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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
In October 2025, Doug Evans appeared on Shark Tank to pitch The Sprouting Company<\/a>, a countertop home sprouting system that lets people grow fresh, nutrient-dense sprouts without soil or sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sharks loved it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before the Season 17 episode aired, The Sprouting Company was doing $200,000 in monthly revenue. By December, it hit $540,000. And by March, Evans was tracking over $1 million a month, putting the company on a $12 million annual run rate.<\/p>\n The success felt like the ultimate redemption. His previous venture, Juicero, raised $135 million from top-tier investors before being \u201cpublicly eviscerated\u201d and shut down in what Evans describes as \u201cone of the biggest Silicon Valley failures.\u201d<\/p>\n Evans blames nobody but himself. \u201cI am responsible for 100% of what happened with that company,\u201d he says. After the fiasco, he disappeared into the desert for three years, and resurfaced asking himself one question: \u201cWhat can I do differently?\u201d<\/p>\n He joined me on the One Day with Jon Bier <\/a>podcast to share the lessons from his comeback: how he let go of control, changed his mindset, and learned to shift his priorities from selfishness to selflessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Here\u2019s Exactly How to Score an Investment From Shark Tank\u2019s Robert Herjavec<\/strong><\/p>\n The first thing Evans did differently was pick a new product. \u201cSprouting is so much better than juicing,\u201d he says. Why? \u201cJuice had a short shelf life, required complex packaging and refrigerated distribution. When you\u2019re dealing with things that are fresh and perishable, there\u2019s a very low margin.\u201d<\/p>\n With The Sprouting Company, Evans isn\u2019t selling sprouts\u2014he\u2019s selling convenience. \u201cI inform and educate and distribute seeds with hardware so people can grow their own,\u201d he explains. Customers pay under a dollar per serving to grow sprouts at home that would cost several times more at Whole Foods or a farmer\u2019s market.<\/p>\n Related: They Left Shark Tank Without a Deal. Now Annual Revenue Is Over $100 Million, Thanks to a Deliberate Strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n The other major shift was building a subscription business from day one. At Juicero, customers bought the machine once and then purchased juice packs. With The Sprouting Company, Evans focused on turning first-time buyers into recurring subscribers who receive fresh seeds regularly.<\/p>\n The subscription model solved the margin problem that plagued Juicero. Instead of constantly chasing new customers to buy perishable products with tight margins, Evans built a business where customers keep coming back\u2014and the unit economics actually work.<\/p>\n Related: Mark Cuban Wishes He Invested in This Company Earlier<\/strong><\/p>\n Jumping back into business meant seriously changing his management style. At Juicero, Evans was the classic controlling founder. He didn\u2019t trust anyone to do the work the way he would do it.<\/p>\n After three years in the desert, Evans went through leadership training and learned that he needed to let go. \u201cHow can you have anyone do your work if you don\u2019t trust them?\u201d he asks. He realized his tight grip on his previous company caused a \u201cbottleneck.\u201d He\u2019s not letting that happen again. The growth from $200,000 to over $1 million a month happened because he learned to get out of the way.<\/p>\n Related: This Married Couple Built a Massive Cereal Brand in Their Cramped One-Bedroom Apartment \u2014 Now It\u2019s in 15,000 Stores<\/p>\n Evans has also learned to shift his priorities. He went from being the guy with \u201ctwo phones who was always on, always doing things for Juicero seven days a week\u201d to becoming a loving father at 56.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a workaholic until I had my daughter,\u201d Evans said. \u201cMy entire life I just had to work, work, work, work, work, never taking a breath. Then all of a sudden I had my daughter and I realized, whoa, I chose to bring this being into this planet and I need to be here for her. I need to show up for her.\u201d<\/p>\n He also shows up for himself. At 60 years old, he does 100 pushups a day and eats a diet that\u2019s 50% sprouts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Evans says he isn\u2019t interested in $1 billion valuations and integrating AI into his business. For him success means building something he can sustain without losing himself in the process.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m interested in feeding the world,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In October 2025, Doug Evans appeared on Shark Tank to pitch The Sprouting Company<\/a>, a countertop home sprouting system that lets people grow fresh, nutrient-dense sprouts without soil or sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Sharks loved it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before the Season 17 episode aired, The Sprouting Company was doing $200,000 in monthly revenue. By December, it hit $540,000. And by March, Evans was tracking over $1 million a month, putting the company on a $12 million annual run rate.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nFrom juice to sprout<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n
Subscribers, not one-time sales<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Learning to trust<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Focusing on what\u2019s important<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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