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Earlier quoted context omitted.
Which raises the question why they are not involved in the eVtol sector, doesn't it?
Maybe give them a hint ;) Also: AH is in Flexport as well, so that's two of those long shot investors.
Flexport is intersting, on the one hand they have a solid future in the freight forwarding and 3PL sector. On the other hand they attract investors by selling themselves as tech disruptors. Not sure if that mix doesn't create quite some tension down the road, that go beyond 20%+ layoffs.
> With more than $1 billion in net cash, following this change, Flexport is now in a great position to take advantage of the opportunities in front of us to return to profitability as soon as the end of next year. This feels like a tone-deaf statement to make in an email laying off 1 in 5 of your company. "We're letting you go, but look how much cash we have!"
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Maybe give them a hint ;) Also: AH is in Flexport as well, so that's two of those long shot investors.
I'm out of the eVtol stuff now, so they can talk to Softbank themselves ;-) Just wondering if Softbank not investing in something means the thing has actual potential or it is so far beyond hope even Softbank avoids it. Flexport is intersting, on the one hand they have a solid future in the freight forwarding and 3PL sector. On the other hand they attract investors by selling themselves as tech disruptors. Not sure i…
Ironically, Flexport could do very well as a lean business, but I'm not so sure if it can succeed under competitive pressure if they don't get their house in order quickly.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm out of the eVtol stuff now, so they can talk to Softbank themselves ;-) Just wondering if Softbank not investing in something means the thing has actual potential or it is so far beyond hope even Softbank avoids it. Flexport is intersting, on the one hand they have a solid future in the freight forwarding and 3PL sector. On the other hand they attract investors by selling themselves as tech disruptors. Not sure i…
I definitely think there is a market for their services but the silly money approach won't play well in the logistics world where everybody else is running as lean and mean as they can. It's a world that I've had some business in (but years ago), your typical manager/executive in that world is very much feet-on-the-ground and a shaky promise that you are going to be in business a year or two out would already make so…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I definitely think there is a market for their services but the silly money approach won't play well in the logistics world where everybody else is running as lean and mean as they can. It's a world that I've had some business in (but years ago), your typical manager/executive in that world is very much feet-on-the-ground and a shaky promise that you are going to be in business a year or two out would already make so…
Initially, meaning years ago, I saw Flexports strategy as positioning themselves as an acquisition target for a legacy forwarder. We'll see if they can successfully pivot to being a modern, lean logistics conoany able to stand on its own feet or not. Wouod be a shame if not, but then most investors, at least it seems so from the outside, have been investing based on the assumption of Flexport being a "tech" company.…
CEO's believing that investors and company/founder goals are aligned are in for a very rude awakening except in the 3% or so cases where it all works out. For the rest of them that initial boost can cause spending and a company profile well in excess of what is sustainable and the step down to a sustainable level may well kill the company. That's sad, but what's even more sad is that a company in the same space that was run in a responsible way without playing the VC game may well end up being outcompeted before the VC money runs out in their funded competitor.
Burried in Petersons mail is one nugget every B2B start-up needs to take to heart: >> It's clear that our customers want us to be a profitable company they can rely on to solve important problems in their supply chain. An endless stream of VC money allowing you to sell dollars for dimes does not achieve that. Also, I had a feeling that Flexport might run into problems one day, when Softbank invested, Softbank being s…
> Also, I had a feeling that Flexport might run into problems one day, when Softbank invested, Softbank being such a harbinger of problems its only saving grace is setting Saudi money on fire. Also also, Flexport is the most impressive comoany coming out of YC if you ask me. All they have to do, is to aim being the next Schenker, Kühne & Nagel, XPO... instead of being the "global trade disruting tech thing" and they'…
"We have been profitable for 20 years straight"
Being profitable in SCM is a sales point, being unprofitable is a risk.
The "slow burner" version of this is company is Australian company https://www.wisetechglobal.com/ which at 25 years old and is bootstrapped (for the most part) to a unicorn.
That being said, CargoWise one is actually one of my top recommondations when it comes to logistics software. Cloudbased, reasonable pricing, all tue necessary functionalities available out of the box, great customs integration worldwide (including other trade compliance things like embargoes), providing instant transparency and trackong across multiple compabies if your partners also use CargoWise (they just open the database of / for your partners for your shipments), covers air / sea land trabsportation and warehousing, has automatic access to the global tracking data for air and sea freight...
The only eeakness, if you want to call it that, is in specialized warehousing solutions (multi-box articles come to mind). But then I never went deep enough to find out howuch customized development can be done. Worst case, you link a specialized WMS, CargoWise interfaces are good as well.