RokBlok – What happened to The World’s Smallest Record Player After Shark Tank?

Are you an old soul with a love for old-style vinyl records? If so, this Shark Tank-featured product, “RokBlok” could come in handy for you. RokBlok is supposedly the world’s smallest and most portable Vinyl Record player. Since this product served a rare niche in the market, Robert Herjavec ended up proposing a buyout offer 100% of equity during its Shark Tank deal 7 years ago. This company has been actively engaged among its unique, passionate customer base, and As of March of 2024, RokBloks’ Net Worth was estimated to be at $5 million.

Meet RokBlok’s Founder – Logan Rilley

Logan is the inventor of this cool handy gadget- RokBlok and is from California. He started his career as a Mac specialist at Apple in 2006. In 2007 Logan got promoted to creative lead at Apple. He continued to work in that position till 2012. Then he changed his career to become the lead instructional Engineer at Pandora.

Later in 2014, Logan joined Learn Up as the Head of Learning and Innovations and continued to work there till mid of 2015.

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What actually is “RokBlok”- How Does it work?- the geeky stuff.

RokBlok is 4 x 2 inches long; it is the tiniest, wireless-portable Vinyl Record Player.

Technical Innovations of RokBlok

• Portability and Design: Unlike traditional vinyl players, RokBlok boasts a compact, portable design. It is essentially a small, block-shaped device that plays records by driving itself along the groove of the vinyl, a stark contrast to stationary turntables.
• Wireless Connectivity: RokBlok integrates Bluetooth functionality, allowing it to wirelessly connect to speakers or headphones, enhancing its usability and flexibility. This feature is absent in most traditional turntables that rely on wired connections.
• Ease of Use: The device simplifies the vinyl listening experience with an easy setup, involving just placing the device on a record and lifting a lever to start playing music. Traditional players, while offering more control, can seem daunting to novices due to their more complex operation and setup​ (The Shark Monitor)​.

Comparison to Traditional Vinyl Players

• Sound Quality: Traditional turntables are often prized for their superior sound quality, offering a warm, rich audio experience that audiophiles cherish. While RokBlok has made strides in improving its audio output through versions 1.5 and 2.0, it faces challenges in matching the acoustic fidelity of high-end traditional players, partly due to its size and the technology it employs​ (The Shark Monitor)​.
• Record Handling: One of the critical concerns with RokBlok has been its interaction with vinyl records. Critics and users have raised concerns about potential damage to records due to the device’s movement over them. Traditional turntables, with their stationary needle and arm mechanism, generally pose less risk to vinyl integrity.
• Market Niche: RokBlok targets a niche market of vinyl enthusiasts looking for portability and convenience, potentially attracting younger audiences or those new to vinyl collecting. In contrast, traditional vinyl players appeal more to audiophiles and collectors who prioritize audio quality and the tactile experience of handling vinyl and equipment​ (Info Cycles)​.

It has its own vinyl-safe rubber wheels which makes it capable of playing 33 1/3, and 45 RPM records whereas the built-in analog speakers deliver a pure analog sound. Other attributes comprise the diamond-tipped cartridge, bamboo and MDF structure, and BlueTooth performance from up to 30 feet off.

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Road to Shark Tank

He left his job and started his very own venture called Pink Donut. In fact RokBlok is still a part of this company. Rokblok’s Branding also goes by “RokBlok By Pink Donut” in their website.

“Pink Donut is an idea company that creates products with no set industry, medium, or genre in mind. Here they create things. Different types of things. Things that love and want to share with others.” according to Logan.

Pink Donut is still listed as Logan’s Main Business on his LinkedIn.

Although the first few products that he created through,Pink Donut were not as successful as he anticipated, RokBlok made an instant hit.

In late 2016, Logan took the idea of RokBlok to Kickstarter, where he hosted a Kickstarter campaign with a $50k goal. Logan’s RokBlok made its breakthrough by surpassing its goal with over $350,000 from 3615 backers.

100% For Half A million? This is what happened during the Shark Tank.

During the Shark Tank pitch, Logan, sought $300,000 for a 15% equity stake in his company, valuing it at $2 million. Although there were no much sales figures, the Kickstarter campaigns success lead to this massive valuation.

Riley’s pitch included a demonstration that showcased the product’s uniqueness and functionality, catching the Every Sharks’ interest.

The pitch saw various reactions from the Sharks. Kevin O’Leary made an offer of $300,000 for 50% of the company, highlighting the risks involved with the product’s market and potential patent issues.

However, Robert Herjavec made a more substantial offer, proposing $500,000 for the entire company, which included a $5 per unit royalty and a two-year work contract for Riley. Despite some initial concerns from the Sharks about the product’s market size and competition, Riley accepted Herjavec’s offer, seeing it as an opportunity to scale his invention with the help of a Shark​ like Robert.

After-Shark Tank Update

RokBlok received a lot of attention after the show and increased its orders soon after the show. However there isnt clear information whether the deal closed or not.However according our research online the company unable to send some kickstarter products. Also it seemed that it went out of stock soon too.

After Shark Tank, RokBlok experienced a “Shark Tank effect,” with sales skyrocketing and the product selling out in just four hours post-airing. This exposure also led to partnerships with major retailers like Walmart and West Elm, further expanding its reach. The company addressed initial audio concerns with the launch of RokBlok 1.5, improving features such as the stylus, Bluetooth connectivity, and speaker function. Now, RokBlok continues to innovate with the RokBlok 2.0 available for purchase, showcasing the company’s resilience and ongoing product enhancement efforts​ (Info Cycles)​.

Years after the shark tank appearance, Riley spoke with the Business 2 Community about RokBlok’s experience on the show and their next steps.

Also, Logan launched a new product called Snapbacks. They are flat, decorative backplates for iPhones that can easily be swapped out.

You can also buy this handy record player from their official website even now. Let’s find out how it has reached it’s success and how they came this far with their product RokBlok – A portable Block looking vinyl Record player.

Is RokBlok A rip off Product or is it pure Awesome? Controversy among its users.

According to StackSocial, RokBlok 2.0 has 4 stars out of 5. Some people have loved the product and some think it’s not as good as they expected here are some of the buyer testimonials about Rokblok.

Also Here is what Redditor Deranged40 thought about Rokblok.

I can’t imagine this is a very sought-after product, and I’m kinda surprised they got a deal. Frankly even more surprised to see that their website still seems to be up.

I have quite a vinyl collection and none of them that I care about will ever be touched by this thing. But why would they? I have a much better turntable that likely does less damage to my vinyl (every turntable does some damage while playing, but most turntables mitigate that by counterweights on the tonearm)

It’s $100 – so not really an impulse buy. But if I do buy it, then what? Do I have to take 2-3 vinyls everywhere I go just in case? Can’t really use it “on-the-go” because the vinyl still has to sit pretty still.

u/Deranged40

RokBlok Sales And Revenue

RokBlok was valued at around $2 million when it hit the Shark tank pitch. Also, it raised Kickstarter of $351,816 in 2016. The company started selling about 15 items daily, then quickly grew, selling hundreds of items daily.

Following that, Rokblok has an annual revenue estimated around 01 Million USD. This makes RokBlok worth around 5 Million USD today.

Net Worth growth

Since RokBlok had its exposure from Shark Tank. It grew to be serving a valuable purpose among a niche audience. The niched down approach of RokBlok continues to earn a steady line up of customers around its brand.

How Much Did Robert Herjavec Make From RokBlok

Although Robert Herjavec proposed a 100% buyout deal to RokBlok’s Founder Rilley, It was not revealed publicly if the deal actually did go through after the show. As More than 50% of Shark Tank Deals actually do not fall through after Shark Tank Air due to technical due diligence (post show) and since there is no public involvement with Robert and Rokblok After Shark Tank,It is highly likely that Robert’s Buyout deal didn’t actually go through.

Competitors Of The RokBlok

Even if there aren’t any similar products in the market, other vinyl recorders can be considered primary competitors. Also, Audio-Technica AT-LP60X belt-driven turntable and  Fluance RT85N  are popular.

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