Today’s Notable Young Entrepreneur is Marc Kuo. His Vancouver-based company Routific helps businesses plan their delivery routes more efficiently, which leads to major fuel and time savings. We caught up with him to find out what inspires him and what advice he would share with other young professionals…
WORK
1. Describe what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
Routific is a route optimization solution for delivery businesses. Our algorithms save them 40% on driving time and fuel.
2. What was the inspiration for your career route?
I wrote my thesis on route optimization and built an algorithm that could find 40% shorter delivery routes compared to even the best human dispatchers.
My first job, however, was as an algorithmic equity trader for a big investment bank in Hong Kong. While the money was good, I didn’t find that I was adding value to society – in fact, I felt the opposite.
Emerging from the logistical hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, I started to learn that most delivery businesses did not employ algorithms and were still planning their routes by hand – what a waste!
Our mission is to make routing algorithms available to every last-mile delivery business so that any fleet can be as efficient as UPS’.
3. What is the most memorable milestone in your career so far?
Being accepted into Techstars (Chicago 2015) was definitely a huge milestone for us. It meant that some really successful entrepreneurs and investors believed we were onto something!
4. Where do you see yourself in five years, 10 years, 20 years?
In five years, I would love to see the world of last-mile logistics embrace route optimization as something essential and commoditized. At the same time, I’d like to see inefficient manual route planning really become a thing of the past – in fact, it should be made illegal!
In 10 years, I believe that fleets of self-driving cars will finally penetrate the last-mile delivery market. When that moment comes, we want to be the centralized routing hivemind behind it all.
Twenty years?! That’s an eternity, especially in the startup world!
5. Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
When you’re young, make sure you optimize for learning as much as possible, as fast as possible, in a wide variety of things as possible. It is the only sure path to prepare for the unsure future. Don’t get fooled by the myth of “job security” that tends to be associated with big corporations.
Do what you love. This can mean different things for different people. For me personally, it was to start a tech startup. Whatever you fancy, don’t settle too soon for something you feel no passion for. I believe that the lines between your job and your life should be blurred – because you enjoy it so much – and I believe that this is possible for anyone.
6. Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is it (or they) important to you?
We’ve helped optimize donation pickup routes for Spring Hope Food Drive – saving that charity 37% on driving time and mileage. We even helped them take eight volunteer cars off the road.
We also support Hives for Humanity because we love honey bees and believe it’s critical to protect these amazing creatures that are so vital to our world – did you know bees have built-in route optimization?
We also believe that access to good education is a fundamental right to anyone. The Walking School Bus is an organization that brings education to third-world countries through access, nutrition, and curriculum.
7. What is one major challenge that you’ve had to overcome in your career? How did you overcome it?
Trying to convince people to actually use our crappy prototype in the early days was definitely the most challenging – conviction, grit, and perseverance were key to overcome that.
Since we had no users, the other thing that kept us going was third-party validation. We won Startup Weekend Vancouver in 2012, gained some press mentions, and made it onto the front page of Hacker News.
8. What does the word notable mean to you?
Impacting the world in a positive way.
PLAY
1. Where is your favourite place to wine/dine in your city and why?
Chez Suzanne: my co-founder and wife is a wonderful cook!
2. What’s the most visited website on your Internet browser? The most played song on your phone?
Hacker News. “I can see clearly now” – it’s my morning alarm. Gosh, I hate that song…
3. Who’s one person you think everyone should be following on social media?
I’m a big fan of Elon Musk. A truly unique mastermind of our times.
4. What’s your favourite country to visit and why? And what’s the next one you plan on travelling to?
The Netherlands. That’s where I was born and raised, and where my family still is! I plan to visit them again soon.
5. What gives you the greatest FOMO?
Missed opportunities to learn from smart and successful people.
6. What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Sleeping a lot. I need it!
7. What’s something you wish you didn’t spend so much money on? What’s something you wish you spent more on?
When I was young, I used to buy name-brand clothes to fit in. Like I said, I was young… Instead, I wish I had bought more books as a kid – I used to dislike reading for some reason that is beyond myself. Now it is one of my favorite past-times.
8. And finally, what does success look like to you? Work, play, or otherwise…
A happy, healthy life.