Deskview Before Shark Tank
After graduating from college Mike Bolos went to work in an office where he had to sit at a desk for 80-100 hours a week. This long sitting time eventually led to health problems and he developed tendinitis. After his diagnosis, Mike started to look for ways that he could work without sitting with his back hunched over but could not find a remedy until he spotted a window and started working while standing.
It was during this time that Mike developed the deskview, an attachable desk that could be attached to a vertical surface and function as a table to write on. Mike developed it by finding the strongest suction cups in the business and attaching mechanisms to them to make a table.
Deskview comes in a variety of colors and sizes making it a simple solution for anyone looking for a way to stand as they work. Mike initially made the product for himself but got a lot of requests to make it for others and he started selling them. He would eventually meet Jason Growhorski who convinced him that there was a lot of demand for such a product elsewhere. Many executives were looking for desks where people could work while standing.
Deskview was off to a great start selling many units but Jason and Mike needed a shark’s assistance to grow. They gave their presentation on the 22nd episode of the 10th season.
Deskview On Shark Tank
Jason and Mike then showed the sharks how strong the deskview suction cups were by having Mike stand on one of them. The sharks were impressed by the strength of the product. Lori asked if the deskview could be used on a surface that wasn’t made of glass. Jason and Mike showed that deskview worked on a variety of smooth surfaces including metal, melamine, and ceramic surfaces.
Mike then explained that they built the deskview by taking the most powerful suction cups in the industry and adding some mechanisms to them. Barbara then asked how much they were sold for and Robert wanted to know how many they had sold. Mike said that they had Deskview plates made of different materials and so they sold for different prices.
The first two Deskview surfaces that Mike showed were white and bamboo with minimalist designs and retailed for $235. They also had a clear view surface which retailed for $265. Robert then asked how many they had sold and he was told that they had sold 800 units so far.
Kevin asked how many years they had been in business and he was told that they received their first inventory in April 2018. The show was broadcast on May 5, 2019. Barbara then asked how much it cost to make the plates. She was told that it cost $80 to make and they had lowered it in the past few months by 25 to 30%.
Jason then said that they are one of the cheapest manufacturers in the region and when they went to see customers, the customers would be surprised by the low cost. Barbara then asked what the typical cost of a standard desk was. Jason said that a standard desk could range in price from $500 to $2,000.
Mark Cuban then asked them how they had sold $100,000 worth of goods. Jason said that they started marketing directly to consumers but strictly on their website. They noticed that companies were buying dozens of units. They decided to focus on the business-to-business market because of this.
Jason and Mike were to attend a furniture expo in Chicago. A booth at the expo would have cost $10,000 which they didn’t have. They then decided to put 4 Deskviews on a coffee shop’s side. Many people came to see it and knew exactly how to use it. Lori then asked them how they came up with it.
Mike said that he did his BS studies at Harvard and Cornell. He then did his JD and MBA at the University of Pennsylvania. Mike got employed in an office where he couldn’t stand which was very uncomfortable for him. He was diagnosed with tendonitis.
Mike needed a remedy and he saw that his office windows were fluorescent and they were a great place to work. He then started developing the Deskview and he developed the first prototype for only $1800.
His idea was popular and he started selling them. He then met Jason and Jason told him how he had met with many executives who wanted standing furniture but found it very expensive. Robert said that he wasn’t certain if he saw it as a desk. He thought that its surface was too small.
Barbara then left. She said that she didn’t think that the product could be used in large offices but it would do good as an individual purchase. For this reason, she didn’t believe in the product and so she was out.
Robert then left. He said that he thought that it was a very beautiful product but he didn’t think that people would use it as a desk. He would not get there with them and so he was out.  Mark Cuban then left because he didn’t think that the product would be adopted by many people.
Kevin then offered them $150,000 for 15% of the business. He said that we wanted to sell to consumers online and he thought that the margins were quite good he didn’t mind exploring the business-to-business market but he thought that it would be hard to penetrate.
Lori said that she liked the product but its price was too high. Jason and Mike said that they wanted to reduce its landing cost. Lori then offered them $150,000 for 33% of the business. Lori said that the high rate was because she thought that they would have to do a lot of work seeing different manufacturers to evaluate how they could reduce their costs.
Kevin then changed his offer and asked for 20% of the business for $150,000. Jason and Mike then accepted Kevin’s offer. Mike said that he thought that with Kevin as a partner, the business would blow through the roof.
Deskview Now in 2024 – The After Shark Tank Update
Deskview continues to sell its product on its website but it is also available on Amazon where it has a 4-star rating from over 150 reviews. It is also available at Walmart. Deskview has more than 1200 followers on Facebook and more than 7,600 followers on Instagram.
The company had a kickstarter for its Motis design and it raised $62,000 although its target was $20,000. The company now makes an annual revenue of approximately $2,000,000. Deskview is located in Chicago Illinois and it provides people all over the world with sitting remedies as it provides the people of Chicago with employment.
