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

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. Follow Sammi on Instagram  Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter  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 All investing involves the risk of loss, including loss of principal. Brokerage services for US-listed, registered securities, options and bonds in a self-directed account are offered by Public Investing, Inc., member FINRA & SIPC. Public Investing offers a High-Yield Cash Account where funds from this account are automatically deposited into partner banks where they earn interest and are eligible for FDIC insurance; Public Investing is not a bank. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Bakkt Crypto Solutions, LLC (NMLS ID 1890144), which is licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the NYSDFS. Cryptocurrency is highly speculative, involves a high degree of risk, and has the potential for loss of the entire amount of an investment. Cryptocurrency holdings are not protected by the FDIC or SIPC.  *APY as of 6/30/25, offered by Public Investing, member FINRA/SIPC. Rate subject to change. See terms of IRA Match Program here: public.com/disclosures/ira-match. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices