Dan Killian left his lucrative job after nine years and moved in with his parents. He then came up with his card game called Pricetitution.
Pricetitution is an adult card game based on the premise that everyone has their price. Inspired by conversations with friends and family, Pricetitution tries to connect people by guessing what price will convince their friends or family to carry out a particular task. According to the game, a fun play on the word prostitute, a pricetitute is a person willing to do things for money.
Once this premise is established, the game’s rules are pretty simple. One player pulls out the price tag-shaped card and becomes the pricetitute. The card has some wild hypothetical scenario written on it, and the other players have to guess how much money the pricetitute will be willing to take to carry out that task. With absurd questions like how much money you will be willing to take to wear a diaper under your clothes, the game is sure to be the source of some hilarious nights with your friends and family.
Pricetitution is one of the most creative and innovative products out of Shark Tank, and its success speaks for itself. The card game is wildly popular, and rough estimates show that it has now transformed into a multimillion-dollar business. The game holds the distinction of being the first Shark Tank card game investment, and there are several reasons to believe the card game will continue to rise in popularity.
How Did The Shark Tank Pitch Go?
Killian’s Shark Tank pitch showcased his creative side and hooked the Sharks from the get-go. In one of the most exciting and innovative pitches on Shark Tank, Killian and his parents played out a little role play outlining his life experiences. The entrepreneur told the Sharks that he had quit his job of nine years and moved in with his parents. As a result, he developed a card game called Pricetitution. Killian asked for $100,000 in return for
Killian and his parents then introduced the Sharks to the concept of a pricetitute and how the game worked. They handed out the games to the Shark, who appreciated the price tag-shaped cards. The Sharks then played a game round to understand its dynamics better. The game was a hit as the Sharks engaged in playful banter over Kevin O’Leary wearing wet socks. This practical demonstration piqued interest in the product further.
Killian then revealed that he had offers from the largest board game and toy manufacturers. Despite the lucrative deals, Kilian had reasons to turn down the proposals as he believed they were not the right course of action for their products to explode. This information was met by a surprised O’Leary, who claimed that he thought the idea was absurd before, but it might have a lot of potential.
Mark Cuban declined to make an offer as he feared getting sued if someone acted out the questions. Due to the adult nature of the game, he was afraid it might lead to media scrutiny. All the other Sharks remained on board and were interested in making offers.
O’Leary was the first with an offer of $100,000 for 50%. Rohan Oza was impressed with Killian’s brand building and offered $ 100,000 for 40% of the business. Lori Greiner followed suit with an identical offer.
Barbara Corcoran liked the concept but wanted to let people make up their questions to have a more personalized game-playing experience. She offered $100,000 for a 50% stake. Oza and Greiner decided to join forces and offered a joint deal.
Killian was initially skeptical about the equity size but accepted Greiner and Oza’s offer.
Our Review of Pricetitution
Pricetitution is unlike any of the products previously featured on Shark Tank. The game has a lot of advantages that lead to a memorable night. A few issues can also be ironed out to make the game an even more brilliant experience.
Pros of Pricetitution
- It can be played by several players.
- It can be abandoned at any point without having to figure out the game state when the game later resumes.
- Hilarious and absurd questions
- Compact and easy to take anywhere
- 130 cards ensure plenty of questions for every player
- Include mini pencils and note pads to write down the guesses
Cons of Pricetitution
- Some of the content might not be suitable for family gatherings.
- Some of the users found the game childish
- No way to customize questions
- The game is more of a conversation starter. Therefore, it depends on the players’ wittiness rather than the actual game being entertaining.
Who Is It For?
The game markets itself as an adult game due to the nature of the content. Therefore, the game is targeted toward an adult demographic. It is ideal to be played at social gatherings such as bars where no children are around. It is also for people who are tired of small talk and want to spice up the conversation by bringing up topics that are usually avoided. The game also gained popularity during the pandemic as people connected with each other by playing the game over video calls.
Are There Any Alternatives?
The biggest competitor and alternative to this game is Cards Against Humanity. The game was mentioned by Rohan Oza during the Shark Tank pitch and falls neatly in the category of adult card games bringing up uncomfortable yet hilarious questions.
Final Thoughts
Pricetitution is a showcase for Dan Killian’s creativity and a great success story for Shark Tank. The success of the game shows that there truly is a market for products that are unconventional as long as they tap into human psychology. Pricetitution combines the need to socialize with personal entertainment. It helps in connecting friends and family and provides an outlet for conversations that would not have normally started.