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Making $25k/month selling chocolate dicks

144 points| Redoubts | 7 years ago |failory.com | reply

53 comments

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[+] dawhizkid|7 years ago|reply
Makes sense in the Instagram-optimized commerce world we live in now. People will pay a premium if something makes a good Instagram post (I would put a chocolate dick in this category).

Walking around NYC (maybe less so SF for now) I saw many restaurants repaint exterior walls with angel wings, quotes, neon lights, etc. that were all meant to entice people to take pictures and tag the location on Instagram as a marketing tool. Maybe semi-depressingly so if you're going into e-commerce or otherwise selling some physical good your first marketing question should be "will this look good on Instagram?"

[+] muzz|7 years ago|reply
In popular cities with famous landmarks, there are many "tours" (and Airbnb "experiences") that consist of simply a photographer taking pictures of you in front of these famous landmarks, ostensibly for Instagram. They often differentiate themselves based on the Instagram cred of the photographer.
[+] georgiecasey|7 years ago|reply
i've always wondered, is it in anybody's interest for these revenue numbers to be correct? both the business and the indiehacker clone website know a bigger number is a better story.
[+] skinnymuch|7 years ago|reply
Yes something I always wonder and assume many large numbers are [excessively] exaggerated. I’m surprised this concern doesn’t crop up more here. Someone usually brings it up, but not as much as I’d expect.
[+] DAYD|7 years ago|reply
A little late to the party, but i was just told this has been shared on Hacker News.

My name is Adam and I am the creator of Dick At Your Door.

Happy to answer any questions people have. Apologies if my formatting is poor. I’m unfamiliar with the forum.

Glad you all have gotten a laugh!

[+] coldtea|7 years ago|reply
Isn't having only this option sexist? Where's the "Pussy at your door"? (though understandably that might be confused for a kitten adoption service)
[+] wjp3|7 years ago|reply
Reminds me of the service years ago that you could send dog shit to someone. There were three levels, all the way up to a dump from 'Buster'.
[+] bobwaycott|7 years ago|reply
Do you mean shitsenders.com? That was the best. I don’t recall Buster, but I do recall them offering cow, elephant, and gorilla shit.
[+] itronitron|7 years ago|reply
For some reason I doubt that Buster is a dog.
[+] jsjohnst|7 years ago|reply
Further proof you can make money literally doing anything if you are persistent and able to learn along the way.
[+] hn_throwaway_99|7 years ago|reply
I really liked this article, and I thought it really embodied a "hacker" ethos, in doing something originally for personal enjoyment, then realizing it had potential and growing it into a business.

I also really liked this paragraph from a business perspective:

Lastly, this product is viral in nature. People think it’s funny to post about sending a chocolate penis to someone in the mail. Because most people are not sending it to themselves, we always include an offer code and a way to get to our site in every order. It is a literally a direct marketing campaign paid for by our customers.

[+] cyberferret|7 years ago|reply
I would also look at this as a lesson that anything that might seem weird/odd/strange/abhorrent/unworkable to yourself still has the potential to be a successful money making venture.

One of my biggest problems with starting and growing a business is that I tend to put too much of my own biases and perceptions on things, and tend to dismiss anything outside of that as being outside the norm. This article is a reminder to keep an open mind, always.

[+] coldtea|7 years ago|reply
More like proof that some random ideas can catch on.
[+] rectang|7 years ago|reply
Have they pursued a relationship with Spencer's Gifts? Because that's where I would have expected to find this product.
[+] chickenfries|7 years ago|reply
Would you eat something that you bought from a Spencer's Gifts?
[+] booleandilemma|7 years ago|reply
I would love to send a chocolate dick to a company I previously worked for.
[+] protomyth|7 years ago|reply
Yeah, I’m sure multiple delivered in a bag would do fairly well.
[+] tmaly|7 years ago|reply
I wonder what am I doing wrong, 25k is a good chunk of change
[+] paulcole|7 years ago|reply
It’s likely gross sales and there are multiple employees.
[+] dwaltrip|7 years ago|reply
You are doing nothing wrong. It is risky business to measure oneself against the people that one reads about. Occasionally, it is productive and motivating, but I think it can often be unproductive or harmful.
[+] duxup|7 years ago|reply
>we can’t find ways to market to the people who don’t know they need to buy a chocolate dick

Can confirm, I didn't know I needed this service.

[+] theriddlr|7 years ago|reply
I had difficulty sourcing chocolate penises for a gag Easter egg gift. Ended up buying a homemade one off eBay just wrapped in cellophane. I thought it'd be a great business idea – no overhead and not holding unsold stock.
[+] gitgud|7 years ago|reply
Y Combinator's motto is: "Make Something People Want"

I guess it speaks for it self in this case...

[+] DoreenMichele|7 years ago|reply
This is not the first time I have read a story about someone sort of stumbling into a viable business. I'm jealous of that aspect, though I don't think I would want this exact business.
[+] yeukhon|7 years ago|reply
I will create a business called "Eat Your Face" by printing a mold of your face and send it over to you. I wonder if that gets $25K a month. Actually, you know what, I will look into this business. I will copy.
[+] mirimir|7 years ago|reply
I was expecting fabrication of custom dicks ;)
[+] jackconnor|7 years ago|reply
Best headline in HN history
[+] Redoubts|7 years ago|reply
Not affiliated with this company at all, but I’m really happy this is my first front page submission.
[+] mikec3010|7 years ago|reply
I'm offended. Remove this at once dang. This is gender stereotyping and misogyny. We don't need this kind of harangueing in here.