Bits and Pieces: Riches Found In Shark Tank

The secret to the Whitemans' product is the patent-pending, grooved spine. The flexibility allows the GrooveBook to be mailed bulk through the USPS for a mere 82 cents.

At the time the episode aired, GrooveBook had yet to become profitable. The company picked up 18,000 subscribers in the previous eight months, but needed 30,000 subscribers in order to break even and then reap the 69 cents per book profit. Brian Whiteman, who has invested $400,000 in GrooveBook, admitted to shark Robert Herjovec that costs would be higher if the book was printed and bound by another commercial printer.