In today's episode, I speak to Matt Semmelhack, the co-founder and CEO of Boox, reusable boxes, and shipping bags, eliminating single-use plastic and cardboard from eCommerce shipments.

The rise of eCommerce has been massive in the last few years and further accelerated by the pandemic. We'll dive into some of the most sustainable options to reduce the negative environmental impact of shipment.

[01:00] Matt's Personal Journey (How he started Boox)
[08:09] Comparing the environmental impact of Boox to other solutions
[09:41] Boox's initial market segment
[12:33] How does Boox work? (Customer Experience explained)
[14:39] Boox's value proposition for the retailer
[19:16] Key strategies Boox uses to increase box return rates
[23:23] Matt's biggest entrepreneurial lessons
[29:22] Founding vs Operating - Where are you on the spectrum?
[32:40] Boox's 10-year vision

KEY LESSONS & QUOTES

“Part of my entrepreneurial journey is finding something I really love to think about and & will outlive me” [01:42]
“One of the special things about restaurants is that you get to see the customer's reaction to your product in real-time. I’m trying to apply in most of what I do ” [04:43]
“Getting real-time feedback is a pretty unique angle into product development.”
“There's ~200 billion shipments globally every year. If our solution works correctly, we have the potential to reduce the overall environmental impact of that shipment by 70% or more” [8:25]
“When I was a kid, it wasn't cool to be sustainable. People weren't seeking out brands because of it but now they are” [11:48]
“Switching to Boox improves your bottom line because of customer retention, acquisition, and loyalty.” [12:11]
“If you approach a brand with an environmentally friendly solution but it drastically affects their bottom line, they're gonna say no; it’s just a reality of business today” [15:35]
“Getting consumers to shift behavior is probably the biggest challenge we've had and will continue to have” [18:23]
“An important thing about working on an impactful challenge is that we see other companies like that as partners, not as competition. Unless we all win, none of us win” [22:30]
“Take care of your employees. There is no other greater resource that you have as a company” [24:13]
“When you start to think of employees as expenses, your priorities are in the wrong order” [25:04]
“As a startup, make decisive actions. You don't have to solve the future state yet. Just get over the next hump. [32:00]

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