Protect your Phone and the Planet
Interview with Ramin Schultz, Founder of Keebos
Ramin Schultz is the founder of Keebos, a consumer goods company based in Venice Beach, California. After working for Nike in marketing for over four years, and helping multiple startups scale and exit, he started his own company with the mission to help people stay handsfree and carefree.
Dan: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us. To start, I am sure our readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What is your background?
I’m originally from Germany, grew up in Washington, DC and lived abroad in Madrid, Montpellier and Berlin before moving to Venice three years ago. I worked in marketing at Nike for over four years and leading many global product launches. Through my experiences, I became a huge fan of innovative products that are both functional and represent a purposeful, active lifestyle at the same time. Additionally, the people and startup scene in Los Angeles inspired me to start Keebos with a well-designed product and a meaningful mission. For each Keebos sold, one tree is planted through our partner organization One Tree Planted. In Venice, California, you’re always out and about. When you’re on a bike, scooter or meeting with friends, there’s always a risk that you’ll lose, misplace or drop your phone. Especially bigger smartphones often don’t fit into your clothes’ regular-sized pockets. As another example, my sister often didn’t know where to put her phone when wearing yoga pants. There wasn’t a product out there that was functional & fashionable to carry your phone handsfree. I saw an opportunity to develop Keebos phone cases — to connect with people over something we all love to share: Being handsfree and carefree!
Dan: Tell us about your business. What do you do and what is your startup’s origin story?
I was looking for something cool and that represented a lifestyle brand, again going back to my days at Nike. That’s something that was inspiring to me. And then I recognized a problem: if you always have your phone with you, you also risk dropping your phone all the time. I often misplace my phone. People crack their screens. Smartphones are getting more expensive to replace.
And then I was also talking to my sister, who often wears yoga pants. She didn’t know where to put her phone. So I started thinking, “Why isn’t there a cool solution to carrying your phone and maybe some ID and credit cards in a different way?” So for a woman, you don’t have to carry a purse, or for guys, another bag or even a wallet. And that’s how I got the inspiration; I identified that problem and provided a solution.
Dan: What’s unique about your company? What are the key differentiators between you and other players?
Keebos makes crossbody phone cases to help you stay handsfree and carefree. Next to our unique functionality, design, and colors, our mission is really important to us. We plant trees for every Keebos sold. Our packaging is eco-friendly and biodegradable. Also, in terms of functionality, Keebos crossbody cases have an adjustable strap and a convenient pocket with a finger straps, that makes it much easier to hold your phone in one hand — one of our customer’s favorite features. Celebrities such as Eva Longoria, Maria Menounos and Tori Spelling have been seen out and about loving their Keebos.
Dan: Take us through a day in your life. What does the typical day look like?
That’s a great question. Most days honestly are not ”typical.” One day I could be spending 80% of the time talking to customers. Another day could be filled with working with inventory operations. The next day I can be meeting with our founders and learning from them. It’s never the same, and also never boring. The challenge is to focus on the tasks that produce the most outcome. Because being busy doesn’t mean you’re being productive. Don’t mistake motion for progress.
Dan: What are some of the key steps you have taken to grow your business?
There have been many different steps to get the business to where it is today. The main step is to continue learning and to understand that there is always someone that has more knowledge on something and to learn from them. Also listening to customers’ feedback has been a huge growth driver to produce better products and service.
Dan: What has been the most challenging part of growing your company?
Trusting the process and understanding that you’re often planting the seeds for the future. You need to get comfortable making decisions on less than perfect information and won’t always see immediate results. Keebos was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune, which was huge for our sales. This came from an outreach 6 months ago.
Dan: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
For marketing, really know your customer. Once you do, you’ll know how to market to them and make them happier. For sales, be more fearless and get out of your comfort zone. Traditionally people have a negative connotation with sales based on stereotypes. At a startup, you’ll realize that everyday you deal with some kind of sales.
Dan: Do you have a book, podcast, or Youtube channel you would recommend to other Entrepreneurs?
I love the book The Lean Start Up by Eric Ries. A podcasts that keeps me inspired and creative is My First Million. Lastly Youtube. You can look up all sorts of videos explaining specific tasks, strategies, and ideas for startup growth. Those sorts of videos are really helpful.
Dan: If you could go back in time to the day you founded your company, what advice would you give yourself?
Start earlier than you think. Get moving, and then continue to refine your business every day. As an entrepreneur, it often takes time to see the fruits of your labor. But think of it like compound interest, where all the work you put in early on will revert to you in multiples in later years. As a final note, perseverance is key. Sahil Lavingia, founder of Gumroad, framed it well: “Most people don’t start. Most people who start don’t continue. Most people who continue give up. Many winners are just the last ones standing.” So get going and don’t stop.
Dan: Is there anything else you would like to share?
I also always love to help and connect with other founders, so if you’re interested in starting your own e-commerce company or already have a successful company, feel free to reach out any time
To Learn More About Keebos Check Out Their Website and Social Media Pages Below!
Website: https://keebos.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/keebosofficial
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keebos.xo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keebos/
