LoveSync - Instagram LoveSync creators appear on "Shark Tank" hoping to match with an investor.
LoveSync is a product that promises to eliminate mixed signals in romantic relationships. The product was created by high-school sweethearts Ryan and Jenn Cmich who have now been married for over 15 years. The couple will appeared on Shark Tank to pitch their product and app in the hopes that an investor will help them with the distribution of their product.
LoveSync is a set of bedside buttons that will let you know when you and your partner’s moods are matched. By tapping the button, users are able to wordlessly express their desire to have sex. If both people hit their buttons within a set window of time, the LoveSync will light up to let the user know their desires are matched; the button aims to be both informant and instigator.
Ryan and Jenn came up with the idea for the button after Jenn had a stressful day at work; Ryan didn’t know how Jenn was feeling and wished he had a no-pressure way to ask her if she would like to be intimate.
Here’s what you need to know about LoveSync on ‘Shark Tank’:
1. It Launched as a Kickstarter in 2019
The LoveSync Kickstarter campaign launched in February 2019 with a goal of raising $7,500. Thanks to social media and the platform itself, the campaign exceeded that goal within the first 3 days of being available on the platform. sold the product as a way to “take the luck out of getting lucky” and “make your move with confidence!”
The campaign launched with tiers ranging from $44 pledges to $190 pledges. While the highest price had no backers, the campaign did accumulate 442 backers total. Most of those backers pledged around $50 to the campaign. LoveSync raised $21,600 from the Kickstarter itself and they now sell the button on their website since the Kickstarter campaign is over.
Prior to launching the Kickstarter campaign, LoveSync was already completely developed, which is not always the case for these products. According to the story on Kickstarter, the idea for LoveSync began in November 2017 with some initial sketches, and the provisional patent for the product was filed in December of that year. The Kickstarter launched after a year of testing and aimed for an August 2019 ship date for the product.
2. The Button Set Sells for $72.99
Right now, the two-button-set retails for $72.99, which is also the price that was estimated at the time of the Kickstarter campaign. The product is not available as a single button because it requires two buttons to work properly; each partner must have their own button.
At the time of writing, the LoveSync product is solely available through the LoveSync website. It is possible that it will be available from other retailers or sites in the future. There are also sometimes deals available on the website.
The LoveSync Buttons are USB-powered and come in a set; one for each person’s bedside table. When the user is in the mood, they can discreetly and silently tap the button. If both people have tapped their buttons in the time frame, the buttons will glow green.
3. Stephen Colbert Spoke of the Product
In a segment titled “The Best (And Worst) Valentine’s Gifts,” comedic talk-show host Stephen Colbert talked about LoveSync. The segment aired on February 13, 2019, just a few weeks after the launch of the LoveSync Kickstarter campaign.
“So what happens if both you and your partner push that button?” Colbert asks after playing a few seconds of the Kickstarter introduction clip, which said a swirling glow would emit from the buttons. “Yes, from the buttons. At which point you can commence mutual pleasuring, the button has spoken.”
He continued, saying that the button was basically Tinder for couples but with only one other profile that belongs to the person “with whom you share a toilet.” He then pulled out a few aspects of the campaign, focusing on the fact that the buttons are supposed to “improve romantic communication.” He says that that is done not by speaking to your partner, but instead by using a “glorified restaurant pager.”
4. The Buttons Were Made Fun of on Social Media
After the launch of the Kickstarter campaign, owners Ryan and Jenn knew that it was a possibility that their product would go viral. Media quickly picked up on the campaign, with some sites comparing LoveSync to memes, calling the button “the worst of sex tech,” and some just refer to it as a “sex button.”
The owners were aware that people might not understand the product right away and looked at it as a fun and flirty way to communicate with one another. It was also a way to communicate how they were feeling without feeling like they were pressuring their partner.
“You know they’re really interested and so it kind of takes the pressure off there,” Jenn told The Verge. “It doesn’t leave one person feeling like they’re always responsible for initiating.”
People took to social media to make fun of the product after hearing about it. Twitter users posted about LoveSync, comparing the device to a “central horniness server” and a “horniness device.” Other users criticized the device, calling it a “button to summon me to have sex” and “a sex summoning button.”
5. There Will be an App
According to the LoveSync website, the buttons are not the only product that will be offered by the company. Instead of just selling buttons, the company will launch a free app in 2020. Users can sign up for the app on the website. It appears that it will currently only be offered on iOS.
The app will have a free tier, but it will have more features for paid users. By signing up to be among the first to know when the app launches, you will receive three months of LoveSync plus for free. This is just a matter of putting your name and email into the website and signing up for the notification.
The app looks like it will work much like the button. You and your partner will both download the app, and you can press the button in the app the same way you would with the physical bedside button. If both users press the button in the allotted time, then they will both be notified.
Ryan and Jenn asked the sharks on Shark Tank for $100,000 for 10 percent of their company. They were met with skeptical sharks since most of their business so far was from the Kickstarter campaign and the sharks feeling that Ryan was kind of all over the place. They did not make a deal.
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