Sebastian Steinhauser knew that there had to be a better way to receive packages. He was tired of waiting at home for the truck, sacrificing precious hours just to avoid a missed delivery. It was inefficient and, for those with schedules as full as his, impractical.
The WeWork Moorgate member set about finding a solution, and hit the mark with Parcelly. His service operates numerous drop-off locations around London—users placing an online order indicate one of them as a shipping address. They’re notified via the Parcelly app when the package arrives, and can pick it up at their earliest convenience.
We chatted with Steinhauser about his daily routine, what gets him motivated, and how Parcelly has evolved since its inception.
WeWork: What inspired you to start your business?
Steinhauser: I had been thinking about launching my own business for quite some time. Since no company seemed to address the ordinary challenges in the context of receiving parcel deliveries appropriately, I decided that it was time to fix it—that’s how Parcelly was born.
WeWork: What was your initial vision for your company, and how has it changed?
Steinhauser: The initial vision of the company was as a mobile-only solution mainly focusing on parcel collection. Based on our customer feedback, our internal research, and general market trends, we’re continuously improving the platform, and are implementing a website interface to offer access to our services across a variety of channels and devices. We’re also working on adding parcel returns to our service proposition.
WeWork: Was there anything you wish you knew before you started?
Steinhauser: Every day is unpredictable and full of new challenges, but now that I’ve started working in this extremely fascinating tech-development world I’m plan to learn how to code.
WeWork: What gets you out of bed every morning?
Steinhauser: Building and running a company is the most challenging and fulfilling experience I have ever had. Seeing our progress from the first day up until today is incredibly rewarding, and it gets me up every morning.
WeWork: If we had a chance to peek at your schedule, what would an average day look like?
Steinhauser: My average day starts at 7 a.m., to check my emails for anything that needs immediate attention. I’m normally in the office by 8 to meet parts of the team, deal with calls and maybe have a coffee meeting. I eat lunch around 1 p.m. and generally divide the rest of my day into meeting and working time. If there’s no evening event, I aim to finish around 10 and head home.
WeWork: What are the next steps for your company?
Steinhauser: We are always developing our platform and services, and we will continue to grow our network and the variety of parcel collection points, getting even closer to our customers and to places which perfectly fit their individual lifestyles and needs. We also want to continue introducing Parcelly across the UK and work with a growing number of online retailers and corporate partners to make the service even more seamless and convenient.
WeWork: What do you like to do outside of work?
Steinhauser: Although I should be training far more often, I am a keen triathlete and love the variety the sport offers. I also enjoy exploring London, eating and drinking at places I’ve never been, and spending as much time as possible with family and friends.
Photo credit: Oscar May