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On December 9, 2018, Shark Tank Season 10 aired Episode 8, which saw entrepreneurs Bill Pierce, Summer Pierce, and Kayla Roof pitch their pimple-popping simulator business, Pop It Pal. They sought $250,000 in exchange for 10% equity in their company. Kevin O'Leary saw potential in the concept while the other Sharks were repelled. Consequently, he made them an offer and said:
"No one else is going to make you an offer. I'm the only one with creativity that can actually structure things like this. They're all confused about this."
The Shark Tank investor had offered the entrepreneurs $250,000 for a royalty of $1.50 per unit until he recouped $750,000 and a 5% equity. He claimed it was a "fantastic offer" and encouraged the business owners to accept it immediately. Mark Cuban also presented the owners with an offer, which ultimately got rejected since they accepted Kevin's after some deliberation.
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The deal with Kevin eventually closed and Pop It Pal still exists. Their products are available on their official website and Amazon. The founders took the investor's advice and introduced different colored pus. As of 2024, Pop It Pal has an annual revenue of $500,000.
"It's not for me" — Shark Tank guest investor Bethany Frankel refuses to invest in Pop It Pal
The Sharks were caught off guard when they discovered Pop It Pal was a pimple-popping simulator. One of the founders explained that their product came with 16 ready-made pimples, allowing its users to relieve stress and get that "extreme satisfaction" when popping a pimple. She added that Pop It Pal came with a pus tube to refill the pimples.
The Shark Tank investors had fun testing the product samples while guest panelist Rohan Oza opined Pop It Pal was a "placebo" for popping one's own pimples. When asked what inspired them to think about a pimple-popping simulator, Summer Pierce confessed she and her husband envisioned it after watching pimple-popping videos online.
"Oh, you admit that on television," Mark laughed.
When Shark Tank expert Lori Greiner asked the business owners what the product was made of, they said it was natural oils and beeswax. As much as the investors enjoyed the concept, they wanted to know if the company had made any sales. Bill revealed they made $315,000 in the last four months, surprising the Sharks.
He added that each unit cost $8.32 to make. Hearing that, the investors immediately realized the making charge was "too much." Bill shared that he worked in the automotive industry and used his knowledge of lubricants to develop the product. Pop It Pal had two utility patents pending in the States that would protect their design from getting stolen.
The founders revealed they sold $315,000 worth of products in four months because of their viral videos. However, they eventually lost the momentum after others started making their own videos from theirs.
Pop It Pal entrepreneurs said they had been working with an overseas supplier to lower the production cost to $5. Kevin, however, was still unconvinced, and claimed their making charge was too high. Kayla explained that the main issue was managing the demand. She admitted they stuggled to keep up with the orders coming in from all around the world.
After a while Shark Tank guest panelist, Bethany, removed herself from consideration, saying :
"I think you guys are wonderful and I think you're in the novelty gag business and I'm in the practical solution business. So it's not for me. I'm so sorry, I'm out."
After Bethany backed out, Kevin presented them with his offer. Soon after, Rohan chimed in, saying that although he was impressed with their business model and its initial success, he could not invest in the company because he was not a "pimple popper."
Lori expressed a similar sentiment, saying popping pimples sounded like a "horrifying experience." Consequently, she bowed out of the discussion. Unlike the rest, Mark offered $250,000 but for 25% of the company. After much deliberation, the entrepreneurs turned down Mark's offer and accepted Kevin's.
"I just popped your zit, baby," Kevin told Mark.
Shark Tank Season 16 releases new episodes every Friday at 8 pm ET exclusively on ABC.
