The fidget toy market is crowded. Most of what’s out there is loud, cheap, and designed for novelty, not actual focus. If you’ve ever clicked a fidget spinner through a Zoom call, you know the type: they distract everyone except the person using them.
Roy Steinberg saw the problem differently. Not because he read a market report, but because he lives it. Diagnosed with ADD, Roy struggled to stay grounded in large college lecture halls. He didn’t want a gimmick. He needed a real tool.
So he invented one.
Pinchy is the result- a quiet, palm-sized fidget device that uses resistance instead of noise or spinning to help people like Roy stay focused. Born in a college dorm and assembled in a laundry room, it’s now part of a growing movement toward tools designed by neurodivergent people, not just for them.
This story isn’t about a viral product. It’s about solving a real problem and building a brand on truth, not tricks.
ADD: The Origin of the Pinchy
When you have ADD, it’s not just about struggling to pay attention. It’s about carrying constant internal tension. Especially in environments where you're expected to sit still, be quiet, and concentrate on one thing for an extended period.
For Roy, that environment was college lecture halls. While professors spoke, his brain sprinted in twelve directions at once. His leg shook. His fingers itched for something to do.
Roy tried the standard fidget tools: spinners, clickers, squish toys. They failed him. They were too loud. They lacked real, repeatable resistance. Worst of all, they distracted others without truly anchoring his own attention.
So he built something better.
He started 3D printing prototypes during his free time between classes. Dozens of iterations followed, adjusting the size, spring tension, and materials, until he created a device that worked for his brain. This small, satisfying, and silent pincher could be used without thought or distraction.
The Pinchy wasn’t created to ride a trend. It was created to meet a real, daily need: how do you stay grounded when your mind won’t stop racing?
If you want to hear Roy tell the whole story in his own words, including the early design struggles and breakthrough moments, listen to the full 45-minute interview above.
In it, we cover:
How ADHD shaped Roy’s product design
Why most fidget toys fail real focus challenges
How authenticity outperforms outsourced marketing
What it takes to balance a full-time engineering job with a side business
How to scale without selling out
From Lecture Halls to Laundry Room Fulfillment
Today, Roy’s business runs out of his apartment. Every Pinchy is made from three separate 3D-printed parts, assembled by hand, with bearings and springs sourced directly by Roy. Every order ships in biodegradable packaging with a handwritten thank-you note.
This is not a dropshipping hustle. It is product craftsmanship rooted in lived experience.
Roy didn’t set out to create a startup. He set out to solve a personal problem. And because he solved it well, a community of people who needed the same thing started finding him.
This is what marketing built on actual value looks like.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
The Business Case for Solving Real Problems
The fidget toy industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. But most of that revenue comes from cheap novelties, not true focus tools.
Roy’s approach is different:
He is selling a solution for focus and grounding, especially for neurodivergent individuals, not a five-dollar gimmick. His customers aren’t just bored. They are people looking for tools that fit how their brains work.
When your product starts with real insight, your marketing doesn’t have to trick anyone. You have to tell the truth.
TikTok Reviews: The Internet Reacts to Roy’s Pinchy
You can always count on TikTok to keep it real. The reviews of Roy’s Pinchy Fidget? A perfect mix of love, weirdness, and brutal honesty. Here's a curated scroll through the best of the bunch:
“Finally. A fidget that doesn’t sound like a jackhammer.”
“I appreciate the quietness factor… so many are cool but so fricken loud it makes them completely worthless.”
—Stephen, giving voice to every person trying to focus in peace.
“THERE’S PINK LET’S GOOOO”
No analysis needed. Just pure, unfiltered joy.
—@AngelsVoid, breaking the internet.
“Looks like a syringe. But hey—it works.”
“I mean, it’s pretty much a syringe 🤷🏼♀️ but if people like it, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
—Zephyroxia, the realist reviewer we didn’t know we needed.
“This helped my physical therapy.”
“I lacerated my index and middle finger tendons. What’s the resistance on the spring?”
Roy, of course, responds with a full breakdown and recommends the Pinchy XL. That’s what you get with a founder who cares.
“The noise is half the stim…”
“That’s why I just released the Pinchy Click!”
Roy, once again, showing up in the comments like a customer service ninja with a product launch.
“Teachers, pay attention.”
Multiple people called it perfect for OT and classroom use. The best part? One comment literally said:
“This would be excellent for OT purposes.”
And it will be—we’re working on a Pinchy for Classrooms pilot as we speak.
The Hot Takes on Price
Some users raised eyebrows at the cost. A few yelled “$12???” like Roy just inflated an egg.
But behind the scenes?
Handmade.
Custom colors.
Biodegradable packaging.
A signed thank-you note.
And a creator who actually responds to comments with useful advice.
No drop-shipping here. Just real work. Real product. Real founder.
Requests, Demands, and Dreams
TikTok users want:
Magnetic resistance
Push-down variants
Four-finger models
Grip-strength versions
Pinchies that can launch across a room (accidentally or not)
Roy’s answer?
“There’s a gear Pinchy in the works 👀”
Of course there is. He’s a machine.
Whether it’s neurodivergent love, OT practicality, or just a better way to stay focused without annoying your coworkers—Pinchy’s got fans. And Roy’s got momentum.
Back to the main story...
Staying Authentic While Scaling
Roy’s next steps include scaling production through injection molding and expanding into educational markets. He’s planning a "Pinchy Teacher Program," offering bulk discounts to schools and therapists to make the tool more accessible.
But Roy’s most significant challenge won’t be manufacturing or logistics.
It will keep his brand’s soul intact.
Most small brands lose their way when they chase growth at the expense of authenticity. Roy knows this. His experiments in outsourcing marketing taught him how quickly the audience detects when the authentic voice disappears.
The marketing lesson here isn’t complicated: You cannot outsource authenticity.
Why the Marketing Accountability Council Backs Roy
At MAC, we talk a lot about values—authenticity, transparency, continuous improvement, truth-seeking.
Roy Steinberg hits every single one:
Authenticity: He tells his own story, not a fabricated brand fantasy.
Transparency: He documents his process, struggles, and wins publicly.
Accountability: He delivers every order personally, with care.
Continuous Improvement: Over 20 prototypes before launch—and still refining.
Truth-Seeking: He solved a problem he actually experiences every day.
This isn’t marketing magic. It’s a marketing reality. And it works because it’s real.
Final Takeaway
Most brands today are chasing "engagement" with tricks and trends.
Roy chased focus with honesty and craft.
And because he did, his marketing flows naturally from his product.
No gimmicks needed. No tricks required.
If you want to see what ethical, effective marketing looks like in the wild, watch Roy’s TikToks, read his customer reviews, and listen to him talk about why he built the Pinchy.
Then ask yourself:
Are you solving a real problem for real people?
Or are you just trying to get them to click?
What’s Next: Live Demo, Real Talk, and Roy at MAC
Roy’s not just a creator, he’s a movement. That’s why we’re thrilled to announce he’ll be joining an upcoming Marketing Accountability Council (MAC) session to:
Demo the Pinchy live
Share his founder journey, the wins, the mistakes, and the moments that made it all worth it
Answer your questions about building an authentic brand, creating for neurodivergent users, and staying grounded while scaling
Whether you're a marketer, maker, educator, or just fidget-curious, you’re going to want to be there.
📆 Stay tuned for the invite.
🧠 Bring your brain.
🤲 Bring your hands.
💬 Bring your questions.
Roy’s got stories. You won’t want to miss them.
Links to Roy's world:
Share this post