What is the definition of bravery to a leader in the e-commerce logistics industry?

 If you look in the dictionary, bravery is defined as being ready to face and endure danger or pain and displays of courageous behavior. While we certainly don’t go into work and slay dragons everyday, scaling an innovative e-commerce SaaS business does mean being constantly courageous, and ready to expect the unexpected.

We were delighted when our Founder and CEO, Arne Jerochewski, was invited to join the Brave Southeast Asia Tech podcast to share his experiences as an entrepreneur, and opinions on e-commerce logistics. 

Listen to the podcast HERE; also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Audible. 

Here are four key takeaways from the podcast for those under a time crunch.On deciding to leave management consulting to jumpstart an entrepreneurial career

• Arne started his career as a consultant with Mckinsey, focusing on the mobile telecom sector in Europe, Africa, and The Middle East for over six years. 

• As those telecom markets matured, he sought a new challenge in Southeast Asia, bringing him to Singapore and eventually pivoting to the e-commerce sector as the Founding CEO of Zalora.

• It was at Zalora that Arne learnt the importance of operations and logistics for building a successful e-commerce business. This led him to join Singapore Post and DHL to get more exposure to this industry and its complexities.

On the myth and market movements surrounding e-commerce and logistics

• E-commerce logistics technically grow faster than e-commerce due to the advent of online marketplaces, which aggregate and pull orders from different sellers so that more and more parcel shipments are being sent, which can be misinterpreted as growth for e-commerce.

• It is getting increasingly competitive and fragmented from both a cost and customer perspective. Carriers and SaaS providers are becoming more collaborative with the rise of innovation and the need for speed and visibility in e-commerce deliveries.

• More e-commerce merchants and marketplaces are working towards improving order fulfillment time, eliminating inefficiencies, and significantly enhancing production and effectiveness.

What Parcel Perform brings to the table for the e-commerce industry

• While at DHL, Arne realized that nobody in the logistics industry had solved the growing challenge of parcel visibility and tracking issues on behalf of the merchants and carriers. That was where he and his Co-Founder, Dana, found the inspiration to found Parcel Perform with the mission to fill this huge gap in the industry.

• Parcel Perform is the leading data and delivery experience platform for businesses covering 1015 logistics carriers worldwide, which is in a prime position to solve the challenges of a global e-commerce industry.

• Parcel Perform helps merchants and marketplaces worldwide to manage the customer experience post checkout by providing:

  • Personalized and real time engagement with customers

  • Proactive and automated dialogue around order and shipment details

  • 100% transparency on logistics operations tracking and carrier performance

On what it takes to be brave 

• Doing something you have a genuine passion for. Starting any business without a passion for your product or service is a huge mistake. 

• Passion, commitment, and belief are bigger enablers of positive change for the customer and industry at-large, far better than anything else, and customers can detect fakery and disingenuity a mile off.

• Always stay objective, focus on managing the risks and realities of running your business and being mindful of how it impacts your loved ones and family. One must take a continuous hard look at current market trends and resources while continuing to innovate and develop your business and solutions. 

Listen to the full podcast HERE.