What happened to Terrashroom?

June 2025

Want to share an update that is long overdue.

I know many of you are upset. You feel left in the dark, unsure what is going on, angry about delays. After sorting through options and chasing viable outcomes, we have made the painful decision to close the doors on Terrashroom after 3.5 years.

We made mistakes. We overpromised. We underestimated how hard inventing a new consumer hardware product is. We burned money trying to fix things, but could not get there in time. Over the years, we poured our hearts into building Terrashroom, and unfortunately things did not work out as we had hoped.

What went wrong

When I started Terrashroom in 2022, I believed we could make growing mushrooms simple, attractive, and accessible to anyone. What began as a weekend project with a 3D printer turned into a journey that consumed everything.

The initial manufacturing consultant we were working with said we would need about $40,000 and three to four months to bring the product to market, with unit costs around $30. The reality was crushing. Development costs ballooned tenfold, manufacturing timelines stretched from months to years, and our unit costs multiplied beyond sustainable levels.

The challenges compounded. Manufacturing delays pushed our timeline from a few months to nearly three years. Platform restrictions resulted in multiple bans from Shopify, Meta, and our payment processors. After launch, 72% of customers stopped using their units within five months. And the mushroom market shifted dramatically underneath us. We are not alone in facing this, as multiple companies in our industry are restructuring or closing.

But ultimately, the responsibility is mine. We made mistakes. We overpromised. We underestimated the complexity of bringing a consumer hardware product to life.

Moving forward

Simply put, we are shutting Terrashroom down entirely. This means we will no longer offer service or support for existing units, and we will not be able to refund customers of their deposits or orders.

Despite this, I want to do my best to make things right. I have created a customer claims form to document everyone affected. While I cannot make immediate refunds, I want to be clear: I feel a deep moral obligation to make this right, even if it takes years.

To those who have called me, or this, a scam, I understand your anger, but I need you to know the truth. Over 3.5 years, my total pre-tax income from Terrashroom was $74,706, averaging about $5.99 per hour at 80-hour weeks. I have drained savings, lived on the bare minimum, and sacrificed my physical and mental health trying to make this work. This failure has hurt a lot. I am sorry.

A personal note

Last year, after experiencing chest pains from the stress, my doctor told me bluntly that if I kept going at this rate, I probably would not see my 40th birthday. I am 31.

Building Terrashroom became an obsession that consumed my life. While that is no excuse for letting you down, I want you to understand that this was not a scheme. It was a dream that, despite our best efforts, we could not make reality.

I'm committed to finding ways to make things right over time. If you have questions or concerns, please DM me at @steele_jared (twitter/X) or Linkedin.

To everyone who believed in our vision and supported us, I am deeply sorry we could not deliver. Your trust meant everything, and I take full responsibility for falling short.

— Jared Steele, Founder/CEO | Terrashroom