Seen.
Telebox
Alex loves bikes. He used to have an electric one which he loved until it sadly got stolen a while ago. He loved it so much he invested in the company that makes them.
The company had a problem. The bikes were delivered all over the world, but kept getting damaged in transit. The costs of changing the packaging were very high, so the founder took on the challenge.
He noticed that damage rates for flat screen TVs were much lower than for his bikes, although the packaging was similar.
So, he tried printing pictures of flat screen TVs on all his boxes. The damage rates decreased by 80%. It turned out that the people handling the boxes understood that TVs were fragile, so were more careful.
We thought this was an example of why founders and small businesses are so important. They innovate laterally, not linearly. And given the challenges the world is facing right now, this has never felt more important.
Read.
Box Clever
Sex Robots and Vegan Meat, by journalist Jenny Kleeman, explores the future.
In a series of interviews she learns how entrepreneurs are innovating in the most fundamental aspects of our lives: birth, food, sex and death.
The technologies and trends she investigates have profound implications. What Jenny finds causes us to question not only how our world will change, but our morality and the very essence of what it means to be human.
This reminded us that yesterday's science fiction will be reality tomorrow. We've heard it said there are only two kinds of business: technology businesses and those that haven't worked out they're a technology business yet.
What emerging technology or trend is going to make your business irrelevant?
What are you doing about that?
Learned.
Clever Clogs
The repair shop on BBC One is a fascinating show. The show's team of experts do whatever it takes to repair anything their guests present.
The show sets out to challenge disposable culture, but Antony took another learn too.
The guests rarely consider the price of the objects they present for repair. Instead they talk about the connection they have to them. These objects are infused with significance far beyond price.
It reminded us that it is connection, not price, that drives people.
How does that show up in your business?
And finally.
Alex had another story for us this week about his 94 year old neighbour who also loves to fix things.
Alex is doing some work on his flat including removing some original window frames. The neighbour heard about this and asked if he could have a small bolt from one the window handles.
One of his had broken some 7 years earlier. He'd been trying to find a replacement ever since, even getting one custom made, but nothing had worked.
Alex of course obliged.
The neighbour's carer said that he had tears in his eyes as he finally fixed his broken window handle, and she's never seen him so happy.
Small things can make a big difference.
Don’t forget to check out the accompanying podcast version of #founderhacks for a tantalising live experience of team atomex!
