Let’s bust one of the biggest Shark Tank myths straight away: not every memorable pitch turns into a million-dollar windfall. Some products land with a splash but end up dead in the water, and not because the founders were clueless. The Original Profender’s journey is a live-wire case in point. If you think a flashy season appearance (Shark Tank, Season 3, Episode 8 for everyone keeping score) means your product is set for life, you haven’t seen the real numbers or the real grind.
What Was Profender? Setting the Stage on Shark Tank
Profender was a physical training device for basketball—the kind of thing that only someone who really knows the pain of coaching would invent. The founder, Tony Devine (shoutout to his son, Devon, for being the demo guy), showed up looking for $75,000 for 15% equity. Not the wildest ask. He promised to replace the old coach’s broomstick trick for good.
Why do I love this sort of pitch? Because guys like Tony aren’t idea guys in a garage with blueprints—they’re hands-on, in-the-gym, fixing what bugs them every practice. This is the hustle at its most real. But it’s also risky as hell.
What Problem Did Profender Set Out to Solve?
If you’ve ever trained hoopers, you know the drill. You want your shooters to practice contested shots. You don’t have a full bench of defenders to spare. You grab a broom, wave it in their face, and hope the kid learns to shoot over pressure. That’s old-school, janky, and not even close to how real games feel.
Profender tried to solve that. The device let one coach (or heck, even a parent) roll a padded defender at the player in real time. No volunteers required, and no more backboards scratched by brooms. The value prop? More realistic reps, fewer jammed fingers, sharper shooters. In theory: every coach’s dream.
But here’s the street truth: Coaches and players will innovate with anything within reach—they aren’t quick to drop big money unless it truly moves the needle. Profender was smart, but was it ten times better than a broom? That’s what the Sharks were sniffing out.
The Profender Shark Tank Pitch: Humor, Hype, and the “Offender” Moment
If you want to land memorable on Shark Tank, take a note from Tony. He didn’t just pitch; he made it fun. He had Mark Cuban (yes, the Dallas Mavericks guy with actual championship rings) out there demoing. The cherry on top—he rolled out the Offender, a cutout with Kevin O’Leary’s mug photo-smacked onto the product for comic effect. You think O’Leary likes being called an offender? You could tell even the Sharks were caught off guard—and they’ve seen a thousand weird gadgets.
Tony gave what every entrepreneur should: a punchy, live demo with a side of showmanship. Honestly, it didn’t just move the needle; it made an impression. Does making the Sharks laugh matter? Sure. But will it move units? Read on.
The Profender Numbers: Sales, Net Worth, and the Price Tag Problem
Now for the part every hustler cares about—the numbers. Before Shark Tank, Tony had moved $25,000 worth of product in Year 1. We’re talking out of the back of his car selling—no big box orders, no VC backers, just him grinding. Respect.
But the price? $499.95 per device. For most coaches, that’s new-uniform money or a tournament entry fee, not a practice gadget. It’s a hard sticker when your main competitor is a kitchen broom that costs ten bucks.
How about after the pitch? Post-show, Profender sold about 10 more units, five of those in one go to a Cincinnati trainer. That’s it. No hockey-stick sales curve, no overnight empire. You ask net worth? Nothing that’d floor you. Add up every sale, call it around $30K in product ever moved. For those searching Profender Shark Tank net worth, that’s the truth.
Was there potential for more? Sure, if the NBA or a D1 school did a bulk order. But those deals never happened.
Why the Sharks Passed: Market Size and Scaling Issues
Every founder who’s actually pitched knows this feeling: You think your baby’s going to wow the room, but suddenly, the sharks start circling with cold questions. That’s what Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, and the rest did here.
What were they worried about? Simple:
- Price was too high for most schools and coaches.
- The product solved a *real* problem, but it was super-niche. Basketball coaches, sure. Who else?
- Scaling was a nightmare—big, physical products are tough to crank out, ship, and demo.
- No one saw a $10 million TAM (total addressable market), no matter how good Tony’s demo was.
That’s the truth about Shark Tank. Is it a business or a product? Sharks love to ask that one. In this case, Profender didn’t pass the test. I’ve seen companies flop for less. These issues weren’t about hustle—they were about market math.
What Happened After Shark Tank? The Profender Post-Mortem
Here’s where Shark Tank gets real. You think every product that gets buzz is set? Nope. Tony got some media juice, but sales only ticked up by 10 units. Coaches nodded. Some wanted one. But that premium price and the do I really need it? factor always killed the deal.
There were whispers about celebrity trainers showing interest. That never led to a contract. The website with all the hype? It’s dark now, and SharkWorth—one of the few places tracking these stories—confirmed by late 2023: Profender was out of business.
This is classic; I’ve watched As Seen on TV stars sell out the week after their episode—then fizzle by month two. When you’re selling hardware, no matter how good your demo is, you need volume and a way to get the product cheaply in front of real buyers. Profender missed both.
The Founder: Why Tony Devine Gave This a Real Shot
Let’s give Tony Devine some respect. He wasn’t a chatty Silicon Valley bro. He was a special education teacher and a basketball coach. This was a man who loved working with kids, who cared about the craft more than cashing out. He liked being an assistant coach—more time with players, less paperwork. Guys like him don’t show up looking to sell snake oil. He found a pain point and tried to fix it.
Did he get rich? No. Did he try every angle, grind in person, and take a smart shot? Absolutely. If more would-be founders had his real-world perspective (and less disruption talk), we’d all waste less time chasing dead-end ideas.
Is Profender Still Around? The Endgame for This Shark Tank Product
There’s nothing sad or scandalous about closing shop. By late 2023, Profender had officially shut down. The last fizzled web updates tell the story. The market was too tight, the margins too slim, and the cost too tall for most buyers. This wasn’t a branding fail—it was a math doesn’t work fail. Even the slickest pitch can’t fix that.
SharkWorth, the business-tracker site, lists Profender as out of business. The device became a fun Shark Tank memory, not a mainstay in gyms nationwide. Sometimes hustle just isn’t enough—especially with a niche hardware product at a premium price.
Lessons From Profender: What Every Founder Should Actually Learn
This isn’t a story of a lazy inventor. Here’s what really matters if you ever want to pitch to sharks—or sell anything at scale:
1. Solve a True Pain, but Aim Wide Enough
Profender was good for basketball coaches—period. But that market, at $500 a pop, is tiny. Can you take your idea beyond your own tribe? That’s the difference between a nice hustle and a real business.
2. Pricing Will Make or Break You
The Sharks zeroed in on the $499.95 price. The product had to be ten times better than a broom to get buyers on board. Investors know: If there’s a hacky solution that’s 95% as good, and 98% cheaper, you’re in trouble.
3. Physical Products Need Scale, Fast
Shipping, storage, demoing—they’re brutal for big, heavy products. If you can’t make it cheap and ship it everywhere, margins eat you alive.
4. Celebrity Endorsement Isn’t a Business Model
Everyone wants the NBA coach deal. Most never get it. You can’t build a business on what might happen.
5. Shark Tank Is a Launchpad, Not a Lifeboat
A good pitch and a handshake with Mark Cuban are not enough. You need product-market fit, repeatable sales, and margins that leave room to breathe.
6. Be a Realist AND a Hustler
Tony Devine had his eyes open. He knew the grind. He worked the phone, the car trunk, and every angle. His failure was market-driven, not from a lack of work.
If you’re thinking about chasing your side hustle—or standing in front of the Sharks—burn this story into your brain. Pitch hard, but do the math first. If your customers shake their heads at the price, listen. And sometimes, closing shop is a win. You get your time back, you keep your pride, and you’ve got a killer story for anyone who asks, Did you ever pitch that wild idea?
Profender Shark Tank: Your Real Takeaway
Profender was fun, smart, and built to solve a real training pain. Tony Devine cared—he just didn’t have a big enough market and a low enough sticker. No deal on Shark Tank. No backup miracle after the cameras quit rolling. But plenty of lessons for every entrepreneur out there.
Don’t get lost in the TV magic. Listen to the numbers, know your market, and hustle honestly. The real game happens after you walk off that carpet. And most days, it looks way more like Tony Devine’s story than a Scrub Daddy fairytale.
Give it your best. But keep your eyes wide open on what really scales.
FAQs on Profender Shark Tank
Is Profender from Shark Tank still in business?
No, Profender is out of business. The product is no longer for sale.
How much money did Profender make after Shark Tank?
Just about 10 more units sold after the episode—no post-show windfall.
How much did each Profender cost?
The retail price was $499.95.
Did any of the Sharks invest in Profender?
No deal. Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, Robert Herjavec, and the rest all passed.
Why did Profender fail after Shark Tank?
Too small a market, too high a price, and too hard to scale.
Who was behind Profender?
Tony Devine—a special education teacher and basketball coach who saw a gym problem and tried to fix it.
What episode featured Profender on Shark Tank?
Season 3, Episode 8.
Did Profender ever get a celebrity endorsement?
Interest, yes. But nothing that stuck or moved the needle.
For full Shark Tank business stories, check sites like SharkWorth to see who’s still swimming and who sank.
If you want to win in the startup world, learn from both kinds of outcomes. The wild successes AND the honest misses. That’s where the smart money plays.
