Justin Robinson’s 3 Tips to Succeed in E-Commerce

Co-founder of Drizly and Lantern Justin Robinson began his career as an entrepreneur with a simple text. In 2021, a friend sent the text: “Why can’t you get alcohol delivered?” And the rest was history.

However, Justin Robinson understood that starting Drizly was a grind. He and his co-founders needed some luck and a lot of determination to build their company, a “three-tier compliant technology that would change the way we shop for beer, wine, and spirits.”

While trying to lift Drizly off the ground, Justin Robinson and his co-founders worked for 6 months at a liquor store. Without a wide network and mentors, they knew they had to work extra hard to succeed in business.

At the liquor store, Justin Robinson learned the “importance of getting your hands dirty in the industry,” and they understood “all parts of your supply chain—suppliers, distributors, managers, and customers.”

Eventually, Justin Robinson grew Drizly to the “largest marketplace for alcohol in North America.” With that success, he embarked on a new venture, applying the lessons he learned from the grind.

Justin Robinson also co-founded Lantern, which is “an on-demand, cannabis home-delivery platform that provides legal, convenient access to cannabis dispensaries and their products for state-issued medical marijuana cardholders.”

With Lantern, Justin Robinson offers “transparency, equity, and access to cannabis” to people who “want to explore cannabis with confidence,” but are “overwhelmed with choice.” He also wants to uplift “an industry that’s for far too long been living in the shadows.”

Check out more interviews with hard-nosed entrepreneurs here.

Cannabis can be complicated but shopping for it doesn’t have to be. Justin Robinson, Drizly & Lantern

Jerome Knyszewski: What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Justin Robinson: Backed by Drizly, Lantern is able to leverage seven years’ worth of delivery technology and operational expertise. We’re now able to apply this expertise and advanced, innovative delivery technology together with licensed dispensaries to the cannabis industry.

What sets Lantern apart is how we’re able to empower dispensaries to implement efficient and scalable delivery operations, which allows for flexibility across markets with regard to regulations.

Lantern is 100% focused on providing a best-in-class technology platform and service that connects consumers to dispensaries. From a consumer perspective, this allows us to be very concentrated on the front-end consumer experience.

Lantern brings a familiar, intuitive, frictionless e-commerce shopping experience to the consumer that they already know and love, similar to the shopping experiences they have in any other category.

What sets Lantern apart is customer-led, product-first shopping and discovery — customers discover the product that is right for them by browsing strains, reading reviews, and being matched to products via our Discovery Tool.

Cannabis can be complicated but shopping for it doesn’t have to be. In this way, Lantern is positioned to bring both dispensaries and brands closer to their consumers online.

As we work closely with dispensaries and regulatory bodies, what also sets Lantern apart is our deep commitment to and involvement in social equity work.

This includes advocacy with state and local governments, our delivery incubator program in MA, industry partnerships, and Lantern team member time spent volunteering to mentor social equity entrepreneurs. It’s a reason why we’re excited to be in this space.

Jerome Knyszewski: Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Justin Robinson: See the forest through the trees and everyone around you will be way more motivated — that’s a big one for us personally and anyone involved in Lantern. If you’re working for more than just profit, to truly help people build their own businesses, there is nothing more rewarding.

What’s exciting to us is how quickly delivery is pushing the industry to evolve, becoming more mainstream and improving accessibility to a wider range of consumers.

Jerome Knyszewski: Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. The Pandemic has changed many aspects of all of our lives. One of them is the fact that so many of us have gotten used to shopping almost exclusively online. Can you share a few examples of different ideas that eCommerce businesses are implementing to adapt to the new realities created by the Pandemic?

Justin Robinson: In the cannabis industry, the pandemic accelerated the shift to e-commerce and delivery. Delivery saw an incredible uptick in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the states where we operate, curbside pickup or delivery were the only ways to purchase, with delivery being the much easier and more convenient way to shop.

We saw average order size increase significantly in March and April as people stocked up due to the uncertainty of whether dispensaries would be allowed to stay open.

In Massachusetts, when recreational dispensaries were closed for a few months, the rate of medical cards being issued also grew dramatically.

Even in emerging markets, consumers’ delivery expectations are influenced by Amazon, Instacart, and meal delivery services.

What’s exciting to us is how quickly delivery is pushing the industry to evolve, becoming more mainstream and improving accessibility to a wider range of consumers.

Jerome Knyszewski: Amazon, and even Walmart are going to exert pressure on all of retail for the foreseeable future. New Direct-To-Consumer companies based in China are emerging that offer prices that are much cheaper than US and European brands. What would you advise retail companies and eCommerce companies, for them to be successful in the face of such strong competition?

Justin Robinson: Continue to invest in our consumer-facing experience and our delivery technology, which is our first priority. While brands may not be able to beat Amazon or Walmart on speed of delivery, or emerging international competitors on price, they can compete on delivery and win on the depth and quality of experience through personalization.

Today, every business needs to offer some additional consumer value proposition beyond their core service in order to compete.

Emerging industries, like cannabis, are at a precipice as legalization opens up the avenues for innovation, and as technology and access accelerate market maturity.

The evolution, though, is the same as other industries: consumer-focused companies that evolve from industries that are commodity-driven (cannabis), using personalization as a means to streamline their operations and understand their customers, will ultimately deliver experiences that are more in-tune with their needs.

Never has there ever been a winner take all market. The opportunity is to build a best-in-class experience in your vertical, go above and beyond. Cannabis is different from Nerf Guns, dental floss, and dart boards.

It’s a consumable, it’s a new category folks are unfamiliar with, and the regulation is appropriately exhausting. It deserves it’s own marketplace to really scream authority and safety, and that’s what Lantern is here for.

All reviews, good or critical, are equally important and can be equally positive or negative moments for a brand.

Jerome Knyszewski: In your experience, which aspect of running an eCommerce brand tends to be most underestimated? Can you explain or give an example?

Justin Robinson: Creating the referral flywheel is much harder than people expect. Getting trial is very hard, but then getting that customer to refer 2 new customers is what will a) kick your ecommerce business into high gear and b) help to acquire customers profitably. It requires the product being so good that the customer has to tell other people. That’s hard for any business, but especially one designed to exist without any human interaction.

Jerome Knyszewski: One of the main benefits of shopping online is the ability to read reviews. Consumers love it! While good reviews are of course positive for a brand, poor reviews can be very damaging. In your experience what are a few things a brand should do to properly and effectively respond to poor reviews? How about other unfair things said online about a brand?

Justin Robinson: All reviews, good or critical, are equally important and can be equally positive or negative moments for a brand. That feedback loop is critical to building consumer trust and credibility. However, it’s how a brand responds to consumer feedback that ultimately determines how elevated or damaged its reputation becomes. It’s always important that a brand is transparent, prompt, sincere and accountable in its response to positive and negative feedback.

The economic model isn’t broken, it just needs more thoughtful, better intentioned leaders and a better educated consumer base. Justin Robinson

Jerome Knyszewski: You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

Justin Robinson: Find ways to start for-profit companies that genuinely help people and balance purpose with profit. I believe that B Corps are the present and future. The economic model isn’t broken, it just needs more thoughtful, better intentioned leaders and a better educated consumer base. We are getting there, but balancing profit with purpose has a pretty good chance of doing the most good.

Jerome Knyszewski: How can our readers further follow you online?

Justin Robinson: Check out Lantern on our website here.

Jerome Knyszewski: This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent with this!

The post Justin Robinson’s 3 Tips to Succeed in E-Commerce first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Jerome Knyszewski

Liz builds companies that tackle taboo topics. She founded her first social venture at age 15 focused on dating abuse and domestic violence education in schools. The org has been running (on its own) for nearly half her life.

After graduating with a BBA from Parsons the New School for Design, she ran Special Projects for DoSomething.org, one of the largest global orgs for teens and social change. Then, she joined the founding team of Crisis Text Line as the Director of Communications. She oversaw brand, PR, marketing, strategic partnerships, and business development— growing the org to 12,000 volunteers, 76 million messages, in 3 countries. After 7 years, she left Crisis Text Line to launch Lantern, a venture backed Public Benefit Corporation on a mission to change the way we talk about and manage end of life and death.

Liz earned a Masters of Science in Strategic Communications from Columbia University in 2019. She is an active volunteer and Board member for Experience Camps, a one-week free summer camp for children who’ve lost a loved one. She is also co-author of “XYZ Factor: The DoSomething.org Guide to Creating a Culture of Impact”​ published in Feb. 2015, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and committee member for the Dying Well Initiative of the Global Wellness Summit. In her free time, she is on a global search for the spiciest food.

Where did the idea for Lantern come from?

Elizabeth Eddy: Lantern initially came from personal need. I lost my grandmother in 2018 and struggled to navigate what was required of me after her death. The process was confusing, fragmented, expensive, and primarily offline. I started asking questions about why a better option didn’t exist and turned to my friend (now co-founder) Alyssa, my go-to person for cracking a difficult challenge. Together we started answering that question with “it should and we should build it.”

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

Elizabeth Eddy: Wow, this question is so different now than it was two months ago. Starting in early March, I’ve been working from home in Brooklyn, NY. My boyfriend and puppy are my coworkers while my team lives inside a screen. Currently, a typical day involves an early morning walk with my “coworkers”, some time for reflection (I love the 5 minute journal), a workout, and then a full cup of coffee to kick things off. I’ve started stacking my meetings in the afternoon because I know my best work and most focused energy happens before lunch. That’s when I do any writing, tackle complicated emails, or problem solve. I spend a ton of time on the phone with investors and potential or existing partners. I love to learn about others’ work and brainstorm how we can elevate one another.

How do you bring ideas to life?

Elizabeth Eddy:  With my co-founder. We call each other the kite and string. We even have a matching tattoo to prove it. We’ve worked together on and off since 2012 and found a true entrepreneurial soulmate in each other. I tend to look at things from 10,000 feet up, big picture dreaming (the kite!). I get insanely excited about new ideas. I can be extremely creative and also, extremely scattered. Alyssa is the person that brings those ideas to life. She has an innate ability to keep me firmly grounded (the string!) by focusing my creative energy, figuring out what works and what doesn’t, then laying the groundwork that makes it happen.

What’s one trend that excites you?

Elizabeth Eddy: COVID19 has changed many things about society, too many to list here. One that gives me huge hope is a collective acknowledgement of our own mortality and the fragility of life. I’m sure that sounds strange on first reading but this knowledge will allow us to live more fully and connect in a more meaningful way. It also allows us to be more action oriented. Most individuals have always known they needed an end of life plan but few actually do it. Now, we are recognizing how important it is to act now.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

Elizabeth Eddy: I make a really conscious effort to respect my time away from work. This is by no means a perfect system but I generally try to stay off my computer starting around 6:30pm on weekdays as well as Saturdays other than the occasional skim of Slack and email. I believe it allows me to show up with more energy and appreciation for the work.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Elizabeth Eddy: What you do right after high school doesn’t matter as much as you think. The key is to do something that is meaningful to you and is a first step, no matter how small, toward the person you want to become. There’s so much pressure on young people to know exactly who they are during a time when no one knows who they are. Instead, I’d tell my younger self to focus more on the who rather than the what. If you know who you want to be, there are endless paths and opportunities to get there.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

Elizabeth Eddy: Well I wouldn’t say nobody (considering the vegans and vegetarians, for instance) but I don’t think chicken tastes good. It’s just the seasoning/sauce we enjoy.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Elizabeth Eddy: Find a way to be active every morning. Yes, it’s good for your body… but for me, it’s more about mental health. Being able to move (even if just a walk around the block) allows me to focus on how I’m doing (physically, mentally, emotionally), set intentions for the day, and come to work awake!

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Elizabeth Eddy: Finding ways to strategically work with many different types of partners. In any industry, there are obvious people you must work with. For our space, that’s hospitals, hospice, bereavement groups. I’ve found where real growth comes from is finding the unexpected partners that reach new audiences at scale. I am always surprised at how seemingly unrelated industries or individuals working in other fields can actually draw the most engaged users.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Elizabeth Eddy: Not understanding the price of things and when legal support is necessary. Over the years, I’ve spent more money than necessary on early paperwork and projects before the business concept was fully formed. In hindsight, I would’ve waited until I was certain I was diving in on the idea. In developing Lantern, we’ve learned to question if something is needed immediately or can wait and we always get multiple quotes before choosing a new vendor.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Elizabeth Eddy: Someone needs to crack accounting software! My co-founder handles our books and seeing the level of frustration and the need for many different apps and processes is painful to watch!

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

Elizabeth Eddy: It was more than $100 but the Buffy comforter. I feel like I’m in a fancy hotel every time I go to bed. If it’s feasible, I highly recommend putting any extra money you have towards a good sleeping environment. Good sleep makes everything else in life easier and more pleasant.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Elizabeth Eddy: My co-founder got me hooked on todoist. I was a written checklist kind of gal for many years and thought I couldn’t get the same satisfaction of crossing things off from a digital version. Todoist has cracked it. I get the same awesome feeling when I tick something off and it’s way less time consuming to maintain— the irony of the written checklist is the time it takes to make it!

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

Elizabeth Eddy: When Breath Becomes Air… not just because it’s topical to our work at Lantern but because of the profound perspective it will give you on life. I haven’t been the same since reading this book.

What is your favorite quote?

Elizabeth Eddy: “Someone doesn’t have to lose for you to win”. I truly have no clue who originally said this but I believe simply acknowledging and living by this would make the world a very different place.

Key Learnings:

Elizabeth Eddy:

• What makes a strong co-founder relationship
• Highs and lows of an early stage founder
• Building companies in taboo spaces

Originally published on Ideamensch.com

The post Interview with Elizabeth Eddy, Founder of Lantern first appeared on Tekrati and is written by Sam Arnold