The Juicero Fail: When a Juicer Cost $700—And One Question Could’ve Saved $120 Million
In my last post, I pointed out an important question that will help you when making decisions. In this post, I showcase the Juicero Fail—a business that could have used this important question, but didn’t.
In 2016, a startup called Juicero launched what looked like the future of cold‑pressed juice: a sleek, Wi-Fi-connected press priced at $699, later discounted to $399. It squeezed proprietary juice packets—sold for $5–$7 each—into freshly-pressed juice on demand.
But then came the PR nightmare: A Bloomberg investigation filmed people manually squeezing those same packets by hand, yielding identical juice, no fancy machine needed. Suddenly, the “press” was pointless. And so was their $120 million VC-backed dream.
Where Critical Thinking Could’ve Helped
Juicero had innovation, aesthetic design by Yves Behar, and mass funding. But they skipped a basic question:
“What real problem are we solving—and for whom?”
That’s pre‑mortem thinking in action:
- State your solution. (High-tech juicing machine + packets.)
- Identify key risks. (Could the juice work just as well by hand?)
- Imagine public reaction. (“I paid $399 for a squeezing machine with the strength of… my hand?!”)
- Ask: “Can we test this before we build?”
A simple Pre-Mortem/Test‑Early step would have revealed:
- Cost & inconvenience of subscription packets
- No real barrier to manual squeezing
- Weak value proposition versus traditional juicers
What Went Wrong. And What Goes Wrong for You.
Juicero launched despite:
- No real user need (people already hand‑squeeze)
- Overengineering (rather than solving a simple problem)
- Buried feedback (until Bloomberg published it)
They exemplify why thinking tools matter, beyond fancy design or big budgets. Tools like those found in Section 6 in my Think Sharper guide cover questions you and your team can use to test assumptions before millions are on the line.
Tools to Think Like a Leader–Not a Fad
What Juicero needed wasn’t more tech. It needed better thinking.
Here’s what a Think Sharper prompt might’ve sounded like:
- “If I buy these packets and press them manually, what happens?”
- “Who benefits from this machine, besides us or our investors?”
- “What’s different about this product versus buying a $50 juicer?”
With tools like that, you avoid building square wheels for a round-wheeled world.
Want Tools That Work (Before You Build)?
Pre-mortem questions, decision matrices, and second-order thinking—these are the frameworks in Think Sharper. They aren’t just for people in suits with slideshows. They’re also for people in sweatpants with real-life problems.
>> Explore Think Sharper and build better thinking habits
>> Or start with the free Critical Thinking Habit Tracker:
Don’t Let Your Next “Innovation” Become a Juicero.
Real clarity starts with smart questions, not smart machines.
References / Sources
- Bloomberg Technology – “Silicon Valley’s $400 Juicer May Be Feeling the Squeeze” | 🔗https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-19/silicon-valley-s-400-juicer-may-be-feeling-the-squeeze
- The Verge – “Juicero, maker of the doomed $400 internet-connected juicer, is shutting down“, Ashley Carman
🔗 https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/1/16243356/juicero-shut-down-lay-off-refund - Fast Company – “This Juicer Is Everything That’s Wrong With the World (Or at Least Silicon Valley”
🔗 https://www.fastcompany.com/video/this-juicer-is-everything-thats-wrong-with-the-world-or-at-least-silicon-valley/TSF6V2KY - Inc. Magazine – “This $120 Million Juice Company Just Shocked Investors in the Worst Way”, Wanda Thibodeaux
🔗 https://www.inc.com/https://wanda-thibodeaux/this-120-million-juice-company-just-shocked-investors-in-the-worst-way-and-here.html