People who are always on the go and spend a lot of time outside know how annoying it is to always have to reach for your phone in your pocket. People often wonder if there were something that would make it easier to use your phone. Well, there is now. Mike Cherkezian and Justin Barad, two entrepreneurs, came up with Chubby Buttons in 2017 to make it easy for people to use apps on their phones without touching them.
On episode 17 of season 14 of “Shark Tank,” the entrepreneurs showed off their unique product in the hopes of getting the Sharks on board with the idea of getting a big investment to boost sales. Now that we have your full attention on the product, let’s look at how the company has grown and where it is now, shall we?
Chubby Buttons: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
Michael Cherkezian went to Boston College and got a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Math. The business owner began his career at Sandler O’Neill & Partners, LP as a Quantitative Fixed Income Associate and Interest Rate Trading Analyst. In 2010, he became the Managing Director of Business Development for Norex International, LLC. Michael became the Managing Director of Thinknum Alternative Data in 2021. Michael is focused on his own business, but he also works at Envestnet | Yodlee as the Investment Research Sales.
Justin Barad went to New York University and got his Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry. He went to Tel Aviv University to become a doctor of medicine. In 2010, Justin got his first job when he became the Staffing Manager at The Execu|Search Group. Since then, the entrepreneur has held reputable jobs at a few different companies. In 2012, he became the Director of Business Development for Boomerang, Inc. Later, he worked at Fooda as the Senior Business Development Manager and at Rover Diagnostics as the Head of Operations.
At the moment, Justin is both a co-founder of Chubby Buttons and the head of operations for the company. One of Justin’s friends was having trouble changing the music, so he thought of making a device that would make it easier for people to use their phones. Justin and Michael came up with the idea for Chubby Buttons after they did some research. Most bike commuters wear clothes made for riding, which makes it impossible for them to use their phones at the same time. If the phone is in the inner pocket of the jacket, the rider will have to take off both the gloves and the jacket to get to it. Even though the work is big, the wearable technology in this device makes it easy to reach the phone.
Where is Chubby Buttons Now?
Chubby Buttons is a device with big buttons that can be mounted or attached to smooth surfaces, like cars, bikes, arms, and even handlebars. For people who stay at home, the product can also be attached to the walls so they can listen to music while doing chores like dishes or laundry. Users can connect the device to any Bluetooth-ready device and have fun. You can change the music, take pictures, take calls, and adjust the volume.
The “chubby” buttons are needed so that people can use them even when they are wearing gloves. The product is a must-have for runners, cyclists, riders, and anyone else who wants to make their lives easier, especially since we can’t live without our phones these days. The product works with any Android or Apple device, is durable, and doesn’t get damaged by water. The product can control your speaker or phone from up to 200 feet away, but only if there are no obstacles in the way. In crowded places, it can only work from up to 75 feet away. With nano suction layer technology, the button can easily stick to any smooth surface because it has millions of tiny suction cups.
The product is very thin, can be used again, and can be cleaned. The wearable or stackable Bluetooth remote or chubby buttons come in three colours: grey, blue and white, and olive green. Each one costs $74.99. The brand has been doing great in the market with amazing positive reviews. It has also been written about in reputable publications like Entrepreneur, MotorcycleMojo, Ski, Outside, Mashable, Games, and others. Mike and Justin went on “Shark Tank” to ask for a big investment so that they could make more. We can’t wait to see where Chubby Buttons goes and what new designs they come up with.
