You’ve likely seen it before: some entrepreneur on Shark Tank pitches a new product in hopes of securing funding from a panel of wealthy investors. These investors have deep ties to the business world and keen spending-habits, so the pitch has to be solid. They have to be wowed. And that’s exactly what ‘challenge champion and cowboy-cum-astrobiologist’ Jessie Helt did with his supplement named the ED Gummies. He’s the one next to the Shark-John on the right. As you might have guessed, Helt pitched a product that claims to improve focus and cognition. But did it work? Let’s look under the hood of Shark Tank and see what’s really going on with these miracle gummies.
The Pitch
When the two founders of ED Gummies entered the Shark Tank, they had a simple pitch: their gummies promote brain health and better memory and focus, thanks to the ‘proprietary formulation of natural ingredients that enhance the function of neurons, improve the conduction of electrical impulses, and nourish the brain with mental energy’. The entrepreneurs also had testimonials from customers who touted the success of ED Gummies, and encouraged the sharks to purchase the product to enjoy its many benefits. The sharks were not too cynical to ask about the science, but they wanted to hear more.
But the more the sharks learned about the product, the more red flags they saw. The founders couldn’t produce any scientific evidence to back up their claims, and the business model was super flimsy: they admitted that the company would initially lose money, and hoped to break even only after partnering with drug companies. In the end, after agonising over it, the Shark Tank gang decided that the ED Gummies just weren’t going to be a good investment, and passed.
The Reality
The pitch might have sounded pretty but, in reality, knocking back a handful of ED Gummies is anything but a glamorous experience. There’s also good reason to believe that they don’t work as claimed, and might even be unsafe. Without clinical trials, how could we know, the pro-enhancement crowd has been asking for years, that Nootrobox’s founders aren’t either in the practice of selling bullshit or guilty of gross misrepresentation?
Indeed, the FDA has issued public statements about the risks associated with untested dietary supplements marketed as cognitive-enhancers. Such supplements might contain harmful ingredients, interact poorly with prescription drugs, or tempt buyers to forgo proper medical care. Here, as in other arenas, healthy skepticism is advised to go along with any research program or purchase.
Conclusion
Like many products pitched on Shark Tank, the truth behind the ED Gummies pitch is not going to be as easy to swallow. While miracle pills that supposedly can turn you into a brainiac are a compelling idea – at least, if you’re selling them – the reality behind most of these claims is murky at best. Buy such supplements at your peril, and do your homework.
After all, when life gives you sharks, you take them for a ride – and then pass on your investment opportunity. At least that’s what these fish did in the end. Due diligence and common sense, even when applied by sharks, is too important to trade for a cattle call. But this was real life.
FAQ
1. Are ED Gummies safe to consume?
The founders claim that their gummies are made from natural ingredients, but consuming this – or any new supplement – without discussing it first with a healthcare provider could be dangerous.
2. Do ED Gummies actually work?
Absence of scientific proof substantiating the claims, makes it difficult to prove the effectiveness of ED Gummies. It is advisable to be skeptical and to not trust these products without thorough research.
3. Why did the sharks pass on investing in ED Gummies?
In the end, they decided that the proposed market for the candies was lacking in scientific evidence and, given the results seen in the clinical trials, that the risks to the company didn’t justify the rewards.
