I'm starting to notice a trend with this latest YC class-- lots of unsexy products addressing really specific pain points.
BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
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Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#22We've watched this team expand their footprint and execute on a complex hardware product in a very short amount of time. Package logistics is a huge problem to solve, but if anyone can do it, they can. Congrats guys!
Huge thanks!! Appreciate the support.
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#23There's a very big vision here. E-commerce growth provides a tremendous opportunity for this company to not only rethink the end point but the network itself. We have one at my office and it's incredibly convenient. I completely stopped using my home address for any deliveries.
Until you move.
There should be a bufferbox address field in your LinkedIn profile, it will auto update if you change jobs. Bufferbox then just checks against the current box address via LinkedIn and no hassles for the future.
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#24I'm starting to notice a trend with this latest YC class-- lots of unsexy products addressing really specific pain points.
Agreed. While I can't see myself needing this service any time soon, clearly it's a problem big enough to build out physical infrastructure to solve.
If the buffer box company had closer relationships with amazon's distribution and that other company that wants to do any deliveries in an hour, there could be an interesting market in the future.
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#25I really like this idea. As someone who doesn't have an office to send packages to or a doorman, I will use it. I'm actually interested in seeing how they'll address utilization if it gets popular. What if 100% of the spaces are taken, and someone decides to wait a few days to pick up their package. Is there a penalty fee to prevent such behavior?
They need a "have bike messenger deliver my box to me" button. A box-buffer-biker if you will.
Again, seeing how kozmo.com was 10 years ahead of its time!
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#26There's a very big vision here. E-commerce growth provides a tremendous opportunity for this company to not only rethink the end point but the network itself. We have one at my office and it's incredibly convenient. I completely stopped using my home address for any deliveries.
Glad to hear you're loving the service Ryan! Thanks for all the support, we'll see you around the Hub soon!
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#27What if the package doesn't fit in any of the available compartments? Does the customer get notified they're package is about to arrive in X (hours, minutes, etc)? This could lead to an angry customer who decided to plan their day around retrieving said package at the estimated arrival time and they find out it's not there?
For select distributors, the customer gets to use BB for 'free'. How is this possible? Doesn't that mean those distributors are increasing the cost of shipping to pay BB for using your storage boxes? Why would a distributor want to use BB rather than the current individual shipping locations model?
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#28I think this is kind of a portable PO box, or PO box you can franchise. It seems there are things moving to kiosk despensers like redbox, blockbuster, even those change counting machines in the supermarket!
So, if your corporate records are stored in a kiosk box, doesn't that mean that you can set up your company's address there? Could one use this sort of thing to convert any café into a co-working outfit?
Also, can I drop a package in one bufferbox and have it delivered to another?
You want to borrow my snowboarding helmet, goggles and gloves. I drop them in my box, select a destination, and buffer box teleports them to your box. Reverse the process when your done with it. Also, I let it be COD - meaning that you, the borrower, pay for the round trip buffer transfer cost.
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#29I reached out to these guys seeing how I could set one up in my city. Never heard from them.
Looks like they're focused on Toronto: "The team has plans to expand into 100 new locations, including convenience stores, grocery stores, and transit stations within Toronto" The service sounds useful as a way to receive deliveries (and potentially a place to drop off a small package for pickup later by yourself in the same day).
Is that what the mysterious "GTA" on their site means? "Greater Toronto Area"? Groan..
If so, they could probably save themselves a lot of puzzled support emails by expanding the TLA.
Re: BufferBox (YC S12) Solves The Problem Of Missing Packages
#30I'm starting to notice a trend with this latest YC class-- lots of unsexy products addressing really specific pain points.
Agreed. While I can't see myself needing this service any time soon, clearly it's a problem big enough to build out physical infrastructure to solve. If the buffer box company had closer relationships with amazon's distribution and that other company that wants to do any deliveries in an hour, there could be an interesting market in the future.
Tons of opportunity to disrupt an old industry which has remained largely unchanged since the advent of the internet