2.5M views · May 19, 2017 · 41:39 · 6 HN recommenders · 20 mentions · discussed 2017–2026
AvE tears down the Juicero cold-press juicer, examining its heavily machined parts, electronics and the pricey juice packs. He pokes fun at the product and venture-funded culture along the way.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN treats it as the classic teardown and the go-to example of over-engineered hardware built without real-world constraints.
“A beautiful technical / engineering take on why Juicero failed”HN comment, 2017
“A beautiful technical / engineering take on why Juicero failed”
Engineering teardown explaining why Juicero failed
Thanks for this feed example. Found this gem in there. A beautiful technical / engineering take on why Juicero failed, after he takes apart a brand new Juicero => this video
“For me, it's his masterpiece.”
Design for manufacture insights with humorous jabs at VC culture
Seconded. I especially recommend his teardown of the Juicero, in which he displays his insights into design for manufacture, plastics, metallurgy, electrical engineering, etc, peppered with hilarious and insightful jabs at VC culture. For me, it's his masterpiece. this video My wife recently watched all 45 minutes and was entertained throughout, despite her not being technical at all. Speaking of which, I also share a distaste for his "engineering boys club" sense of humour. I think his heart is in the right place (though who knows?), but it's definitely from another era, one that I won't be sad to see fade off into the distance. That being said, the rest of the components of his humour (obscure Canadianisms, etc) are great and I enjoy the particularity of it. EDIT: added link
“His teardown of the Juicero is a classic”
Classic product teardown by AvE
You'll probably like the product teardowns of youtube user AvE. He usually does tools, but also the random appliance or product from time to time. His teardown of the Juicero is a classic: this video
“He did a great and hilarious teardown of that failed Juicero product”
Hilarious teardown noting how overengineered and costly the product is
He did a great and hilarious teardown of that failed Juicero product that came out a year or so ago [1], noting how ridiculously overengineered and expensive it is to produce. 1: this video
“there's a video on youtube of a guy literally tearing a Juicero apart and it's hilarious”
Hilarious teardown of a Juicero
You just reminded me there's a video on youtube of a guy literally tearing a Juicero apart and it's hilarious: this video
“There is a great tear-down video of a juicero on YouTube”
Commentary on how every part is over-engineered
There is a great tear-down video of a juicero on YouTube where the guy makes comments the whole way through about how every part is ridiculously over-engineered: this video
“AvE also did a teardown. It's 40 minutes long”
Long AvE teardown of the Juicero
AvE also did a teardown. It's 40 minutes long, and evidently I watched the whole thing according to YouTube. this video
“AvE tore one of their machines down awhile back[0].”
Teardown shows the machine was over-engineered
AvE tore one of their machines down awhile back[0]. It's so over engineered, I was wondering how they'd ever make money back with their business model. [0] this video
“AvE tore one down. It really was well-built.”
Teardown shows build quality
AvE tore one down. It really was well-built. Too much so, really. this video (possibly NSFW for language - use headphones)
“This thing will last forever, but it's a machine to squeeze pre-masticated fruit in a plastic bag that costs $400.”
Juicer built without constraints, probably sold at a loss
He sums this up well [1] (paraphrasing): > This is what you get with no constraints. Building something that lasts and doesn't break the bank is what's hard. This thing will last forever, but it's a machine to squeeze pre-masticated fruit in a plastic bag that costs $400. I've watched this before and just skipped through to find that bit, but I'm fairly certain he also mentions at one point how they're almost certainly selling the juicer itself at a loss, which makes the whole thing that much more absurd. [1] this video
Sources for the claim Juicero sold at a loss
> I'm fairly certain he also mentions at one point how they're almost certainly selling the juicer itself at a loss Here: this video and here: this video
“See also AvE's video[1] where he opens a bag”
Shows the packet contents and heavy machined parts
Nope; check it out: link That's mostly carrot (+lemon and orange) but still it's very dry. See also AvE's video[1] where he opens a bag and its full of processed but still largely intact pomegranate. You can squeeze most of a first glass out by hand[2] but that's about it. To get the rest out a press really is necessary- but Juicero isn't just a press. It's massive machined aluminum billets and expensive gears and a custom motor. The huge aluminum parts are likely the biggest cost sink- hundreds of dollars, easily. If they had made the things out of extrusions they could have saved 80%+ on the cost. Just goofy all around. edit: also this... enthusiastic gentleman, who is pretty enthusiastic about the contents of the bag[3] [1]: this video [2]: link [3]: link
“An infamous example would be the Juicero juicer[0].”
Infamous example of over-engineered design
> Most confounding to Munro and his team was the body construction of the Model 3. "This car is the heaviest body-in-white I've ever seen," he said, calling the construction "ridiculous" and highlighting areas where Tesla needlessly added weight with things like excess metal flanges and overlapping layers of steel. "This adds weight without value," he said. Optimizing structural design is hard. There are plenty of examples of talented young engineers with lots of budget who can make a really clever and strong design, but it will frequently also be overengineered and far over weight or cost for its design purpose. An infamous example would be the Juicero juicer[0]. It takes a lot of experience and knowledge to make a highly optimized frame or structural component. [0] this video
“what happens when some C-level decision makers let the engineering staff go wild with no real world constraints”
Hardware built with no real-world constraints
Pretty much everything you just wrote is applicable to the Juicero hardware. Business model set entirely aside for a moment, its hardware is an example of what happens when some C-level decision makers let the engineering staff go wild with no real world constraints: link this video
“the device was ridiculously overbuilt, see this teardown by everyone's favorite canadian dad”
Shows the device was overbuilt and sold at a loss
And it was selling at a loss as well; the device was ridiculously overbuilt, see this teardown by everyone's favorite canadian dad: this video
“actually some decent engineering work, but a hairbrained product in the first place.”
Decent engineering but a doomed product
I watched a tear down of one of their machines, actually some decent engineering work, but a hairbrained product in the first place. this video
“Over engineered to the max [1] to literally squeeze a bag of juice...”
Over-engineered to the max just to squeeze a bag
Reminds me of the juicero. Over engineered to the max [1] to literally squeeze a bag of juice... [1] this video
“I'm not a mechanical engineer”
Basis for impression of an engineer-driven company
I'm not a mechanical engineer, so I base my "overly engineer-driven" impression of the company almost solely on this video: this video
“people can spend tons of time and money building over-engineered juicers”
Juicero as example of over-funded over-engineering
Exactly. With the current over-funded startup market people can spend tons of time and money building over-engineered juicers: this video - and their software equivalent. So many companies would be just fine with a single VPS, Python and PostgreSQL - but that's boring and doesn't look good in your resume =)
“Top shelf industrial design.”
It lacks an adequate delivery system and recurring revenues. If we could construct some sort of machine to conveniently squeeze the slurry out of the packaging to spare our consumers the hassle you'd really be unto something. Top shelf industrial design. No funny business: this video
