I'm like a supply chain influencer now or something?
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Hiya folks
To date, I haven’t used this newsletter to weigh in on matters of logistics and supply chain, despite it being my job at Flexport. That’s partially because I like having this newsletter being “100% Cy” without any filtering over concerns of me misrepresenting my employee’s position on things. But it’s mostly due to the fact that at 2.5 years in at Flexport, I’m still very much a newb when it comes to the subjects I work on. Working besides folks who’ve spent their entire adult life in the supply chain industry makes me always feel utterly incompetent and unfit to offer opinions.
Yet that’s what I do on a daily basis at work. The company looks to me to know what the hell I’m talking about and make sound decisions. And Flexport is at the nexus of supply chain and international trade, issues that really matter. So I reckon it’s time to stick my neck out a bit and voice a thought or two about logistics, trade, and whatnot to the broader universe.
In the spirit of nothing ventured, nothing gained, I’m going to start voicing my opinions on things I do know a bit about in the supply chain domain, which is visibility (aka “where’s my stuff?”) and intermodal freight forwarding. This is primarily for my own benefit - if I put my voice out there, it’s more likely to get engagement from others with opinions on the subject, exposing me to good Socratic debate and accelerating my own learning.
I’m not pivoting the newsletter. There are far better supply chain-centric ones like the wonderful Cathy Roberson or Eric Johnston’s LogTech. It probably helps that they publish every week instead of every blue moon as I do. Don’t think for a minute I’m going to stop writing about subjects like the world’s greatest cartoon or using your house for an overcollateralized loan of a crypto coin. It should go without saying but I’ll say it - views and opinions are my own, not my employer’s.
Anywho, I gave two “media appearances” lately about visibility and Flexport and I shamelessly want to cross-promote them here.
First, I was a minor contributor to Mario Gabrielle’s magnificent review of Flexport. I’ve been fortunate to cross paths with Mario once or twice. When he asked for help arranging intros to Flexport’s exec team, I jumped at the chance. He’s world-class at connecting the dots between corporate strategy, the founder’s backstory, and the world at large. So getting him to turn his attention to our company was a must-do.
If you haven’t read the article, please go do it! Mario really captured the spirit of what we’re trying to do at Flexport when we talk about building the “global trade platform”. Freight forwarding isn’t the end - it’s the means to the end. Go read and you’ll understand what I’m saying.
Quick pit stop - as you may know, I like to drop affiliate links to cool stuff as a way to (a) get more cool stuff for myself, (b) give readers the “inside track” on up-and-coming products and services. I have a knack for knowing about neat things before they gain mass adoption and I use that early mover advantage to lock in the sweet discounts/advantages these companies offer to their initial customers. Check out what I’ve found this week!
Alice - IT’S FINALLY HERE. The app that lets you invest directly into the Terra ecosystem straight from your bank. Deposit cash into the app and it immediately converts it to the UST stablecoin, giving you a monstrous 19.5% savings rate. If the last sentence doesn’t make sense to you, probably best to let this one go. But if that savings rate is just too attractive to let pass, I’d jump on this thing. I’m super bullish on the Terra ecosystem and have more wealth than I care to let my wife know about invested there. Use code 08F15A. Email me if that code no longer works. Do not tell my wife.
Kencko smoothie mixes - Do you like to be healthy? Are you also lazy and don’t want to cook a lot of veggies every meal? Boom - Kencko baby! They freeze-dry tasty mixes of fruits and vegetables and put them in easy-to-make smoothie packets. They also sell gummies and bowls too. No preservatives, fillers, hard-to-pronounce additives (wtf is xanthan gum anyway??). Use the link above or when checking out click the “Been referred by a friend?” button and use code Cy Sack for $20 off.
X1 Credit Card - A digitally native credit card that gives tons of points bonuses, discounts with major retailers, and handy features like generating virtual cards for subscriptions so it’s super easy to cancel afterward. Plus, the card itself is badass, sleek and heavy silver.
Second, I was a guest on the Horn OK Please podcast, where I talked more tactically about the world of supply chain visibility. HOP is a podcast that focuses on supply chain topics most relevant to India, hosted by Shreyas Kadaba.
🔊Spotify: https://spoti.fi/38C1FJ5
🍎Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3OMeKjJ
🧵Stitcher: https://bit.ly/3MLOx31
It may have been a factor that Shreyas was previously on my team at Flexport. Maybe.
When looking for podcasts to make guest appearances on, I suggest starting with the ones that your own direct reports are making. It’s super easy, what are they going to do, say no to their boss??? lol, no chance.
Shreyas and I talk about what supply chain visibility is, why it’s so damn difficult vs. your standard e-commerce small parcel experience, and why it matters so much beyond just knowing where stuff is. I am of course extremely biased, but I think it’s a fairly good primer for this little slice of supply chains.
Be a mensch - go listen and give Shreyas a 12-star rating so his podcast can attract more listeners and advertisers.
On a closing note, here’s a little teaser for an upcoming newsletter topic:
Rapid Fire
Stuff I found around the internet
1st female Medical Corps officer to graduate Ranger School. This lady is as hard as a woodpecker’s lips. You cannot begin to imagine the level of suffering Ranger School inflicts on the body. It is something only to be done, if you must, between the age of 19 to 23. It takes years off your life. This badass did it in her mid-30s. Savage. Oh - and she’s a MD as well. That’s “Doctor Ranger” to you!
An excellent meme to pair with my recent article where I apologized to all the logisticians I mistreated while in the Army
My daughter “failed” to use the word pew correctly. I strongly disagree.
Best cover of WAP I’ve seen
Never underestimate the power of a shrimp taco
