The country is fixated on the presidential debate today, but just a week ago my social media feeds were crowded with a different type of debate altogether.
A little more than a week ago, Tereson Dupuy, sometimes dubbed the “Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper,” appeared on ABC’s popular reality series, Shark Tank. Dupuy pitched her patented pocket diapers to a group of investors, offering 25% of her business for a $500,000 investment. Dupuy presented a strong case for cloth diapers and impressed the sharks with her company’s earnings – until they heard how little she takes home a year.
Most viewers probably perceived Dupuy as confident and poised up to this point (and who knows how much of the conversation before hand was edited out). Once she started explaining the challenges faced by her company – from manufacturing issues, to patent disputes, to having her design blatantly stolen by someone she trusted – her tone turned a bit bitter and her frustration shone through. Dupuy recognized these potential pitfalls when accepting the invitation to appear on the show, she says on her blog, and took the risk anyway.
Many viewers of the episode who have no background in cloth diapers, but enjoy the cut throat nature of the show, probably didn’t judge Dupuy too harshly. Shark Tank is about business, cutting deals, making difficult decisions. Dupuy’s troubles deterred the judges, but she stood behind her product, admitted her challenges, and refused to take anything less than she’d asked for. This is standard fare for the show.
Members of the cloth diapering community saw things differently, however, and passionately disagree about Dupuy’s appearance on the show. You see, most of us were just excited to see exposure for cloth diapers. Fuzzibunz is a reputable brand and bringing it in front of a national stage should benefit the entire cloth diapering community. Some felt the appearance was positive, while others believed it shed a negative light on cloth diapers. From my perspective, the show achieved the goal of increasing cloth diaper awareness and brought modern cloth diapers in front of an audience that might not otherwise be exposed to them – always a good thing because all publicity, good or bad, exposes people to the product.
Dupuy’s venture into the more unsavory details of her business led some to passionately defend her and others to furiously defame her. It was as if the sordid underbelly of the modern cloth diaper had been exposed and Dupuy was airing not only her dirty laundry, but that of the business as a whole. Suddenly, everyone wanted to know the answers to multiple questions:
Which company stole her design? Is this true?
How can she claim to have invented cloth diapers – even modern ones?
She took her manufacturing overseas. Doesn’t she deserve whatever she gets?
Does she really have a patent? What does this mean?
Should I stop buying copycat products?
Does this mean she’s trying to shut down small cloth diaper businesses?
How much does it cost to abide by the patent and create your own pocket diaper?
Did she copy/duplicate someone else’s design for her patent?
I, admittedly, do not know the entire background to all of this. I’ve watched the episode, followed links, read a variety of claims, heard different perspectives, and read Dupuy’s blog. Based on all of this, here’s my reaction.
First of all, I should admit up front that I’m a Fuzzibunz fan. I like the design, fit, and function of these diapers and I have tried numerous cloth diaper brands. While I don’t know a great deal about Dupuy personally, I admire her desire to create something to help her baby when traditional diapers didn’t work. I appreciate that she put together a unique product, applied for a utility patent, and sought to protect her intellectual property. This is wise business sense, in my opinion, and a smart move for a small business woman. Establishing a patent seems important for protecting a small, growing business against larger companies with greater resources to manufacture copycats. In reading Dupuy’s posts, I don’t believe her goal is or ever has been to root out all competition or keep WAHMs from their sewing machines.
s far inventing the first pocket diaper or how one goes around the patent, Dupuy does a fairly good job explaining the ins and outs of this on her blog. In discussing patents with my husband, he explained to me how Apple patented rounded edges on electronics. I’m certain they weren’t the first to think of or even use this concept, but they patented it. Dupuy doesn’t dispute that pocket diapers existed in one shape or another before her patent, but that her particular design did not, and she decided to protect t it. While this might be frustrating, she patented her version of rounded edges first.
When it comes to overseas manufacturing, we all have different views. The conditions of overseas manufacturing for workers are of primary importance to me and it is my understanding that Fuzzibunz was purposeful in ensuring the right conditions were in place. Some say that Dupuy’s problems are karma for taking manufacturing overseas and this seems a bit harsh to me. We all make mistakes and second guess some decisions, but Fuzzibunz isn’t some huge corporation – it’s a small business made up of real individuals who mess up and learn from problems and poor choices. I respect Dupuy for admitting hers and moving forward. I left many forums hoping my mistakes are never aired publicly to be judged with such a harsh and unforgiving tone.
These details feel very important because families use cloth diapers for a myriad of complex reasons beyond saving money – to support local and/or US/Canadian businesses, support only US/Canadian manufacturing, use natural fibers, live a greener lifestyle, even to have an influence over how and where a product is manufactured. Using cloth diapering is also often a way to support women-owned businesses and Work at Home Moms, making the purchasing process personal. Cloth diapering is more than simply diapering your baby for many – it represents a way of life.
I get this passion and it is one of the things I enjoy about the cloth diapering community. This allows me to associate with a diverse group of people who share a common interest.I love how invested customers are in the products they use and their willingness to help others use them. While modern cloth diapering does have a grass roots element, I do believe it’s naive to ignore the reality that it is also a business, where legalities and profits come into play.
And this seems to be where the rub is, right? It’s difficult to try to define how we all fit together in a group controlled by such divergent interests. From my perspective, Fuzzibunz isn’t the only business struggling with navigating the uncharted waters. The Cloth Diaper Industry – from manufacturers, to WAHM businesses, to retailers – seem confused by the line between personal and professional, community and competition, innovators and copycats. As a consumer, I love the personal interaction, but often long for less public complaining about facebook policies, rude customers, family drama, and industry problems. Some days I just want purchasing a diaper to be purchasing a diaper and other days I’m invigorated by the community element of cloth.
I suspect these issues have always been under the surface, but will become more noticeable as the cloth diaper industry continues to grow. Moving forward, the questions seem to be “Is there room for these divergent interests in a thriving, enthusiastic cloth diapering community?” and “Can we – as professionals and consumers – adapt with grace as cloth diapering inevitably becomes more mainstream and our community expands and grows?”
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