In 1990, if I wanted a pair of Calvin Klein jeans I had seen in a magazine, I'd head to the mall, sift through piles of inventory to find my size, try them on, ask the opinion of the often inexperienced sales associate, wait in line to check out, pay, and head home. The process was linear and ripe for improvement.
One thing that is unique to Stadium Goods is that they have a consolidated view of everything that is going on in the footwear ecosystem because they are connecting with customers, both buyers and sellers of sneakers, in so many different places.
Last-mile efficiencies is a big trend. It's something that consumers have demonstrated that they want and existing businesses are trying to figure out and new businesses are rising up to.
In 2010 - after raising capital to launch Forerunner Ventures - we aimed to invest in companies targeting digitally savvy customers looking to be delighted by experiences and founded by visionary leaders committed to leveraging data and quantifying the results.
I am giddy with enthusiasm when my companies are doing well. And my heart hurts when they're not. Maybe that sounds very cheesy, but that's the reality of my life right now.
I was a woman and younger. I started spending a lot of time in the mall doing a lot of qualitative research and really watching what consumers were doing. Were they gravitating towards the sales racks, or were they looking at the new fashions? Were they there to shop, or were they there to socialize?
Most things that people want already exist, and with Amazon or eBay, there is always someone who is willing to undercut your price.
