Coco Jack is a specialized tool kit designed to safely open young coconuts. The company was founded by Dave Goodman, a former classical musician who transitioned to a raw vegan diet. Goodman found that putting fresh coconuts into his daily diet was difficult, messy and dangerous. It required hacking at the tough fruit with heavy cleavers.
After collaborating with a blacksmith to develop 100 prototypes, he created Coco Jack. The product includes an engineered stainless steel blade, a rubber mallet and a scooping tool. Instead of drilling, users place the ring on top of the coconut and use the mallet to strike it creating a spill-free hole to drink the water. The scooper then extracts the meat. Goodman appeared on Season 6 of Shark Tank in 2015, asking the Sharks for $125,000 for 10% equity.
Despite hesitation from some Sharks who were put off by his diverse background. Mark Cuban saw the potential in the problem he was solving and made an offer. Goodman accepted Cuban’s offer of $125,000 as a loan that could convert into 25% equity, though the deal did not close after filming.
Coco Jack experienced a spike in sales and in 2016 the company partnered with Malibu Rum for branded packaging. While the company has generated $5 million in lifetime sales, market saturation and cheaper knock-offs drove the product’s price down. It is not a billion-dollar enterprise and does not have an officially published corporate net worth today, but its success continues to be driven by online retailers like Amazon.
Coco Jack Net Worth
Dave Goodman went on Shark Tank asking for $125,000 for 10% of his company. This meant he thought his business was worth $1,250,000. He made a deal with Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran for $125,000 for 25%, lowering the valuation to $500,000. The episode was aired on February 6, 2015. The coconut-opening tool company later shut down around 2017. The current net worth of Coco Jack is $0.
Did Coco Jack Get a Deal on Shark Tank?
Yes Dave Goodman secured a handshake deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban. The post shows the investment was never closed and the company ceased operations. Dave Goodman entered the Tank seeking $125,000 for 10% equity in Coco Jack. Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec liked the product but bowed out, feeling the product had limited scalability outside of its core niche.
Barbara Corcoran went out because she found Dave unorganized. Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban were interested. O’Leary, referencing his childhood in Cambodia offered $125,000 for a 50% equity. Cuban stepped in with a different structure. $125,000 as a convertible debt at 7% interest, converting to a 25% equity share when the business became profitable.
Dave tried to negotiate Cuban’s offer down to a 20% equity stake, but Cuban stood firm. After Corcoran warned Dave that he was lucky to get an offer at all he accepted Cuban’s initial deal. Cuban and O’Leary were drawn to the value proposition. Cuban noted that “when people solve problems that nobody knew needed to be solved, industries are born”.
Before stepping into the Tank, the company had already generated $325,000 in sales in just nine months, validating consumer demand. The expanding popularity of raw food diets, coconut meat and coconut water served as strong tailwinds for a tool making coconut prep both safe and accessible. Barbara Corcoran criticized Dave’s organization, pointing out that she refuses to partner with unorganized entrepreneurs.
Kevin O’Leary argued that Goodman had a great product idea but hadn’t yet established a functioning, scalable business. He feared a lot could go wrong when transitioning from a single-item invention to a robust enterprise. Several Sharks expressed hesitation regarding long-term potential. They doubted whether the company could develop other viable products after the coconut opener.
Coco Jack Shark Tank Deal Table
| Shark(s) name | Offer & Demand | Counteroffer | Accepted? |
| Barbara Corcoran | out | N/A | N/A |
| Lori Greiner | Out | N/A | N/A |
| Kevin O’Leary | $125,000 for 50% equity | N/A | N/A |
| Robert Herjavec | Out | N/A | N/A |
| Mark Cuban | $125,000 in convertible debt, debt carried 7% interest, and upon conversion, Mark would get 25% equity | N/A | Yes |
Founders’ Backstory
Coco Jack is a specialized tool set designed by entrepreneur David Goodman to safely open Young Thai Coconuts. It allows users to bypass dangerous and messy methods like machetes by using a simple, handheld mallet and metal striking ring to pop the top off a coconut. David Goodman is the sole inventor and founder of Coco Jack. Before creating Coco Jack, Goodman worked as a musician. He attended the Juilliard School’s pre-college division as an adolescent.
At the age of 19, he founded a nonprofit orchestra in New York called the Wild Ginger Philharmonic. After spending a decade in the music industry and facing burnout, Goodman decided to make a major life change. Experiencing burnout from his music career, Goodman transitioned to working on a biodynamic farm. He adopted a raw vegan diet, which featured fresh coconuts.
He found that the methods of accessing the coconut water using heavy cleavers or sharp knives were frustrating, physically difficult and messy. He realized that these barriers discouraged people from purchasing fresh Thai coconuts, despite their nutritional value. To solve his own problem, he spent years experimenting with designs until he invented a straightforward two piece device that made the process safe.
Coco Jack Shark Tank Pitch
The pitch on Shark Tank started with inventor David Goodman walking into the Tank dressed in an energetic style. He began by grabbing a large knife and hacking away at a young coconut to demonstrate the traditional method. The dramatic display was intended to show how dangerous and difficult it was to strike a coconut while moving a blade dangerously close to the hands. The problem presented was that opening fresh young coconuts at home was dangerous, messy and exhausting.
Consumers were at risk of slipping with a heavy cleaver dropping shell fragments into their coconut water, and ruining their kitchen countertops. Alternative opening tools on the market were inefficient because they drilled holes that were too small. Making it impossible to access and scoop out the coconut meat. To solve this Goodman developed the Coco Jack which worked as a safe alternative.
The user placed an “X”-marked steel ring over the top of the coconut and used the rubber mallet to strike the leading edge of the ring. By utilizing gravity rather than violent force the tool punctured the shell to create a neat lid. The pack also included a patented “Coco Scoop,” a tool designed to extract all the creamy coconut meat in one swift motion.
The business model was built on direct to consumer online sales with a premium made-in-the-USA price point. The Coco Jack Pack sold for around $60, while manufacturing costs sat at $26. The company generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit through targeted online and social media video advertising. Goodman valued the company at $1.25 million and struck a deal on the show with investor Mark Cuban. Who provided a $125,000 loan convertible to 25 percent equity.
Shark Questions, Negotiations, Discussion & Reactions
Lori Greiner and Robert Herjavec enjoyed trying the tool but opted out due to the niche nature of the product. Barbara Corcoran felt Goodman lacked the focus necessary to grow the business and went out. Referencing his childhood in Cambodia, O’Leary loved coconuts but drove a hard bargain, offering $125,000 in exchange for a whopping 50% equity. Cuban countered with an investment of $125,000 as a convertible loan.
The debt would convert into 25% equity, with the caveat that ownership and patents would revert to Cuban if the business didn’t perform up to par. Goodman asked Cuban if he would reduce the equity to 20%, which Cuban refused. After Corcoran told Goodman he was “lucky” to even get a single offer, Goodman accepted Cuban’s initial terms.
Following the episode, the company saw an immediate spike in sales and diversified its marketing to target various demographics, from vegan consumers to Asian American households. The company is reported as no longer in business, having faced customer complaints on platforms like the Better Business Bureau regarding order fulfillment in later years.
Why Some Sharks Said No
Three of the five Sharks passed on making an offer. Their concerns revolved around several core business pillars. Lori Greiner stated she loved the product, but she bowed out because she did not believe the overall market size was large enough to support her investment parameters. She viewed it as a niche tool rather than a mass market blockbuster.
Robert Herjavec also saw merit in the core coconut opener but he declined to make an offer because he could not envision a future for the company beyond this single product. Kevin O’Leary told Goodman, “You’re not a business yet. You’re a product”. He emphasized that there were far too many operational obstacles and execution risks required to transform the tool into a profitable company.
Barbara Corcoran struggled with Goodman’s eclectic career background and his lack of organized focus. She felt that for a business to succeed, it needed a structured leader and she questioned his ability to scale the company. Although Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban were the only Sharks to make offers. Cuban’s was the one Goodman accepted. A $125,000 loan structured as convertible debt with a 7% interest rate converting to 25% equity if the business hit its milestones.
This agreement fell apart behind the scenes and the deal never closed. After the episode aired, the market became flooded with cheap, knock-off coconut tools from international sellers. While the original Coco Jack set sold for $60 costing around $26 to manufacture in the US, competing sets on Amazon were retailing for a fraction of that cost, destroying their profit margins and market share. True to O’Leary’s predictions on the show, the business struggled to transition from the product launch phase to sustained, commercial viability. Leading to the closure of the Coco Jack website and social media channels.
Where To Buy Coco Jack Products and Product Features
Coco Jack is a kitchen gadget designed to simplify the process of opening fresh young coconuts. It allows users to safely crack a coconut in just a few seconds without relying on dangerous knives or machetes. The core of the product is a heavy duty, circular stainless steel ring attached to a long handle. It features a distinct “X” marking to help the user place it on the coconut. The kit includes a specialized rubber mallet with a sturdy handle, used to strike the tool.
A custom-designed, stainless steel spoon-like scoop is included to easily slide in and scrape out all of the coconut meat in one swift motion. The original kits were manufactured in the United States and crafted to be durable. The Coco Jack was engineered to solve the “messy and dangerous” problem of getting into a young coconut. Instead of hacking away with a heavy cleaver or drilling small holes that do not allow access to the meat, the Coco Jack provides a controlled slice.
During the demonstration on Shark Tank Season 6, inventor Dave Goodman placed the ring on the top of the coconut and used the rubber mallet to pound the tool into the husk. By tilting and pushing down on the tool, it pops off the top like a lid. Both Sharks Mark Cuban and Robert Herjavec tried the device themselves and opened coconuts on stage. While the product generated buzz and an agreement on the show, the company’s trajectory changed in the years following its TV debut.
Coco Jack is no longer operating as an active business, and its official website is now inoperative. Direct purchases from the original manufacturer are no longer possible. The original, made in the USA Coco Jack products are no longer restocked. Due to the popularity of the concept, a variety of knock off and similar coconut opening tool sets sometimes featuring 2-piece to 10-piece kits can be found on Amazon. While Goodman pitched the original Coco Jack kit for around $50 to $60 similar alternatives on Amazon often sell for less ranging between $17 to $25.
What Happened To Coco Jack After Shark Tank?
Coco Jack, the metal tool and mallet set designed to open young green coconuts, is no longer in business. During Season 6, inventor Dave Goodman secured a deal with Mark Cuban. Cuban offered $125,000 as convertible debt at a 7% interest rate, which could be converted into 25% equity in the business.
The initial investment deal between Goodman and Cuban never closed. Following the Shark Tank broadcast, the company enjoyed a boost in popularity. Thanks in large part to targeted Facebook advertising campaigns the company’s sales revenue more than doubled a 126% increase within a matter of just five weeks.
In 2016, the brand reached a licensing agreement with Malibu Rum, allowing the liquor company to feature Coco Jack tools in promotional packaging and campaigns. The business’s setback was an influx of cheaper counterfeit products. While the authentic, USA made Coco Jack cost about $26.00 to manufacture and retailed for $60.00, knock off sets began appearing on platforms like Amazon for as little as $16.99.
This retail price variance and loss of advantage damaged the company’s profitability. All Coco Jack social media accounts ceased operations by 2017. As of 2026, Coco Jack is extinct. The official website is no longer active and the product is no longer available to buy through online retailers like Amazon.
Conclusion
Coco Jack was founded by David Goodman to simplify opening fresh young coconuts. Pitching on Shark Tank brought a spike in visibility and a handshake deal with Mark Cuban. Despite reaching $5 million in lifetime sales, the business dissolved due to cheaper overseas knock offs.
The Shark Tank journey of Coco Jack is a classic tale of rapid high visibility business growth followed by eventual market challenges. Former orchestra conductor David Goodman developed the Coco Jack after adopting a raw food diet that relied on young Thai coconuts. Finding traditional machete or cleaver methods dangerous and messy he collaborated with a blacksmith to create a safe user friendly metal tool and mallet.
Goodman appeared on Season 6, Episode 21 in 2015, seeking $125,000 for 10% equity. After offers from both Kevin O’Leary and Mark Cuban, he accepted a deal with Cuban for $125,000 in convertible debt that could convert to a 25% equity share. Though the deal with Cuban never closed, the Shark Tank exposure created an immediate boom in business. The company scaled online sales and even collaborated with brands like Malibu Rum on promotions.
Coco Jack couldn’t escape the darker side of Shark Tank success copycats. Overseas competitors flooded Amazon and other platforms with cheaper knock off tools, undercutting Coco Jack’s premium, USA made pricing. Unable to compete with the drastic retail price inequality, the company’s momentum stalled. The Coco Jack Website went outdated and all social media and business operations ceased.

Hey there! I’m Fatima Shoaib, a passionate content writer who believes in creative solutions. Reading enthusiast and storyteller, dedicated and eager to apply my skills to a fast-paced environment and make a positive impact in the industry.Currently focusing on current business projects and goals, I aim to stay passionate about driving results in the business sector. This connection that I felt towards business was because of Shark Talent. I am always exploring to binge into new episodes of Shark Tank. Read more About me.







