Anytongs Case Study — Tog Samphel

The Origin

It Started With a Simple Observation

A memory from family gatherings sparked an idea that eventually became a nationally recognized product.

At family gatherings, my mother needed extra tongs for serving, so she'd tape plastic utensils to clothespins to create makeshift tongs. It was a resourceful hack — and the kind of everyday frustration that stuck with me.

Years later, I started looking at the kitchen tongs market more seriously and saw a gap: what if you could turn any utensil into tongs? The first prototype was rough — homemade, held together with tape — but it was enough to start exploring whether anyone else cared about the same problem.

This felt like a natural extension of my product design work — find a real problem, validate it with research, and iterate toward a solution. The main difference was that this time, the product was physical.

Anytongs Duo Pack — from concept to reality

Research-Driven

Validated Like a UX Researcher

Before spending a dime on manufacturing, the concept needed real data — applying UX research methodology to test whether the market actually wanted it.

The instinct from product design work carried over here: don't build until you know people want it. That meant running Google Surveys targeting specific demographics, using Pollfish for targeted polls across key consumer markets, and commissioning 3D renderings of the product concept — embedding them directly into surveys so respondents could see and react to the product before it existed.

📊

Google Surveys

Targeted demographics to test product interest and purchase intent

🎯

Pollfish Polls

Consumer polls across key markets to gauge price sensitivity

🖥️

3D Renderings

Realistic product concepts embedded directly into surveys

The data came back with strong positive signals: consumers resonated with the space-saving, hygienic, and versatile positioning. Having real data meant moving forward with confidence rather than assumptions.

"The approach was the same as any UX research project — before spending a dollar on manufacturing, the idea needed real data, real signals from real consumers, confirming it had legs."

Crowdfunding

335% Funded on Kickstarter

31 days. 974 backers. A first real market test for the product.

335% Funded

974 Backers

$33,454 Raised

$34.35 Avg Pledge

40% Day 1 Goal

Funding Progress

Goal: $10,000 Raised: $33,454

31

Days

131

Day 1 Backers

$4K+

Day 1 Raised

335%

Funded

Pledge Breakdown

Pledged via Kickstarter

$19,681

58%

Pledged via Custom Referrers

$10,452

31%

Pledged via External Referrers

$3,321

9%

Day 1: 131 backers pledged over $4,000 — hitting 40% of the funding goal in the first 24 hours.

The campaign involved strategy, copy, imagery, reward tiers, and outreach. A promo video was commissioned from a production team to give the campaign a professional visual anchor.

Backer communications, updates, and fulfillment logistics ran throughout the campaign. The Kickstarter success was the first external signal that this wasn't just a personal project — there was real demand.

The Product

See How Anytongs Works

Turn any utensil into tongs — instantly. A simple, clever mechanism that solves a real kitchen problem.

♻️

Recyclable Polypropylene

💪

~12 lbs Torque Resistance

🍽️

Dishwasher Safe

📏

Only 5 Inches Long

Brand Identity

Building the Entire Brand

From the name and logo to packaging, photography, and Shopify store — every brand touchpoint was designed from scratch.

Primary Lockup — Dark

200px min

48px

SVG

Format

1:4.2

Ratio

24px

Clear Space

Primary Lockup — Light

200px min

SVG

Format

On Dark

Usage

24px

Clear Space

Shape Mark — Dark

40px min

1:1

Ratio

Icon

Usage

16px

Clear Space

Shape Mark — Light

40px min

1:1

Ratio

Favicon

Usage

16px

Clear Space

The Anytongs brand identity was designed to be clean, modern, and instantly recognizable. The bold sans-serif wordmark is paired with a distinctive shape mark — an abstract representation of the tong mechanism itself — creating a visual system that's simple enough for a favicon yet striking enough for packaging and merchandise.

Every element was designed with scalability in mind: the logo works at 16px for social avatars and at billboard scale. The black-and-white system ensures legibility across any background, from Kraft packaging to dark Shopify storefronts.

Logo in Context

Brand Swag & Materials

Beyond the product itself, the brand extended into stickers, branded packaging inserts, thank-you cards, and promotional materials — all designed to reinforce the Anytongs identity at every customer touchpoint. The eco-friendly Kraft packaging was a deliberate choice, reflecting the product's practical, no-nonsense positioning.

AI-Powered Operations

Using AI to Build the System

AI wasn't just a tool — it became the backbone of multi-channel sales, marketing, and customer operations at scale.

📣

AI-Driven Marketing

Marketing campaigns across social media and Google Ads leveraged AI for targeting, copy generation, and performance optimization.

🤖

Automated Customer Service

AI-powered workflows handled customer inquiries, order tracking, and support tickets — keeping response times fast without a dedicated support team.

📊

Content & Reporting

Used AI for content strategies, financial reporting, and business analytics — turning raw sales data into actionable insights across all channels.

📦

Inventory & Multi-Channel

AI-assisted inventory management across Shopify DTC, Amazon FBA, and TikTok Shop — coordinating stock levels, fulfillment, and channel-specific pricing.

Shopify DTC Store

Amazon FBA

TikTok Shop

7+ Total Channels

"AI handled the repetitive work — campaign optimization, customer responses, inventory alerts — which freed up space to focus on the product and the bigger decisions."

Shark Tank

Pitching on Shark Tank

Season 14, Episode 13 — pitching to the biggest investors in America and walking out with a deal from Daymond John.

Tog Samphel pitching Anytongs on the Shark Tank stage

On stage — pitching to Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, and Daymond John

Anytongs was pitched to Mark Cuban, Kevin O'Leary, Robert Herjavec, Lori Greiner, and Daymond John — asking $150,000 for 20% equity.

The Sharks responded well to the simplicity of the product and the fact that it solved a real, relatable kitchen problem. Daymond John — the founder of FUBU — saw potential in the brand and made an offer.

The Deal: $150,000 for 49% equity with Daymond John.

The immediate impact: Anytongs sold out inventory within minutes of the episode airing. 2023 became the breakout year — 3,162 orders and $82,771 in Shopify sales alone.

The handshake — deal closed with Daymond John

Daymond John and Lori Greiner with Anytongs

"Getting a deal with Daymond John was an incredible opportunity — not just for the investment, but for the chance to learn from someone who built FUBU from the ground up. And beyond that, having the product validated on national television gave Anytongs a level of social credibility and recognition that no amount of marketing could replicate."

Results

The Numbers Tell the Story

A snapshot of Anytongs across all channels — shaped by design thinking, validated through research, and supported by AI.

💰

$0K+

Total Revenue (All Channels)

🛒

$0

Shopify DTC Sales

📦

$0

Amazon FBA Sales

🎯

0K+

Customers Served

⭐

4.7★

Avg Rating Across All Channels

🦈

$0K

Deal with Daymond John

Revenue by Channel

How $220K+ in total revenue breaks down across sales channels.

Shopify

Amazon

Kickstarter

Shopify, Amazon, and Kickstarter — three distinct channels, each contributing meaningfully to overall revenue.

Journey

Key Milestones

2020

Concept Born

Inspired by mom's clothespin + utensil hack. Market validation via Google Surveys & Pollfish.

Oct 2020

Kickstarter Launches

Funded 40% on Day 1. Closed at $33,454 — 335% funded with 974 backers.

2021

Manufacturing & Amazon

Design shop partnership, China sourcing, COVID delays. Amazon Seller Central launched.

2022

Brand Built

Name, logo, all creative designed. Shopify store launched. Warehouses in TX & CA.

Jan 2023

🦈 Shark Tank Airs

Season 14, Episode 13. Deal with Daymond John: $150K for 49%. Inventory sells out post-airing.

2023

Breakout Year

3,162 orders, $82,771 in Shopify sales. The Shark Tank effect in full force.

2024–25

Continued Growth

$220K+ total lifetime revenue across all channels. Business continues growing.

Reflections

What This Taught Me

Honest takeaways from building a physical product business while working a full-time design career.

1

Research Methodology Transfers

UX research skills — surveying users, testing concepts, synthesizing data — translated directly to product validation. Knowing how to ask the right questions before building helped avoid expensive mistakes.

2

AI Makes One-Person Operations Viable

AI handling marketing campaigns, customer service workflows, inventory tracking, and multi-channel management made it possible to operate this business alongside a full-time career. It filled the gaps and handled the work that would have otherwise required a team.

3

Design Thinking Applies Everywhere

The same process of empathizing with users, defining problems, ideating solutions, and iterating — it works just as well for physical products, brand identity, and e-commerce experiences as it does for software.

4

Crowdfunding Is a Powerful Validation Tool

Kickstarter wasn't just about raising money — it was a structured way to test market demand, build an audience, and create momentum before the product even existed. The principles aren't that different from a beta launch in software.

From Kitchen Table Idea to Shark Tank Deal

It Started With a Simple Observation

Validated Like a UX Researcher

Google Surveys

Pollfish Polls

3D Renderings

335% Funded on Kickstarter

See How Anytongs Works

Building the Entire Brand

Logo in Context

Brand Swag & Materials

Using AI to Build the System

Pitching on Shark Tank

The Numbers Tell the Story

Revenue by Channel

Key Milestones

Concept Born

Kickstarter Launches

Manufacturing & Amazon

Brand Built

🦈 Shark Tank Airs

Breakout Year

Continued Growth

What This Taught Me

Research Methodology Transfers

AI Makes One-Person Operations Viable

Design Thinking Applies Everywhere

Crowdfunding Is a Powerful Validation Tool

Design thinking. AI systems. Real results.