Moving Forward Looking Backward
“Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward.” Kierkegaard
Soren Kierkegaard: theologian, philosopher, and critic, he’s an historical figure I would’ve joined for coffee…maybe because he was a deep thinker, or perhaps due to his (snarky?) fascination with irony. Either way, he made some valid points.
When I was brought on to write for NextPakk, I agreed because it seemed a positive way to move my life forward. It was a simple package delivery concept, after all. See, most of my life has revolved around music and education, but in that sense I’m tired of looking backward…I’ve spent the past five years desperately trying to move forward in another field (writing), so it seemed like a good idea.
I don’t know if you can identify, but what I didn’t think about is that with a start-up, like everything in life, things change…they adapt…they shift. Convincing me to get on board with a change from what I’ve subscribed to takes all forces in the universe working together to align the stars on the same day…well, you get the idea.
Needless to say, when we added a new element to our company, it was rough. Not for the techy/business guys I work with, but for me. They were determined to move NextPakk forward, regardless of what that looked like.
After working long and hard on scheduled package delivery, scrambling to build our mobile app, the team started talking about blockchain. Frankly, I wasn’t interested. That’s not what a last-mile package delivery company does, right?
Then they went about their business with cryptocurrency. Fake money, in my book, which certainly didn’t have anything to do with the last-mile problems of missed deliveries and package theft we’d set out to solve!
BUT, they eventually explained things in a way that made sense. More importantly, they began framing blockchain and cryptocurrency, our crypto, in terms of things that matter to me.
Ways blockchain adds to our system and our customers
They told me our blockchain tracks transactions accurately and privately.
They said that using blockchain, we can privatize customer data.
They taught me blockchain is the “platform” for our cryptocurrency.
Okay, they kind of lost some momentum with me on that one, but then they started explaining what we can do with our cryptocurrency, our Pakka token, and that it’s not the pretend money I thought it was.
How will our Pakka token make a difference in last-mile delivery?
Customers can pay with Pakka (so, I thought, no different than “real money”).
Tokens can be used as escrow during the delivery process, so contracted drivers have coverage.
It’s a means of tracking shipments in developing countries, reducing product loss.
Even for a non-techy girl like me, it’s all pretty interesting, actually. But, again, I didn’t see that upfront. What I saw was the simple delivery system which had been presented to me. That’s it. But then I looked back…
Here I was, tagging along, because there’s little I hate more than being left behind, and when I shifted my gaze long enough to see what was going on around me, I noticed these people I work with make a lot of sense.
Sure, an ICO provides a means of funding a start-up, so that’s awesome! Instead of taking the VC route, giving up a large share of the company, ICOs develop funds to get the business (not just the tokens!) up and running. It’s a fantastic route to take in getting our scheduled package delivery services to the public.
Our ICO is what will bring us closer to providing additional income for people wanting to deliver for us, and for businesses choosing to team up with us. It’s how we’ll get closer to launching our next concept within the delivery aspect. It is what we need to bring you your packages on your schedule — your time matters!
When it comes to package theft, enough is enough!
I guess the guys figured this would be the best way to get this last-mile solution rolling as quickly as possible, since the point of NextPakk is reinventing the logistics of life, and we’re committed to making it sustainable as a sharing economy.
We know nothing great is accomplished alone, so we had to shift gears a bit. Now, once again, I think fondly of my beloved Kierkegaard. We are moving forward! But only because the people I work with had the guts to turn around and examine all possible options for bringing this to fruition.
And so it is, we forge ahead. I’m even onboard now. Whatever it takes to solve the last-mile delivery problems challenging us as a society!
We’re wrapping up our whitepaper, solidifying our advisors, and talking tech. All. The. Time.
We can use the Pakka tokens for NextPakk services, so that’s a win. But using the funds from the ICO to finish our mobile apps, spread the word about who we are and what we do, and start delivering what we promise is a win-win.
So, yes, Mr. Kierkegaard. We’ve looked back long enough to evaluate and understand how best to regroup, but as a team, we’re focused on the original goal.
Scheduled package delivery: coming soon!
