Mr. Farentinos created a detailed PowerPoint presentation showing how much money Amazon lost when its packages were stolen or returned because customers lacked a lockable mailbox. They sent Mr. Bezos the analysis along with an Oasis Jr., writing “A birthday gift for Jeff” on the FedEx label.
A day after the “gift” arrived, an Amazon employee called. The site sold its first Architectural Mailboxes product in January 2006, and it now carries more than 140.
“AMAZON helped legitimize us,” says Mr. Farentinos, an engineer who designs the company’s products, which now have a range of competition from other companies. Before becoming a mailbox mogul, he designed baseball bats for Easton Sports and had quality control and management roles at Mattel.
As he spoke, he stood in his company’s 23,000-square-foot warehouse in Compton, Calif., which is crammed with curbside and wall-mountable mailboxes in every imaginable color and finish.
While Necessity may indeed be the Mother of Invention, the experience of Ms. Troyer and Mr. Farentinos proves that Invention also needs an occasional assist from what we’ll call its two eccentric Aunties: Flexibility and Persistence. The couple had the flexibility to ditch the Elephant Trunk and the persistence to get the attention of the nation’s largest retailers. (Thank you, Uncle Jeff.)
“We knew we were laying new pipe — most people’s image of a mailbox is a bread-box shape,” says Ms. Troyer, noting the importance of Amazon’s endorsement to the company’s success.
As for Mr. Bezos, she acknowledges: “I still don’t know when his birthday actually is.”
Hi Amy,
I wanted to introduce myself as I work with the newly launched BlackboardEats.com – a free e-newsletter dedicated to exclusive restaurant deals that we wanted to put on your radar for the ‘PROTOTYPE’ column. Created by entrepreneur and former Yahoo! food editor Maggie Nemser, BlackboardEats.com is the first of its kind to offer deep discounts valued at over 30% at the city’s most critically and popularly acclaimed restaurants, and successfully launched in LA last September, NYC in January (edited locally by former Gourmet travel editor William Sertl), and is slated for a San Francisco debut this May followed by an Everywhere edition.
The selection of participating restaurants – from fine dining to neighborhood spots – is curated by Maggie and staffers, and the twice-weekly e-newsletter has featured offers for The Foundry and Mario Batali’s Osteria Mozza in LA, and The Harrison, Cru, Il Buco, and Da Silvano in NYC, among many others. The site has been fueled by word-of-mouth with much success (for example, NYC barbecue restaurant Hill Country had over 4,500 subscribers click to receive their discount code in one day). The value-driven premise is simple: A dedicated staff of seasoned food writers feature two restaurants each week (Tues & Thurs) and each review/editorial snapshot is accompanied by a specific restaurant deal with a proprietary passcode available for 24 hours that the subscriber can use for up to one month.
I’m happy to put you in touch with founder Maggie Nemser directly or send more information if it sparks your interest (press release on the NYC launch is below).
Thank you for your time and any feedback.
Best,
Vanessa
BlackboardEats.com Launches Offering Exclusive Deals at NYC’s Best Restaurants
NEW YORK, N.Y.,— Blackboardeats.com, a free email newsletter and website providing diners with exclusive deals at highly-regarded restaurants, will launch in New York City today following the successful debut in Los Angeles this September. The site is the first of its kind to offer subscribers access to discounts of 30% or greater, delivering exceptional value and driving business to participating restaurants. From high-end feasting to hidden gems, a dedicated staff of seasoned food professionals feature a different restaurant twice weekly. Each review is accompanied by a specific restaurant deal with a proprietary passcode available for 24 hours that the subscriber can use for up to one month.
The user-friendly design, pedigree of food-obsessed editors and writers, and highly coveted specials make Blackboardeats.com a trusted resource for navigating the city’s dynamic dining scene with insider benefits. Food lovers not only have deep discounts on meals, cooking classes and take-out but delicious incentives such as a complimentary bottle of wine, wine flight, cheese and salumi plate, dessert, or private happy hours at top-tier restaurants and neighborhood favorites, starting with 30% off dinner at the popular Tribeca eatery The Harrison. Blackboardeats.com will also be hosting exclusive preview parties for subscribers, offering first-looks and early access to some of New York City’s newest restaurants before they open.
“We’re thrilled to introduce BlackboardEats to restaurant-savvy New Yorkers,” says Blackboardeats.com founder and editor-in-chief Maggie Nemser, former Yahoo! food editor. “Working directly with restaurateurs to hand-select the best offers for our subscribers motivates diners to venture out and try new restaurants, and reminds them to visit old favorites. Everybody benefits.”
Blackboardeats.com was founded by former Yahoo! food editor Maggie Nemser, and the New York City operations will be headed-up by former Gourmet travel editor William Sertl. The editorial team includes writers who have contributed to publications such as Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Epicurious, Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Zagat. In 2010, Blackboardeats.com will expand beyond Los Angeles and New York City to cities other across the country.