The Sharks Are Intrigued By Kids Creation - The Measuring Shovel | Shark Tank US | Shark Tank Global

First in the tank is a simple yet ingenious improvement to a household tool. Hey, Sharks! My name is Maddox Pritchard. I'm 13 years old, and I'm the inventor and patent holder of the measuring shovel. And my name is Amanda Pritchard. And, well, I'm the manager of Maddox. Mom for short. We're here seeking $40,000 for 15% equity in my company. Sharks, did you know planting new plants too close together causes ugly landscapes and it's really bad for the plants? And planting trees too deep can even kill the tree? My shovel tells us all of this. The measuring shovel has measurements from the tip of the blade up the handle, which is great for measuring your depth and spacing plants out. Are you digging what I'm saying? This is my sister Brenna. Sisters. She's helping model and demonstrate my tools. And this is my dad Jason. My dad has a lot of friends who are builders, concrete, and utility workers. And they all said using my shovel would make their jobs so much easier. I mean, why would you buy a regular shovel if the measuring shovel was sitting right beside it? That's right, you wouldn't. The measuring shovel buries the competition. So, Sharks, can you dig it? We can dig it. Good job, good job, Maddox. Good job. Did you have samples? Here you go. Oh, you just have the one? We'll pass it around. Yeah. Lori, this is a shovel. Yes. Oh, thank you, Robert. So, measurements all the way down the front, all the way up the back. These are my patents. Oh, yes, ma'am. Is this a prototype or is this already manufactured? This is just a prototype. We haven't got it manufactured yet. It's a great prototype. Very cool. Thank you. Maddox, I know you look at me and you think he's the outdoorsy one, working with his hands all the time, but I'm actually not. So, if I did not have the Maddox shovel... It's a real pain, and you'd have to get a measuring tape and then see how deep the hole is. I used to actually have to always do that because my mom's a perfectionist. It was always such pain. Maddox, tell us a little bit about your background and how you come up with it. It's so obvious in retrospect, I can't believe you actually got a patent nobody had thought of ahead of you. So, tell us about that. When I was in the fourth grade, I had a class project to make an invention that helped make life easier. And like I said, I always helped my mom landscape, so I made the measuring shovel. And then I went to the Tennessee State Invention Convention, where I won first place. And then after that, I went to the first ever national invention convention in Washington, where I won the Household Tools Award. Really? Yes, ma'am. What made you decide to turn it into a business? Well, we had so many people there say that I should get it patented, and someone from the State Invention Convention knew a patent attorney, and he did a lot of my patent work for free, which was really lucky. Really worked for me for free? Wow. Because that's very expensive. Yes. So that was really nice. Without him, I might not be here today. I'm curious to hear a little bit about your mom and dad and what their backgrounds are. I'm actually a CPA, and I'm actually the CFO of our local school district. Dad is a horticulture major, so that's where some of this comes in. Perfect, yeah. So I own a company with my father where we sell hydraulic tree diggers. It's in your blood, Maddox. Yes, sir. I have a question for you, Maddox. Do you want to license a deal and then just let it happen, or do you want to operate a company? What is your dream? I think either way would be a great way to get my shovel on the market. I mean, licensing would be a really good way. That's what we were thinking about first. But then we thought that manufacturing might also be a great way to do it. These aren't what the actual prototype type would look like. This would be molded and stamped in, which we've talked to a manufacturer and done research, and it would be around $15,000 to $25,000 to make that. If I was going to go buy a shovel, what would I pay for a shovel? Anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. A good one is usually around $30,000. What would it cost if you built in the Maddox special on the shovel? What would the price go up by? We're confident that we can get it made under $10, which is a little bit on the high side. I don't think that it actually would be any added cost. So you could actually put that right into your mold. Right. So you could be actually more competitive and be the only shovel people would want to buy. How do you plan to use the $40,000 that you're requesting? The first $15,000 to $25,000 would be to make the mold for this. And then with the rest of the money, I would get my initial run of shovels made, which we've done some research, and I think 2,000 shovels would be a good initial order. Maddox, I have to tell you, you are so well-spoken and composed. It is such a great reflection on your parents, the way that they've raised you. But, you know, sometimes the product has to speak to you. And if I'm not passionate or see the benefit, I'm probably not the right shark for it. I'm sorry I'm out. Thank you. Guys, I'm kind of in the same boat. Everything I touch, plant-wise, dies. It's because you're not using the right shovel. I didn't even know it was a shovel until you told me. So for those reasons, I'm out. Thank you. The idea is brilliant. If I saw a shovel that didn't have measuring on it and it was the same price as the one beside it, I'd always pick the one with the— Thank you. I mean, that's your basic concept, right? That's a no-brainer. Lori and I have been talking in the background here. You remind us of a deal from the past called Benji Lock, where a young man came up with a better mousetrap than a lock. But he didn't want to be in the lock business. He wanted a partner that could help him find the best manufacturer, best distribution, and license it so he could sit at home, open the envelopes, look at the check, and say, Yippee-yi-yo-kay-yay. And so I'm the licensed guy. Yes, sir. She's fantastic. And I am also a licensed gal. We're going to partner together, and we're going to blow it up. Definitely. What's your offer, guys? Definitely think that we can license this. We don't do this for free. You're in the shark tank now, and we're sharks. Yes, sir. Here's the deal. We're going to give you the $40,000. We want 30% because you're getting two sharks. We want 15% each. Oh, that's because it's fun. That's why they call it the shark tank. No, it's a very good deal. You're getting two sharks. So what a family. You guys are, like, awesome. The way you've invested in your kids. The type of love is incredible. It's really amazing. They're pretty great. Aw. So I think it'd be fun to work with you guys. I would offer you $40,000 for 25% of the company on an operational basis. We would build this. I do know a lot of the big guys from the big boxes. I think it really is a question of what you want to do. What do you want to do, Maddox? Maddox, this is great. And you have two paths. This is so exciting. You have one route, which is licensing. And Daniel just loves you guys. He's feeling the love in the air. I'm adopting you. No, you're adopting me. But he wants to operate and build the business. By the way, that doesn't mean... What do you want to do? That doesn't mean that we won't do potential deals. But we'll figure it out together. Now, what do you want to do, Maddox? Lori and Mr. Wonderful, would y'all be willing to go to 25% for $40,000? Nope. You got two sharks. Maddox, I cannot be a discount shark. I'm a premium shark. Can you dig it? Would y'all be willing to go to $50,000? Maddox negotiates. Maddox, high five. No. Shark tank. It's a great deal for you, Maddox. You really should think this through. It's hard to get two sharks ever. These two sharks, El Supremo. Can you dig it? Mr. Wonderful and Lori, you got a deal. That's great. Congratulations. Such a great idea. That was great. Nice to meet you. Well, congratulations. Congrats, guys. Good job, Maddox. Well done. Kevin, maybe you are not the cold-hearted vulture we thought. What do you mean he is? He wouldn't give him that extra 10K. He was just afraid to be embarrassed by Maddox. Good job, buddy. I thought Daniel's offer was really good, but I thought Kevin and Lori's offer was just really good about their vision to get my product licensed and out there. I thought that would be the best for me. 1, 2, 3. The Mentoring Trouble.