The Rise and Fall of Juicero: Silicon Valley's $120 Million Juicing Catastrophe

Aug 1, 2025

Dive into the wild tale of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to fix a non-existent problem with a $400 juicing machine. Discover founder Doug Evans' ambitious vision and the initial excitement from Silicon Valley investors. But the hype fizzled when a viral video exposed the juicer's unnecessary features. This debacle serves as a lesson in the startup world about the dangers of over-engineering and validating actual consumer needs. It's a cautionary tale wrapped in humor and insight!

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ANECDOTE

Doug Evans' Juice Journey

Doug Evans founded Organic Avenue, one of the first organic cold-pressed juice retailers in the U.S., before Juicero.
After exiting Organic Avenue, he sought to simplify fresh juice consumption with a new machine.

ANECDOTE

Building the Juicero Press

Doug developed the Juicero Press over three years, building 12 prototypes with a large expert team.
The machine was a Wi-Fi connected press that could exert four tons of pressure, touted as revolutionary.

INSIGHT

Complex Model, Complex Challenges

Juicero combined hardware, software, subscription revenue, and data analytics, exciting Silicon Valley investors.
Its complex business model promised innovation but introduced inherent complications for success.

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Today, Sammi dives into the dramatic rise and fall of Juicero, a startup that raised $120 million to solve a problem that didn't exist with an over-engineered solution. Founded by Doug Evans, who aspired to revolutionize the juice industry, Juicero promised a convenient, high-tech juicing machine. Despite backing from major investors like Google Ventures and celebrity endorsements, the company's $400 juicer was exposed as redundant by a viral Bloomberg video. The video revealed that the machine’s expensive features were unnecessary. This debacle led to Juicero’s downfall, highlighting critical lessons about startup culture, over-engineering, and the importance of validating a problem before developing a solution.

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Here’s what Sammi covers today:

00:00 Introduction to Juicero’s Rise and Fall

00:51 Doug Evans: The Visionary Behind Juicero

01:58 The Juicero Press: A Revolutionary Idea

02:40 Silicon Valley's Enthusiastic Response

03:48 The Launch and Initial Success

05:13 The Bloomberg Revelation

07:11 The Aftermath and Lessons Learned

10:55 How to Show Social Currency Some Love

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