We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shaun Savage. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shaun below.
Shaun, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
GoShare was a partially remote team from 2015-2020. After the pandemic we went fully remote. We do rent a co-working space with enough room for two people and to keep a corporate address. We have 49 people in 3 countries and 19 states in the US. We’ve made it work using great communication tools like Google Meet, Discord and Workplace. We do company town hall meetings quarterly to make sure everyone is on the same page. We also host virtual events/games a few times a year to get the team together in a non-work setting. The pitfalls are that it is hard to build culture when you can’t do many in person events. We used to do happy hours, hikes and other fun in person activities. We seldom do in person events now and when we do they are in small groups. The benefits are that we save thousands of dollars a month on rent/parking/food for the office. Our team also doesn’t need to commute saving them time that they can spend with family/friends/hobbies. Fewer commutes mean lower greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to environmental conservation. Another benefit to employees is they can customize their home office to their liking. This will make them more comfortable Less commuting stress and the ability to work in a comfortable environment can reduce anxiety and increase overall mental well-being. There are also no office distractions like 20 min coffee breaks making everyone more productive. . Remote work also allows for more personalized work schedules. The ability to work during peak productivity hours, which can vary from person to person, enhances efficiency.
Shaun, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’ve s always had a passion for solving logistical challenges and leveraging technology to create innovative solutions. My journey into the industry began with a simple yet impactful observation: the inefficiencies and frustrations surrounding last-mile delivery and the excess capacity available in trucks. These observations first game to me in college when I had a house painting business. With a background in sales and marketing plus a keen interest in entrepreneurship, Shaun set out to transform the way goods are transported from stores to customers’ homes.
GoShare offers a seamless platform connecting individuals and businesses with a vetted network of delivery professionals equipped to handle big and bulky items. The company provides a range of services, including last-mile delivery, same-day delivery, and inter-store transfers. By integrating advanced technology, such as their robust API and mobile app, GoShare ensures a smooth and efficient delivery process. This platform is designed to cater to various industries, from retail giants to fleet maintenance companies, making it a versatile solution for diverse logistical needs.
One of the core problems GoShare solves is the complexity and cost associated with traditional delivery methods. By utilizing a large network of vetted drivers and a user-friendly app, GoShare offers a cost-effective, reliable, and scalable delivery solution. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction with timely deliveries but also provides businesses with the flexibility to scale their operations according to demand.
What sets GoShare apart from others in the industry is its commitment to technological innovation and customer-centric service. The company’s API integration capabilities allow for seamless interaction with clients’ existing systems, ensuring a low-touch, hassle-free experience. Moreover, GoShare’s focus on organic marketing, social media engagement, and superior customer service has fostered a loyal customer base and significant market presence.
Shaun is most proud of the impact GoShare has had on both businesses and individual customers. The company’s ability to deliver over 50,000 successful deliveries for a Fortune 200 retailer with a damage claim rate of less than 0.01% and 97% on-time deliveries is a testament to their operational excellence. Additionally, GoShare’s expansion to over 547 locations for a Fortune 100 retailer and the exceptional customer reviews highlight the company’s dedication to quality service. GoShare has been recognized as one of the 500 fastest growing companies in North America by Deloitte in 2023 and the 10th fastest growing medium sized business in San Diego by the San Diego Business Journal.
For potential clients, followers, and fans, GoShare is not just a delivery service; it’s a partner in efficiency and growth. The company’s mission is to simplify logistics, save costs, and enhance customer experiences through innovative technology and exceptional service. GoShare is well positioned as a trailblazer in the last-mile delivery industry, continuously setting new standards and driving forward the future of logistics.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
The first $75,000 into the business came from my personal savings and a small profit that I made from selling a condo I bought. I was able to save a decent amount of money thanks to early successes in my sales career. Additionally, my mom generously invested $25,000. We also participated and won about $10,000 in cash prizes in two pitch competitions. This helped us build and launch our MVP.
Our first angel investor Claudio Burtin found us through a Google search and ultimately invested $1,000,000 two years after we started working on GoShare. The first round that Claudio led was a convertible note with a $3.5 million cap. Two years after that we raised a $3 million priced round led by Adasel Global Partners. Three years after that we raised another $3.5 million on another convertible note led by Mark IV Capital, LAUNCH and Cove Fund. In total we’ve raised about $7.8 million in venture capital to finance the business..
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In early 2020, GoShare was on a fast growth trajectory and on our way to closing our Series A financing. Then Covid 19 changed the world and our business forever. Many of our retailer partners who were the primary driver of our growth closed their doors temporarily and some closed for good. Our product at the time was built for brick and mortal retailers. For the first time in our history we had a down quarter in Q2 of 2020. Investors suddenly lost interest in our deal and instead focused on saving their portfolio companies. We had to quickly cut cost including a round of layoffs and executive pay cuts. We also had to find a way to build our revenue back up with new and existing customers as quickly as possible before the company ran out of money. We luckily landed deals with Pepsi and Tesla around that time and began working on developing our API to support eCommerce. It took us about 16 months of hard work and uncertainty to dig ourselves out of that hole in order to find new investors to finance the business. The team demonstrated an incredible amount of resiliency and patience during that time to get us back on track.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://goshare.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goshare.co
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goshare.co/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/goshare
- Twitter: https://x.com/goshare
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@GoShareCo
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/goshare-san-diego-8
- Other: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goshare-deliver-move-ltl/id977871324
Image Credits
Shaun Savage