Flexport emerged from my experience in the freight forwarding industry, where I felt the pain of information asymmetry and recognized the potential for software to improve the process.

Flexport is a freight forwarder that helps businesses ship cargo globally while using technology to provide visibility and control over their freight at lower prices.

Flexport is a technology company that improves freight shipping, not just a freight forwarder.

Flexport structures and organizes the unstructured data involved in freight forwarding, allowing all parties in the shipping process to access the information they need to perform their roles effectively.

Flexport achieved $200 million in revenue without a marketing team, which taught me the importance of hiring people better than myself in that area. Flexport primarily relies on outbound sales, with about 95% to 98% of its sales coming from actively reaching out to potential clients.

Flexport has grown rapidly, recently surpassing FedEx and Panalpina to become the 17th largest freight forwarder out of about 20,000 globally.

The profile of startup founders is changing, with more emphasis on domain expertise in non-software industries, such as shipping, rather than just technical skills.

Flexport was granted a license by the US Department of Homeland Security on March 31, 2013, which allowed me to fully commit to the business after three years of waiting. I moved to California to start Flexport, and I think that was one of the best decisions I've made.

The future of logistics will involve predictive software that anticipates challenges and allows for quick rerouting to maintain operational effectiveness.