Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
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Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#2"Since the start of 2014, venture-capital firms have pumped over $1 billion into startup freight-forwarding companies, twice the amount invested in the five years before that..."
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#3"Many freight veterans and analysts are skeptical of these efforts, saying forwarding is too complex and too dependent on longstanding relationships for new online entrants to compete."
Because that's never been a problem technology has overcome.
Any industry with veterans stating this sentiment is ripe for change. Not because an online app is going to solve all the worlds ills, but because there are people resisting progress, keeping entire industries in a holding pattern.
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#4Flexport's prices look too good to be true .. truly disruptive technology
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#5Flexport is hiring engineers: https://jobs.lever.co/flexport
As an engineer starting at Flexport in a couple of weeks, here are some more interesting resources that shaped my thinking:
Interview with Ryan Petersen (Flexport CEO) https://theblueprint.com/stories/ryan-petersen/
Office hours at startup school 2013 with pg & sama https://youtu.be/syoqjYLDs48?t=1167
I also happened to have recently read Zero to One.
Plus, Flexport has an appealing mission. Removing friction in something as basic as shipping makes pretty much everyone in the world better off.
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#6I guess this is the next upheaval in shipping. I think the last upheaval was with the introduction of the shipping container. A fascinating read on the subject:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/...
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#7"Many freight veterans and analysts are skeptical of these efforts, saying forwarding is too complex and too dependent on longstanding relationships for new online entrants to compete." Because that's never been a problem technology has overcome. Any industry with veterans stating this sentiment is ripe for change. Not because an online app is going to solve all the worlds ills, but because there are people resisting…
The veterans aren't "resisting progress", as much as protecting their own interests by using their experience. It may be at the cost of other people, but I think it's short-sighted to call them luddites. Currently, they have no incentive to invest in tech in the way of a silicon valley startup backed by VCs.
If the aim is progress to everyone's benefit, tech will make its mark once it's in the hands of some of the established players through acquisition or other means. Until then, I think startups will have a hard time winning over customers from established firms, as their inexperience will cause errors, which will cost their customers more than any markup of a less efficient company.
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#8I guess this is the next upheaval in shipping. I think the last upheaval was with the introduction of the shipping container. A fascinating read on the subject: http://www.amazon.com/The-Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller/dp/...
Seconded. If you spend any time at all wondering about how things are shuttled around the world, read The Box.
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#9"Many freight veterans and analysts are skeptical of these efforts, saying forwarding is too complex and too dependent on longstanding relationships for new online entrants to compete." Because that's never been a problem technology has overcome. Any industry with veterans stating this sentiment is ripe for change. Not because an online app is going to solve all the worlds ills, but because there are people resisting…
Not to mention that a lot of the incumbent freight forwarders have admitted to price fixing and other fraudulent behavior:
https://learn.flexport.com/freight-forwarding-price-fixing/
Re: Freight Startups Attract Silicon Valley’s Attention
#10I'm involved extensively in logistics, and although I'm not Flexport's target customer nor involved in their specific space of logistics, I can easily say that they are the most exciting new thing in logistics since the container.
The thing is, they aren't doing anything revolutionary. They are doing the same exact things that a lot of companies have done for decades. What makes them revolutionary is 1) They are doing, in one point of contact, a variety of tasks that normally requires 3-10 points of contact. Tracking, quotes, customs, forwarding arrangements, carrier connections, contracts, and payments, all in one stop. 2) They are doing it faster, better, and cheaper than anybody else around.