Interview with James Fisher, Founder @ Rendr
Can you tell us about yourself?
My name is James Fisher and I’m 24, born in Melbourne, Australia. I’m a very passionate and outgoing person that always has been one to challenge myself, it’s probably what finds me doing what I do today. To my friends, I would like to think they view me as a passionate leader, always wanting to get the best out of myself, whilst being very supportive and empathetic of those around me. For studies, I went to Mount Scopus Memorial Collage and was doing a Bachelor of Commerce/Information Systems at Deakin University, however I have put that on hold for now to focus on Rendr.
Can you tell us about your startup?
Rendr is a fulfilment technology solution, providing the tools for merchants to serve the next generation of online consumers. Our fulfilment technology leverages existing crowdsourced and professional delivery networks to give your customers an unparalleled, fast and reliable delivery experience. We allow retailers to unlock on demand delivery capabilities to give their customers the most memorable and exceptional delivery experience. Originally, Rendr started as a 2 hour delivery app for the Home & Hardware industry, where tradies & DIYers could shop a wide range of products and have them delivered in under 2 hours through a single marketplace app. This concept sprung about due to the lack of convenience being available in one of the most prominent industries being the trade space and we were on a mission to solve that. However, from what started as one category, opened our eyes up to the adaptability of the product for all categories and now, Rendr partners with retailers of all shapes and sizes to give them that same overarching solution, which is to give their customers convenience through on demand delivery. We now count the likes of House, Hairhouse, Aussie Disposals & Chemist Warehouse as retail partners that utilise our solution and are very well supported by retail and logistics experts in Stevie Lew, Executive Chairman of Global Retail Brand and Ahmed Fahour, ex CEO of Australia Post.
Can you tell us about your Founder journey?
I’ve always been extremely creative with my thoughts, and this has translated into my passion for solving challenges at a business level. After I took my gap year to Israel in 2017, that’s where I was able to sit back and understand myself better and gain some direction of where I wanted to head post school. I always gain inspiration and motivation from those who are able to solve challenges, from the likes of the Afterpay story through to the rise of Amazon, which started as a simple online bookstore, it makes you want to have an impact and create something that will be long lasting and make a difference. I was lucky enough to share those same thoughts and feelings with one of my best mates and now co-founder, Greg Leibowitz and that relationship has brought about what Rendr is today, driven to make a difference and solve challenges for retailers and consumers.
What is your experience as a young founder? What are some of the challenges and/or benefits you have experienced building a startup at your age?
When you look at the benefits, the experiences we’ve had when talking to such a wide range of retailers and decision makers and understanding the challenges they have, and understanding their complex systems and setups is invaluable and you couldn’t get this experience anywhere else. It’s so rewarding to help retailers solve challenges and help accelerate them to the next generation. Also, being at such a young age, you sometimes just have to drop your guard and be a sponge, capture as many learnings as possible from those around you to better you as an individual and prepare you better for the future that follows. In terms of challenges, yes it would be nice to have a university degree and get that piece of paper…but overall, the experience we have gained is invaluable.
What advice or tips & tricks would you give to other young founders?
Number one is to have fun and learn as much as you can. Remember it never comes easy, but give it everything you’ve got, because if it was that easy, everyone would be doing it. Another one is to go in with the mentality that every conversation is a good conversation as you really never know what a small chat can lead to and the learnings you can gain or opportunities it can open, so keep an open mind throughout the journey.
Where do you hope to see your startup in the near and far future? What goals/hopes do you have for yourself as a founder?
Permeating through the four walls at Rendr is our clear mission, which is to be the best on demand delivery solution in Australia. That is our goal and that is what we strive for every day, so that’s exactly where I want us to be.
Where can people find you/how can they support your startup? Do you have anything upcoming that we can share with our audience?
If you’re a retailer wanting to offer your customers an exceptional delivery experience, head to our website and sign up at www.rendr.delivery. If you’re a customer, keep your eyes peeled as we continue to partner with the biggest and most well-known retailers around the nation, helping them to unlock on demand delivery.
We’re always on the lookout for talent as well in sales, tech & marketing, so drop us a line to find out more!