Huboo a British e-commerce fulfillment startup hired its very own corporate bard.
Yup, Im not kidding.
Whats weird about it though, is that Ive been convinced this isnt just a cheap marketing stunt.
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Before they knew it, Huboo suddenly had 60 clients without doing any real outreach.
We just sort of lumbered upon a genuine need in the market, Bysh tells me.
Bysh explains their focus on micro hubs makes their warehouses cheaper to run and easier to scale.
They also have the added benefit of creating more diverse jobs.
The industry has a 20% churn ratea month, Bysh explains.
So its a very rewarding, very rich job.
So Huboos human-centric approach is actually their business model.
It also led them to hire a corporate bard.
Then there was a bard…
I can see it clearly.
It didnt happenquitelike that.
Paul says it was him who came up with it, I think it was me, Bysh chuckles.
So the mark of a good idea is that everyone wants to claim it, I think.
This was his program:
Yes, your ears do not deceive you.
Thats a medieval-style ode toTotally Seals Huboos client which manufactures engineering seals (i.e.
little rubber rings) that then turns into a cover of Seals A Kiss From a Rose.
You cant make this up… but Jake Wright can.
I figured if we could find someone that could write a song about engineering seals, that was it.
We had a genius on our hands, says Bysh.
And Huboos bard sure has been prolific.
Heres one he wrote for Huboos upcoming expansion to the Netherlands.
And everybody we wrote a song about shared that as widely as they possibly could.
Bysh credits Huboos human-centric vision with the creation of the corporate bard.
[Read:What the hell is a Chief Meeting Designer?]
The bard is just an extension of how we think in general.
Which part of your startups growth journey is the hire a bard stage?
When can you as a founder indulge in ideas that at first seem completely off-piste for your business?
It was definitely a punt, says Bysh.
But we figured the upside was so huge that it was an investment or a risk worth taking.
The corporate bard wont last forever though.
Huboos contract with Wright was only temporary and hell soon be free to return to touring and playing gigs.
Story byMar Masson Maack
Mar tries to juggle his editorial duties with writing the occasional weird article.
He also loves talking about himself in the third person.
