Here’s the scene: two hustlers with an oddball idea walk into Shark Tank, facing a room full of faces you’ve all seen—Cuban, Greiner, Mr. Wonderful, Daymond John, and Peter Jones. The product? MuteMe, an illuminated mute button for virtual meetings. A niche gadget that promises to save you from that awkward You’re on mute! moment during a Zoom call. They didn’t land a deal. But what happened after those three minutes of fame? Is there still cash in the business or did this button get buried? Let’s cut through the sizzle reel and focus on what founders—and curious onlookers—can really learn from the MuteMe Shark Tank story.
What Is MuteMe?
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. MuteMe’s a USB button for muting and unmuting your mic. It’s got a glowing light to show your status—red for muted, green for live. Super simple. If you’ve ever stumble-fumbled to mute yourself on Zoom or Teams, you see the appeal.
But here’s the myth-buster: this isn’t some magic software hack or a complicated gadget. It’s a small, physical button that fixes a common, mostly annoying problem for remote workers and students. Did the world really need a visible you’re muted light? Millions spent a year on video calls, so apparently, yes.
Who Stepped Into the Tank? The Founders’ Inner Circle
Give credit where credit’s due. Parm Dhoot and Tye Davis are the faces behind MuteMe. Both come from tech and business backgrounds, and they hustled this idea when the world was scrambling for work-from-home solutions.
These aren’t founders with Ivy League polish—they’re practical, quick-thinking operators who saw a need and jumped. Their wives even joined the pitch virtually, showing MuteMe in action. Is that a little corny? Maybe. Was it authentic? You bet. They played the family founders card hard—because that’s where business lives or dies.
What Made MuteMe Different?
Let’s not sugarcoat it: mute buttons already exist in your phone, laptop, or on-screen app. But MuteMe brought the mute function into the real, physical world, slapping a glowing indicator right where you can’t miss it.
Here’s why it caught attention:
- Instant, slap-to-mute action.
- Illuminated feedback—no more guessing if you’re muted during a call.
- Plays nice with most big-name video call platforms.
They sold it for $39.99, producing it for about $11 a unit. Not the highest margin in the game, but not bad for hardware. Were people biting? At the time of the pitch, $61,000 of sales, most via Kickstarter.
For context, this is proven concept but not proven market. I’ve seen bigger launches flop, but MuteMe had traction—just not hockey-stick growth.
Shark Tank Pitch Recap: Did They Land a Deal?
Here’s how it went down in the tank (Season 13, Episode 2):
Parm and Tye asked for $200k in exchange for 10% equity. Standard ask for a hardware startup with a vision and some early sales.
A couple of the Sharks perked up, but here’s the harsh reality:
- Daymond John felt the hustle but didn’t believe the market was big (or sticky) enough to justify the work. He floated $200k for 50%. That’s a shark move: show you care, but only at deep discount.
- Peter Jones flirted with investing. He saw the pain point but got hung up on price and whether his team would even use the device.
- Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner were out fast, not buying that MuteMe was more than a nice to have. Built-in muting was too easy, too standard.
End of day: the best offer got pulled, no deal closed. It’s a classic Tank story—a cool demo, some raised eyebrows, then the I’m out catchphrase. I’ve sat in those rooms. When you don’t have proof of scale, Sharks smell the uncertainty.
MuteMe Net Worth: Where Does the Money Stand?
Here’s the raw truth: MuteMe was hoping for a $2 million valuation. The math? $200k for 10%. Investors see sales, team, market, and run that number through the grinder.
At pitch time, they had $61K in sales, mostly off Kickstarter and a tiny experiment in Staples (sold only 150 units there). That’s good for validation but not for a big enterprise valuation. After Shark Tank, the company didn’t implode. Sometimes, a failed deal on national TV becomes a marketing win. They kept grinding.
MuteMe’s net worth isn’t public (not every founder is bragging about bank accounts). But SharkWorth tracks them as still alive—no chapter 11, no quiet shutdown. MuteMe’s not rolling in millions, but it’s not dead weight. Think stable side business, maybe healthy six figures a year, not unicorn status.
Life After the Tank: Still in the Game?
This is where a lot of Tank companies fade. MuteMe didn’t.
The founders took the Shark feedback to heart. They refined the product and doubled down on what worked: direct-to-consumer sales, a clear message, new models like the MuteMe Mini. They haven’t cracked Walmart or Best Buy shelves, but they did what smart founders do—they got scrappy.
They keep their website updated, push sales online, and keep fans engaged. No one’s flying to Bali on MuteMe profits, but the company’s alive and shipping. Sometimes, that’s the only win you can get in scrappy hardware.
Real Talk: What Worked, What Flopped
Let’s break down the game film:
Wins:
- Spotted a real pain during a work-from-home surge.
- Built and shipped hardware—no small feat when global supply chains are a mess.
- Proved some traction, first on Kickstarter, then through their own store.
Slips:
- Slow retail traction. Early interest from Staples didn’t turn into big sales.
- Pricing hurdle. At $39.99, it’s not an impulse buy for remote workers with good enough solutions.
- Too niche? Maybe. Not every business meeting justifies a dedicated mute button.
Big Hustle Moves:
They didn’t fold when Sharks passed. Plenty of founders would have. They kept fixing their weaknesses, testing new versions, getting leaner and smarter.
Real talk—the grind matters more than the splashy pitch. These founders showed they’re not just about a quick exit. That’s what separates a real business operator from a here today, gone tomorrow inventor.
Final Verdict: Will MuteMe Win Long-Term?
Here’s my SharkWorth take after watching hundreds of pitches and building my own hustles:
MuteMe won’t be a household name like Scrub Daddy or Bombas. But it filled a tiny, loud gap for a noisy, remote-work world. The gadget’s not sticky enough for big-box retail, but the business is sustainable direct-to-consumer.
Parm and Tye played the long game—listened, adapted, and didn’t quit when the Sharks passed. In the hustle world, that alone is a minor win. As remote work culture keeps shifting, so does their addressable market.
If you bet on the founders, bet that they’ll keep iterating and squeezing profit from their core users: heavy video call folks, educators, maybe even podcast hosts.
Do I see massive scale or VC moonshots? No. But will they have a profitable niche cash cow for a few more years? Absolutely.
FAQs: Street-Level Answers to Real Questions
1. Is MuteMe from Shark Tank still in business?
Yes, as of 2025, MuteMe is up, running, and selling direct to customers online—check their website for activity.
2. Did MuteMe ever secure a deal after the episode aired?
No big Shark stepped in after filming. They went it alone, kept building. No secret partnerships here.
3. What does MuteMe cost now?
Original MuteMe buttons run about $39.99. Check their site for latest prices—sometimes, Minis or bundles go on sale.
4. Where can I buy MuteMe products?
Directly from the company’s website. Rarely in big-box stores. They doubled down on direct-to-consumer business.
5. Are there big updates or new products from MuteMe?
Yes—MuteMe Mini is in the wild. They continue refining and making gear for remote work life.
6. How much money has MuteMe made since Shark Tank?
Exact numbers aren’t public. They had $61K at the Tank. By all signs, business is modest but steady—think healthy small company, not retire on an island money.
7. Why did the Sharks reject MuteMe?
Most didn’t think the mute button solved a big enough problem—too niche, easily replaced by built-in features.
8. Who are the main people running MuteMe?
Founders Parm Dhoot and Tye Davis. They’ve been the engine since day one. Check SharkWorth for updates if they ever bring in new faces.
The Bottom Line: Not Every Shark Tank Story Is a Fairy Tale—That’s What Makes This Grind Real
Most Shark Tank viewers love the Cinderella story—the quick deal, the overnight blast-off. That’s not every reality. Most of the time, it looks a lot more like MuteMe: a couple of founders with a small win, a failed deal, and a stubborn streak to keep building, even if it’s just one sale at a time.
That’s why the real hustlers will respect what MuteMe did, even if the world doesn’t remember their moment in the tank. They got knocked down, got a little smarter, and kept playing the game. That’s business, and for many of us, that’s success.
