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Sounds a lot like the true story of Juicero, that $700 juicer which only squeezed Juicero-brand juice packs, and only after connecting to WiFi and validating a QR code printed on each (rather extravagantly expensive) bag of pre-chopped vegetables.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juicero



It wasn't a completely stupid idea but:

- The price for the juice packs was outrageous

- The juicer was overbuilt. There was a hilarious teardown and BOM estimation[0]. Should have been way cheaper

- The IoT aspect served no real purpose. It added to the BOM.

But I could totally see a subscription model with an inexpensive juicer that's subsidized by a subscription to juice packs. Sure you could also buy some generic ones and someone will come up with a re-usable pouch, but really you are paying for the convenience. Nespresso did it (but coffee has way better margins than juice pouches).

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cp-BGQfpHQ


The "inexpensive juicer" doesn't even have to be electronic. It could be a simple hand-cranked clamp.


Yes. A nice bonus would be to make the pouches compostable.


Was that the one where you could just squeeze the bag between your hands, too?


Yes, and some indication that the hand squeezing got you more juice than the machine.


Juicero is a fantastic example of modern startup overfunding and the issues with DRM and form over function. It's intensely worth reading about.




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