Alexa Hirschfeld, the co-founder of Paperless Post, has innovated on a timeless product to mix the digital world with the old world. She started her online stationery company with her brother with the vision to build a more interesting work life for themselves and escape the grind of the corporate world. Here are four lessons from Alexa Hirschfeld to help keep you focused while building your dream.
Innovation Can Be Simple
There was a gap in the marketplace between paper greeting cards and online communication. Online communication was efficient but there was little design and beauty to it. Paperless Post planed to fill that gap by providing beautiful online greeting cards and invitations that you can customize.
Don’t Always Listen To The Experts
“I would have done a lot less of listening to people who charge you money for their expertise but don’t actually help you build something’ says Alexa in an interview with the Huffington Post discussing what she would’ve done differently if she had to start over.
Stick To it!
Hirschfeld worked diligently building her company for a year and a half while holding down a full time job. “It felt like, is this ever going to be real? We sat in my parents’ living room and we didn’t celebrate any holidays for two years—we both lost a lot of weight.” says Alexa describing the company's gestation period.
Collaborate
A few years after establishing themselves as the online source for well designed stationery, Paperless Post started to collaborate with brands such as Kate Spade, Oscar de la Renta and Jonathan Adler. Collaboration helped them evolved their platform and reach new customers. If you don’t have Kate Spade’s cell number on your iPhone, don’t worry, Paperless Post started collaborating with small designers and grew their network from there.
Recommended read for more on Alexa Hirschfeld and her journey into entrepreneurship:
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