A VC in Vacationland

Supply Chain Innovators: Chassis tracking

The major productivity problem today in West Coast ports is locating enough chassis's to haul containers out of the ports to rail yards or other facilities. Here is a description of the problem.

This is a real supply chain problem that needs a solution. Hopefully, some entrepreneurs can figure one out.

Supply Chain Innovators: BrightFarms brings Produce to the City

   New York, New York  --  Agriculture technology company BrightFarms has landed $2.4 million in its second round of institutional venture capital funding.

BrightFarms designs, builds and operates hydroponic greenhouse farms at supermarkets, increasing food supply chain sustainability.

WP Global Partners led the round, which included previous investors NGEN Partners and Emil Capital Partners.

Supply Chain Innovators: Boxed takes on Costco

Boxed, a start up that sells bulk-sized snacks, toiletries and other everyday goods through a mobile app and delivers them to a customer’s door, has raised a $6.5 million Series A investment, led by Greycroft, First Round Capital and Signia Venture Partners. Boxed aims to appeal to shoppers who like the discounts offered by warehouse clubs such as Costco and Sam’s Club but who want the convenience of shopping from home and don’t want to pay a membership fee.

Boxed may have been funded at just the wrong time, given the emerging changes in FedEx (and undoubtedly UPS/USPS) shipping regulations which will penalize high-cube, low weight product shipments--just the stuff we all buy at Costco--toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, etc.

We'll see how they manage to navigate the next six months along with Amazon. Choppy waters for on-line stores...

Supply Chain Innovators: Instacart raises a pile from Andreessen

Well, not Webvan so far, or so I asked in a previous post...

According to BizJournals, California-based same-day grocery delivery service Instacart, which has a growing presence in the Boston area, has raised $44 million in Series B funding led by Andreessen Horowitz as it works to expand its service into new markets across the U.S.

Existing investors Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures and Canaan Partners also participated in the round. In addition, Aaron Levie, CEO of Box, and Sam Altman, President of Y Combinator, made personal investments.

Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta said he now believes the company will be in 17 cities by the end of 2014, nearly double its original goal. The company's revenue has grown by 15-times over the past nine months, according to a release.

Last month, Instacart announced it would start grocery delivery from Harvest Co-op in Jamaica Plain. And earlier this year, the company said it expanded into the Boston suburbs.

Managing Start-Ups: Rip Off the BandAid, or Not

I am often asked by an entrepreneur...multiple times...about making the same decision. It may be about firing an employee, entering a new market, or some other tough call. The same question, again and again...

In a start up, taking time with some decisions is important. Others? Get it done...fast..How does one tell the difference?  Consider the following:

• Will making the decision help us get moving forward? Often, having the wrong employee can really hold back a company. Get rid of them, fast.
• Is it better to make the decision now or later? Too many entrepreneurs get into the fast decision mode, when they would be better off waiting a few weeks or months. I've seen decisions on new market entry be scrapped after a few weeks, only to be reversed in future months. Wait for the data, people!
• Should some decisions never be made?  I've seen entrepreneurs jump in bed with stupid money, only to miss the opportunity to get smart money in the door a few months later. Be sure and make sure that you carefully consider the implications of these decisions before you jump in the wrong direction.

Decisions can be roadblocks to success, or they can be enablers. Be sure you sort out the two types as you make your decisions.