I’ve been told that I’m very inventive – so inventive, in fact, that I personally know I could have come up with the idea that I just saw on Shark Tank, even though the person pitching it on the show happened to think of it and manufacture it before me.
When I sat down to watch reruns of Shark Tank this morning, I was not prepared for what I was about to witness. Right before me, two people came up to the sharks and told them about a special kind of brownie pan that makes every brownie a corner piece brownie by using a special zig zag pattern, “caramelizing” and “edgifying” each brownie. But what they conveniently forgot to mention is that I would’ve totally come up with that if I’d really put my mind to it a long time ago.
Sure, they already had a patent for their own brownie pan, suggesting that they were the first to claim the design, but I’ve thought about how much I love the brownies on the edges and corners of the pan my whole life, and I obviously could’ve capitalized on that before them if I really wanted to.
Right now, I’m shocked, hurt, and honestly disgusted that someone would steal my idea and present it on national television, even if they “thought” they were the first to come up with it because I hadn’t come up with it yet.
Where are the protections for creative inventors in America? Is no one going to help us? Because even though I didn’t fully come up with the idea for a zig zag baking pan for brownies, I do feel like I’m owed some kind of compensation now.
These two “entrepreneurs” essentially ruined my livelihood by taking away my almost-idea that was going to make me rich and famous, and if no one will hold them accountable for that, then I certainly will.
Not only that, but the sharks even invested in their idea! I looked up the brand of brownie pan and their sales are through the roof. Maybe I should’ve figured that because it was a rerun episode from 2013, but it still hurts nonetheless.
However, even though these nasty, heartless business people stole my idea, I am still going to buy the brownie pan they made, simply because it would just be more difficult for me to make my own competing brand. Like they say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em – so you win this round, fellow entrepreneurs!
