Negotiation Skills Case Study

 Case Study: On2Cook 

The idea to make a cooking device that would shorten the time required to cook something  and consume less energy while doing it came to the Sanandan Sudhir in 2013. The first  iteration of the product came with the magnetron on top of the stove, realised that the heat  from the stove going directly to the magnetron made the product unstable. The current  product is the third iteration of the original idea. It was launched in 2021. It has an induction  stove that cooks the food from the bottom and a microwave that cooks it from the top. The  company also launched an accompanying AI-based app that contains recipes created by some of the best chefs in the world. The recipes are accompanied by flame settings and temperature  settings to be used on the device for the same. It also allows consumers to share their own  recipes, order ingredients, and time management.  

Since opening shop, the On2Cook team hasn’t been able to find any investors interested in their product and their ideas. They had an offer of $20 million from a US-based company, but  they changed their mind and ended up not investing. The founder and CEO, Sanandan Sudhir  has reached out to many investors, in India, and outside India, but no one seems interested in  investing in the company. One On2Cook device costs the company 15,000 rupees to  manufacture. Without external help, the company cannot make a lot of prototypes and handle  the expense. Due to a shortage of prototypes and the fact that they are costly, the company hasn’t given them out to people to be tested nor has been able to receive real-life feedback  from them. The only way they have been shown is by Mr. Sudhir taking the products to  people’s houses and to restaurants, showing them how it works, and letting them try it in  front of him.  

Business Profile  

• Established in 2021 

• Founder: Sanandan Sudhir 

• Products: 

1. On2Cook- World’s Fastest Cooking Device works on the revolutionary  Combination Cooking Technology that simultaneously combines induction, heat,  and microwaves to cook. It cuts cooking time by up to 70% and reduces energy 

consumption by up to 40%. It also cooks healthier food by retaining water-soluble nutrients and preserving colour, texture, and consistency.  

2. AI app- AI connected to cooking devices. Assists with time management, recipe management, ordering of ingredients, and social sharing. The Device also facilitates Big Data & Analytics of the Buying, Cooking & Sharing Patterns of  Consumers. 

Problems  

• No investors 

• The product hasn’t been tested by the public 

• There is no exact valuation of the product yet 

• Product hasn’t been promoted properly 

Solutions  

• They should get some professionals to come in to view their product and give them an  exact valuation of it.  

• They should give the prototypes to at least people close to them like family and  friends, so that they can conduct a trial and give them feedback on the product.

• They should hire someone to manage seeking out investors because till now only Mr.  Sudhir has been trying to talk to investors and he hasn’t been successful. There might  be a chance that he isn’t able to explain their product properly.  

• They should decide who their main consumers are, common households or big  kitchens like restaurants as there is a lot of confusion around this which doesn’t allow  them to concentrate on one area. The one area should be big kitchens since the main  aim of the product is o reduce cooking time which is most needed in big kitchens. 

• They should promote the product properly online and offline as the promotions are  almost absent.  

• Instead of trying to promote the product by establishing a brand for Mr. Sudhir, like  they have been doing so far, they could try putting the product on the centre stage as  maybe Mr. Sudhir hasn’t been able to connect with the masses.