Meet Rory O’Connor Founder & CEO of Scurri
#FounderStories simply a series of conversations with founders
I recently caught up with Rory O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Scurri, an Irish startup founded in 2010 which specialises in delivery management for online merchants.
HQ’d in Wexford town in Ireland they have 23 people employed. Their platform is used by multi-channel merchants, such as Zara, ASOS, MissGuided to improve their customer delivery propositions via delivery partners like Royal Mail, UPS, Hermes, TNT, DHL, Yodel, DPD and more.
Rory is an entrepreneur who likes to create and build things that make a difference. With @Scurri he’s using technology to make eCommerce delivery awesome for everyone! Loves the outdoors, surfing, triathlon and hillwalking. Lives in Wexford, Ireland.
NOG: What is the name of your business /startup, what year was it founded? do you have any co-founders? how did you get the idea?
ROC: The business name is Scurri, it was founded at the end of 2010, I am a lone founder and the business idea emerged from a slightly different business model that wast the original idea for the company.
NOG: What does your business/startup do? who is your typical customer?
ROC: Scurri removes the friction from managing deliveries for eCommerce Merchants, our typical customers are eCommerce merchants selling physical goods online who want to give their customers the best delivery experience possible.
NOG: Where is your startup located and how many people work there?
ROC: We are HQ’d in Wexford town in Ireland where we have 23 people employed today but entering an expansion phase now which is great.
Better together: start-ups and sponsorship by Adam Pescod @elitebizmag
NOG: How was your startup/business originally funded, how are you funded now and how does your startup/business make money?
ROC: I put up the initial capital to get us going, an ex-colleague soon joined me on the adventure and then we raised investment from a number of angels and a small amount of funding from enterprise Ireland. We then raised funds from VC’s as we got more traction.
NOG: Were you ever close to failure? how close? how did you recover?
ROC: Yes many times, on a couple of occasions we had a few days cash in the bank. Persistence and flexibility with a bit of luck thrown in is key.
NOG: What’s the biggest challenge your startup/business faces today?
ROC: One of the key challenges is finding talent, particularly engineering talent.
Image: Ireland’s entrepreneurial counties and the key challenges for Irish entrepreneurs
NOG: What is your background? how did you get your start and what brought you to a life in business/startups?
ROC: I originally worked in Waterford Crystal when I got a great grounding in business, marketing and sales. I also broadened my education there. I didn’t realise it for a while but I think I always destined to run my own business. I worked as a freelance consultant for a while but I really wanted to create something too.
NOG: What gets you up in the morning? and what keeps you up at night?
ROC: The excitement of what the day will bring gets me up and by the time the day is done (late at night) I sleep soundly.
Image: For the last sixteen years, Rory has been inshore helm for the local RNLI lifeboat (Fethard-on-Sea), ready to save lives at sea at any time in any weather condition.
NOG: What is your best character trait? what is your worst character trait?ROC: My best trait is I am persistent and willing to put the miles in, my worst trait is I can be impatient and unreasonable (don’t take no for an answer)
NOG: Are you striking a work / life balance? If so, what’s your secret?
ROC: I don’t see the difference between work and life, I don’t see what I do as a job and I think that is the secret.
NOG: The latest Scurri marketing features Lego, so what’s your figure look like?
ROC: Why simple it’s ‘President Business’ of course!
NOG: When things are going crazy, how do you unwind?
ROC: Do a bit more, nothing like the feeling of completing something.
Image: Rory competing in challenge Barcelona 2010
NOG: What’s the last book or movie you’ve read/seen?
ROC: The last book was Venture Deals and the last movie was the new Star wars.
Image: Star Wars: The Force Awakens
NOG: What’s your favourite gadget and why?
ROC: My iPhone, what can it not do?
NOG: What’s the one thing you wish you had known before you created your business/startup?
ROC: A lot more about finance, it’s so important.
NOG: So what’s next for Scurri?
ROC: International expansion
NOG: Thank you for taking the time today Rory, congratulations on the progress and best of luck with the expansion plans in 2016 and beyond
ROC: Thank you Niall, it’s been my pleasure.
#FounderStories simply a series of conversations with founders that I meet on my travels, have worked with in the past or simply find what they do interesting. These posts do not represent the views of any employer or any business that I am affiliated with.
I hope you enjoy them!
Originally published at www.linkedin.com.
