The founder of Father Figure, Andrew Bentley, belongs from Brooklyn, New York. He used to have a great career at Google, where he worked as an executive, but his life changed when his first child was born. In fact, his life started to change when he learned that his wife was pregnant and decided to do some research before his baby boy was born. That is when Andrew realized thousands of products were marketed toward soon-to-be moms but barely any for new dads.
Andrew had always been excited about becoming a father. However, he felt that parenting companies were sexist and did not focus on new dads who had no idea how to raise their kids. Eventually, when his son was born, Andrew decided to give up his wonderful career at Google so that he could take care of his son full-time. During the time he would get between diaper changes and feeds, he started to make the accessories that any father with a baby would need.
After some research, he found that other fathers also felt neglected by parenting companies and decided to introduce a clothing company that would provide fathers with clothes designed especially for them.
In 2016, Andrew ran a campaign on Kickstarter for 30 days, where he was able to get $30,500 in funding. With this money, he arranged for father-friendly clothes to be produced at a factory in Los Angeles. While he was fulfilling orders, a Shark Tank producer reached out to him, and after preparing for 12 hours every day, he was finally ready for his pitch.
When he finally made his pitch at Shark Tank, he organized a small fashion show with two dads who bought their babies on stage. These dads were wearing clothing produced by Andrew- Ezekiel’s shirt had a stylish design and padded shoulder so that his baby could rest his head on his shoulder. Moreover, there was a loop on the hip to store the burp rag.
The next father, Fausto, came wearing the Father Figure denim shirt with convenient loops and soft patches. Andrew explained the comfort and functionality of the shirts to the Sharks and then handed out samples. He told the Sharks that the Father Figure clothing range now included t-shirts, bandanas, and swaddles.
Andrew also explained to the Sharks that he was left alone with his 12-week-old baby for the first time when his wife had to return to work. Whenever he needed a burp rag, he could never find it. He even purchased a button fastener that he could attach to his shirt so that the rag could stay within reach at all times. This idea worked well, so he began to sew patches to his shirts so that his son could comfortably cuddle with him without his sensitive skin getting affected.
Even though Andrew had only launched his company a couple of months ago, his company had made sales worth $33,000. One denim Booker shirt cost $76 to make and retailed for $128. This amount was shocking to the Sharks as they did not estimate this high a price.
Lori liked the idea of Father Figure, but she did not make an offer. Mark was left unimpressed and believed that Andrew’s products were not in demand. Kevin felt the same way as Mark and told Andrew to stop wasting his time on Father Figure.
Even though Daymond and Andrew were the most similar, Daymond did not feel confident in Andrew’s skills to sell his product. Sara was the only Shark interested in Father Figure, but she did not see why men would need pregnancy clothes. Women’s bodies would change before and after pregnancy, so clothing companies targeted mothers. She said that Andrew should continue developing his brand, but she did not have any ideas that would help him.
Our Review of Father Figure
We believe that Andrew came up with a wonderful idea. His brand holds a monopoly in the marketplace since not many companies cater to clothing for fathers.
Pros of Father Figure
Father Figure recognizes the need for clothes made for fathers. It is a company that caters specifically to men rather than women. The idea is innovative and definitely a first in the market since you will not find many shirts for men that come with an extra pocket for burp rags.
Moreover, it is impressive that Father Figure managed to earn $33,000 in sales since its launch. This shows that people are excited about its products.
Cons of Father Figure
The price to make each Father Figure t-shirt is incredibly high because of its production costs. This means that the clothing is not easily accessible to a wide range of customers and only markets to those who can afford it.
Moreover, we are not sure there is a massive market for Andrew’s products. We agree with Sara- women need special clothes before and after birth because their bodies constantly change during this period. The same cannot be said for men.
Moreover, Andrew based his pitch on Shark Tank on the fact that he was a new father. However, as a new father, running a business can be tedious, and the chances of him getting distracted by his responsibilities are high.
Who is Father Figure for?
Father Figure is for men who have kids and would like special clothes for themselves to make their feed and burp time easier.
Are There Any Alternatives?
There are no alternatives to Father Figure in the market. It seems to be the only company out there.
Our Final Thoughts
By July 2019, Father Figure had closed its doors to the public. Andrew could not manage the responsibilities of running a brand-new business alongside raising his son. We liked the concept and thought behind Father Figure, but we think the Sharks made the right decision.
