Shark Tank myth: a celebrity cameo means instant success, or at the very least, a Shark nibble. Nope. Just ask Bruce Gaither, the guy behind No Fly Cone, who turned up in Season 4 (episode 8) rocking a fly trap, a cowboy hat, and Seth MacFarlane as his sidekick. If you’ve ever watched the Tank thinking, If only I had a famous friend, get ready for a reality check.
Most viewers expected fireworks—maybe a feeding frenzy. Instead, what we got was a true Shark Tank lesson on what matters: product, market fit, and execution. Fame doesn’t always convert to fortune, especially when flies and horse manure are your core business.
2. Meet the Founder and the Celebrity Wild Card
Let’s talk founder. Bruce Gaither: horseman, hustler, stables operator. He knows his community, and he’s lived the stink of the fly problem. That’s a founder who gets the pain point firsthand, not just chasing a buck.
Enter Seth MacFarlane, the Family Guy guy. No, Seth wasn’t a co-founder. He wasn’t in for a cut of the action. He was there for one reason: he’d been Bruce’s customer at the stables, he liked the idea (or at least his pal), and he could help sell the pitch. Shark Tank history is packed with celebrity adjacent pitches, but this one? It felt honest—no glitz, just a handshake in the barn.
But here’s the thing about stars: their shine doesn’t make the numbers any less important.
3. What Makes No Fly Cone Different?
So, what is No Fly Cone, and why should barn owners care? Picture this: sticky fly paper, but the ugly graveyard of bugs is hidden away. No Fly Cone is a transparent adhesive cone you stake around manure piles. Flies get baited—usually by dog or animal droppings—crawl up, then get stuck inside, out of sight, out of mind.
Bruce was aiming right at horse owners and barn managers—folks who fight flies every spring. The pitch was simple: why settle for gross fly strips or bug zappers when you can hide the problem and keep things prettier (if still smelling a little off)?
Was it a technical breakthrough? Not really, but it solved a real, muddy problem in horse country. I’ve seen founders go big with less.
4. Pitch Breakdown: The Ask, the Valuation, and the Sharks’ Reaction
Now, the moment every founder dreads: numbers on the screen, Sharks locked in. Gaither’s ask? $25,000 for 15%. That slaps a $166,667 valuation on the table—a price that says, Look, this is a small, niche bet, but I’m not giving it away.
Seth MacFarlane playing hype man didn’t help. Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, and the rest sized up the product and saw an uphill slog. The manure-as-bait bit wasn’t charming Lori. Robert, ever the optimist, struggled to picture it scaling past a handful of ranches.
In short? They saw a local hero, not a national blockbuster. Nobody bit. No Fly Cone joined the long list of no deal pitches. That moment says a lot: bring a celeb, bring a slick prototype, but if the Sharks can’t see real margins and scale, they’re not cracking their wallets.
5. Net Worth and Valuation After Shark Tank
Let’s talk hard numbers—the thing too many founders dodge. Bruce was pitching a company worth $166,667 according to his ask. But let’s be honest: until someone writes a check or buys the product in bulk, that valuation is fiction.
No Fly Cone walked out without cash, without offers, but with some exposure. Did it help? Not much. SharkWorth and other trackers show no credible post-Tank boom—no rush from Tractor Supply, no Amazon buzz, not even a late-night infomercial burst.
As of 2024, the net worth is next to nothing. No public revenue. No material assets. Valuation after the cameras? Pretty much zero. I’ve seen brands ride Shark Tank for years (Bombas, Scrub Daddy), building real equity. This wasn’t one of them.
6. Is No Fly Cone Still a Thing?
Here’s where the mystery unravels: Is No Fly Cone still alive? If you chase it down on Google, you’ll find nothing but old media, Shark Tank reruns, and the odd horse forum thread asking if anyone’s seen a pack on shelves recently.
No Amazon link. No official site pushing orders. No store carrying it in 2024. If you’re looking to fight flies in your barn, you’ll have better luck slapping up an old-school strip.
Entrepreneur lesson? TV exposure is oxygen, not fuel. You need to hustle for distribution, keep inventory moving, and stay present online. Bruce and No Fly Cone faded fast. There’s no pulse—this company is as quiet as a barn at midnight.
7. The Lessons: Why the Sharks Closed the Door
Everyone loves to armchair quarterback Shark Tank deals, but let’s cut to what really happened. Here are the classic landmines that sunk No Fly Cone:
- Niche Market Overload: The Sharks saw a product only horse barns would care about. If your total addressable market tops out at angry ranchers with manure piles, scaling gets tough.
- Weak Differentiation: Sure, the cone hid flies—but Lori nailed it. You can buy sticky tape at any hardware store, minus the odor, with decent results.
- Bait Problem: The put dog crap in a cone for bait pitch was just too weird for most Sharks (and buyers). Put off your audience, and you limit your own market.
- No Clear Path to Growth: The lack of sales and no distribution channels meant no proof of concept on a big scale. Sharks love a scrappy startup. But they want to see some numbers, some traction. Not just a clever prototype.
And here’s my take: You can have a solid pain point, even a little local buzz, but if you can’t point to predictable, scalable revenue, you’re sunk. Especially with a product that leans on unsavory bait.
8. Conclusion: No Fly Cone’s Final Chapter
So what’s the legacy here? No Fly Cone was real, it nailed a niche, and Bruce got to pitch with one of Hollywood’s biggest names in his corner. But fame alone isn’t a business model. If you can’t build distribution, nail product-market fit, and solve for scale, you’re fighting an uphill battle.
For grinders watching at home: don’t be blinded by guest stars or gimmicks. Nail your numbers. Test your channel. Understand where your audience lives beyond your backyard.
Was No Fly Cone a bad idea? Not at all. Did Bruce hustle? Yes. But sometimes the best you get out of this game is tough feedback, a little airtime, and a lesson for next time.
Curious about similar misfires or surprise Shark Tank wins? SharkWorth tracks the real story after the pitch—exits, flops, comebacks, and all.
FAQs
1. Is No Fly Cone Shark Tank Still in Business?
No, it’s inactive. No Fly Cone has no online presence or stores carrying it in 2024.
2. Where Can You Buy No Fly Cone Now?
Nowhere. There’s no retail or online availability as of 2024—it’s not stocked on Amazon, eBay, or any major feed supply stores.
3. Did Seth MacFarlane Get a Stake in the Company?
No. Seth appeared as a supporter, not an investor or co-owner. He’s just friends with Bruce Gaither.
4. How Much Was No Fly Cone Worth on Shark Tank?
Bruce valued it at $166,667 (asking $25K for 15%), but no deal was made, and that valuation was never realized.
5. Why Did the Sharks Pass on No Fly Cone?
Too niche, no clear path to scale, and the bait (animal crap) turned off the Sharks and likely future buyers.
6. What Made This Fly Trap Supposedly Better Than Others?
It hid the dead flies inside the cone—out of sight, less disgusting. But the difference wasn’t enough to drive big demand.
7. Did No Fly Cone Make Money After the Show?
No documented revenue or market growth. It didn’t catch on post-Shark Tank.
8. Are There Any Plans to Bring No Fly Cone Back?
Zero updates or relaunch plans have surfaced since the original episode aired. The brand is essentially dead.
That’s the grit behind No Fly Cone’s Shark Tank saga. Want more real-talk business breakdowns? SharkWorth’s where the receipts are. Find out who’s swimming, who’s sinking, and what you need to watch for if you’re next in the Tank.
