Meet Jonny Grubin, founder of SoPost
Jonny is the Founder & CEO of SoPost, a global technology company based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Paris, London and New York that provides state-of-the-art online product sampling campaigns for leading beauty and CPG brands, with a focus on consumer product-relevance, data, and analytics.
Tell us about the founder behind the brand?
I have a love/hate relationship with the term ‘entrepreneur,’ but it's still probably the best way to describe myself. I started my first business at 14, so really it’s the only thing I’ve ever known. Over the years I have been involved with many different ventures, some my own and some inspired by others, so I have really cut my teeth on early stage/higher risk operations, where you are trying to create something out of nothing.
There’s always a lightbulb moment before the beginning of a new venture. What was that moment for you?
For me the lightbulb moment came late. SoPost as a business today is very different from my original concept of a dynamic postal address (linking people’s social IDs, like their email addresses, phone numbers and Twitter handles, to their physical locations, and using that as a proxy for where they wanted stuff to be sent). The successful company we have today grew out of that failed attempt. I had dropped out of university in order to try to make the original dynamic postal address idea a reality, after a few left turns we launched a marketing campaign for a well known brand which subsequently led to someone very senior at a large beauty company getting in touch.
At first I didn’t connect the dots between how our tech could benefit a beauty company. That was really my lightbulb: having the ability to recognize that someone much smarter and more successful than me saw something there. This exec was excited because she knew the importance of product sampling and personal recommendations for her business and SoPost’s online sampling platform had the capability to bring these two things together online in a really meaningful way.
How do you prepare for all the unknown obstacles when running your business?
It’s tricky! The reality is that there is very little you can actually prepare for. I think it’s more about being resilient and having the right mindset. It’s taken years of doing this and experiencing so many different highs and lows, not to mention the overnight impact of the pandemic, to really build up the right exterior. Most importantly, you must recognize that you can only really fail when you give up. Resilience always wins.
Do you prioritise self-care as an entrepreneur?
I’m not sure I would coin it as ‘self-care’ but I certainly pay more attention to having a healthy work-life balance than I used to. In the past I’d work around the clock, though I was doing what I loved so it never felt like I was over-working or burning out. But these days I have a much better balance, I make sure I have time to run and sleep - all part of a good day for me.
What is your day-to-day role with the company?
Constantly changing
Today primarily focused on growth and supporting our teams
Lots of time spent hiring!
Working with a leadership coach to really help me define my role and the magic that I bring to the company
How do you set yourself apart from other businesses in your industry?
SoPost was first to market as an online sampling platform, and over the years we’ve had the time and insight (from millions of samples) to deliver best in class technology. There is no question that we are the best at what we do: driving more efficient sample distribution and product feedback with machine learning algorithms that match consumers to products they are interested in. Also, beyond just the tech, at our core are our people and culture. A lot of brands choose to work with us because of this. It’s personally extremely important to me that everyone at SoPost feels like they are part of something bigger than them and that they are motivated and fulfilled by being here. That sentiment comes across in our work with our brands and customers; they will always get the best and most out of the SoPosters who support them.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far as an entrepreneur?
One is simple yet so key: choose the path of least resistance. It took me some time to accept this in my own journey. And, secondly, that people are generally good and have the capacity to do amazing things. People will always do their best work if given the opportunity and support to truly flourish.
What are your thoughts on failure?
Failure is healthy to experience to an extent. But you also read about the businesses out there raising millions based on pure hype, and I think this is really harmful to the overall entrepreneurial system. I also feel lucky to have started my businesses in an environment where failing hard and the will to keep trying are celebrated. SoPost wouldn’t be what it is today without those experiences.
What are your top tips for entrepreneurs wanting to get their business out there?
It really depends on the type of business. For example, technology v. brick and mortar or B2B v. B2C. My general rules of thumb:
Launch early and often
Talk to as many people as you can about what you’re doing - don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You’ll be surprised who may be willing to help or open a door for you
Don’t be precious about things, you can’t always wait for it to be perfect and beautiful (as it never will be)
As the famous General Patton once said: a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.
How important is company culture and what is your top tip to get it right?
I don’t think you can under-play the importance of culture
It’s not something you can just leave - it requires constant attention
Top tip to get it right? Make sure you’re hiring people who fit the culture and share your values. It’s impossible to build a good culture with bad eggs
What plans do you have for SoPost over the next two years?
It wouldn’t be fun if I gave too much away!
But we’re pretty focused on realising our mission of building the most powerful product sampling platform in the world
Lots of growth and product innovation
All whilst building our culture and creating an amazing place to work
