How to Invest in Logistics and Supply Chains with Ben Gordon

For this episode of the eCom Logistics Podcast, we welcome Ben Gordon, Managing Partner and CEO of Cambridge Capital. A rich history in the logistics industry made way for Ben to start his private equity firm that invests in the supply chain sector.

He shares the many nuggets of wisdom he has learned over the years, first as a founder, and second as an investor. Ben also discusses the soft skills founders need to be successful, including humility, a genuine desire to listen, and the ability to listen to their market.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 02:29 Learning about logistics and starting an advisory business
• 09:09 The top 3 advice for founders 
• 24:54 Pivoting: The micro fulfillment space & robotic automation investment
• 34:30 Investing in cold storage and reverse logistics
• 39:12 As an entrepreneur and investor: Be on point and have a genuine desire to listen

QUOTES

11:18 Listen to the market and learn to pivot - Ben: "The number one key for a successful entrepreneur, not just to raise money but to build a business, is put yourself in the shoes of the market. And the market could be different. It could be what does the customer think, what does the investor think, what does the strategic partner think?"

40:13 Sell with story and substance - Ben: "If you're an entrepreneur looking to raise money, I think number one, gotta have a clear pitch, gotta be able to tell the story elevator-style, 30 seconds, a lot of entrepreneurs, the story takes too long and you lose the audience's attention. You've got to be able to have the hook in 30 seconds. And that's one.” 

"Two, it's not just the story. There's also the substance which is a proof-point of success. I've got a lot of decks and, generally speaking, the ones that I'm the most interested in are ones where the deck shows a simple statement of what's the problem, what's their solution, customer case study, and clear results."

Find out more about Ben in the links below:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengordon18/
• Website: https://cambridgecapital.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/benjaminhgordon

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