands.

  17. Proof - Money does not flow to the best ideas by DidgetMaster · · Score: 1

    Every entrepreneur who is struggling to get funding for their idea and/or product cringes whenever we see stuff like this. It just goes to show you that it is often not the merit of the actual idea that attracts the funding. There are at least a thousand ideas out there that are 10x better than the one behind the Juicero; yet each of those will struggle to find even $1M in funding, let alone $120M.

    I have a project that I have been working on for years now. I think it is great and has huge potential, yet because I lack the 'funding skills', I am struggling to find investors who will give it even modest sums.

  18. HP juicer by jf_moreira · · Score: 1

    1 - Invent something that needs cartridges or envelopes or bags or anything as a reason for doing useful service. 2 - Profit. 3 - Watch out for the Internet.