Packfleet Discussion šŸ“¦

Show your working out….

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The way I read it was that the business model is similar to JustEat?

So you order, ā€œJustEatā€ go collect the parcel and bring it to you on their bike within the timeslot you choose.

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On a basic level, the time taken to sit around could’ve been used to deliver X parcels for Y money each, so multiply the two to cover that loss. Then you’ve probably complicated your deliver chain by allowing for customers to return straight away, so add some money on to cover for that. Etc etc.

It reminds me more of WeWork than anything else - make your business look app-y, but actually it’s inherently physical which comes with limitations that can’t be magiced around.

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That article gives us very little information about exactly what they will do

I doubt Tristan went to Tom and Jonas and said ā€œI need money for a delivery appā€
ā€œSure, do you have a business plan we can seeā€
ā€œNah, I haven’t thought of costs or sales. It’ll be fineā€

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I suspect they may discover a large gap exists between their aspirations/plan and reality. I mean, take Yodel. They probably had a great plan, no one sets out to make an awful delivery service, but that’s what happened when reality intervened.

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Glad you’re all pleased with the existing model of parcel delivery as it really doesn’t work well for me

DHL seem to take it in turns as to whether the redirect option is enabled and most offer no idea in advance of when it will arrive and even those who do are generally inaccurate

Oddly enough it is DPD Local that’s found themselves being the most user friendly and even then we skipped ahead twenty minutes last week as he was already on my street

I do genuinely find myself on unplanned calls or in meetings when a delivery arrives and I would appreciate a snooze option or a slot later on or whatever

First I too had heard of @hugo making a move, so my very best wishes in the new endeavour to him and @robinb

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Someone clearly has no idea what’s involved in applying for a banking license.

Btw did everyone miss the part of the article which pointed out that the closest equivalent to Packfleet: Budbee is already making a profit?

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OK something I have Opinions on!

I think there’s something really interesting about ā€œLast Mileā€ delivery services, and frankly that is what I can see this becoming/being.

I think there’s a very solid and established infrastructure around global logistics that the only real bit that would change here, is the Last Mile.

You can see the advent of things like Gorillaz, Getir, Another One Who’s Name I forget offering ā€œdisruptiveā€ Last Mile Grocery deliveries, on demand.

We’ve seen places like CO-OP offer last mile deliveries by bike.

DPD and Friends have started to up their game in what the ā€œto-doorā€ delivery experience looks like, but I can totally see why an approach of ā€œdo what Gorillaz are doing for Groceries, but with Parcelsā€ is compelling.

But I think that makes me ask, what is the Niche it’s trying to fill? Small/Local independent shops, trying to deliver to customers ā€œclose byā€ - I think this solution is actually pretty neat, and I could actually some elements of that working really well.

But yeah, I think (parts of it) could work, if you’re targeting the right consumers in the right place.

Edit: I say that with a ā€œsupply chain optimisationā€ lens that is the day job, so perhaps biased.

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The experience point is moot for me. Many people disrupt other industries. But the comparison to Monzo is way out.

What Monzo has improved is clear to see. ā€œDo you want an instant notification when you spend?ā€ ā€œDo you want to segregate your money?ā€ I’m not sure how many of these things were there at the very Mondo beginning but they are obvious improvements.

This just screams of people with a lot of money, good connections and wanting to create something themselves. And because they had a bad parcel experience, this is the one they pick.

If that day the washing machine broke, we’d probably be looking at the Uber of home electronics repair business.

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Those sorts of features were there from the very beginning. Which part of the comparison to Monzo is wrong sorry?

This is how most startups get founded.

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Well there you go, this forum is made up of some of the smartest and dumbest people I know, choose who you listen to carefully :wink:

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Or course what will likely happen is that VC Money will slow park fleet to grow to a reasonable level but will never be profitable and at a certain point a logistics provider or Amazon will scoop them up to have a niche brand on their books catering to SME’s and hipster businesses. Everyone gets lauded as geniuses and walks away to do their next hipster start up.

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I do find it frustrating that anything with even the most tenuous connection to Monzo gets put in that thread, rather than just keeping it for actual Monzo media reports and such, but sadly I’m not the boss of the world, the forum, or even my world so my frustration matters not a jot. Well done for getting it spun out into its own thread though! :+1:

This topic is like Daily Mail bingo. We’ve had ā€œwokeā€, ā€œveganā€ and ā€œhipsterā€ so far, just waiting on ā€œguacamoleā€ and ā€œfancy coffeeā€ and I’ll have the full house. :roll_eyes:

I don’t know enough about logistics to comment on the viability of this venture, and can’t get excited about it until I see something beyond an article and choice quotes, but the proof of the pudding and all that; if it works that’s great, and if it doesn’t then they’ll go and find the next thing to disrupt.

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This reminds me of that Simpsons episode where Homer is in charge of the garbage men and makes them all go the extra mile, causing financial ruin.

I’d invest in this company based on the calibre of the team alone, whatever garbage idea they are peddling will probably turn to gold. Any mention of crowdfunding?

Yeah. The initial product concept sounds like garbage to me but the team looks red hot :fire:, so I’d be keen to invest at a very early stage if that opportunity arose.

I’d much rarther (sic) invest in an apparently terrible product concept with a red hot team than a red hot product with a terrible team. I think with almost all crowdfunding you see the latter and imho it’s why there are so many ā€˜dead in the water’ seed investment opportunities that shouldn’t be touched with a barge pole, but they get funded because people just think it’s a good product so therefore it’s a good investment opportunity… Sugru anyone? (or insert one of 1000’s of others)

The reason an apparently crap idea does not matter to me is because entrepreneurs who think a bit differently and have a history of success doing so are able to turn their seemingly terrible concept into something very good, very quickly.

For example they could easily pivot from having this man-bunned delivery driver, probably Tristan post-monzo-gardening-leave, who turns up with your artisan loaves of bread and stands outside waiting an hour in the rain while you’re on your zoom call, to instead having your furniture delivered by a driver with building expertise who builds it just like in the photo in 30 mins then sweeps up and carts off your old furniture. Or they could deliver your washing machine, plumb it in and show you how to use it, rather than dumping a huge box right in your doorway before having to run off ā€˜cos of the parking’ , as you might expect from any other courier.

There are a number of iterations of their general concept where I’d pay Ā£50-100 to get something delivered with style and expertise. And I’m a very frugal person (read tight barsteward) so I’m sure these hipster types with money burning a hole in their skinny jeans would pay a premium for all sorts of things to be delivered differently.

One other thing that I’d add to explaining why I’d invest in this despite the perceived crap concept… Buzz… They have barely put down the crayon they used to scribble this concept on the back of an envelope and they have influential investors writing cheques and dozens of random people talking about it on here. Where there is early buzz there is the chance of a big buzz and eventually virality / world domination.

So yeah, you read correctly - terrible idea but I’d invest in a heartbeat! :smile:

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I didn’t realise they had such a history. I’m not sure where I got my first pack from but it’s brilliant! Love it!

For anyone curious

Poor Sugru, damn!

Also have one pack which I love. Really is v useful/cool!

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At the moment, I can’t see the USP of Packfleet compared to eCourier and Shutl (apart from the fact Packfleet seem to only offer next-day). In fact, for next day eCourier seems to offer near nationwide coverage (not just London).