November 9, 2017

Meet Jose Li of 71 lbs

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jose Li.

Jose, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been in the shipping/logistics/e-commerce space for the last 20 years. Did logistics partnerships in Alibaba.com’s Silicon Valley office, then managed shipping/logistics for 450-store retailer Jamba Juice, then ran FedEx’s $1.5 billion dollar Retail & eCommerce practice. I learned the 2 biggest paint points most companies have in regards to shipping:

a) save money on shipping costs

b) help them understand their shipping costs

I thought there had to be a better way to help companies achieve then above, and left FedEx to start 71 Pounds. We experienced every step of the entrepreneurial journey, from bootstrapping, to pitching (and being rejected) by so many investors, to building our MVP, getting our first dozen customers, to getting into Techstars Chicago, to getting VC funding, and so many others in between.

Today, we are proud to serve thousands of customers who receive millions of dollars in (mostly) unexpected shipping refunds. We are proud to employ 30+ team members.

Has it been a smooth road?
Funding/bootstrapping and Finding consistent and qualified talent

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Did you know that if your overnight, ground, or international shipment is delivered late -even by 60 seconds – you are entitled to a 100% full refund? $2 billion are left unclaimed every year. 71lbs automates FedEx & UPS shipping refunds on a contingency-based model. We are proud to give millions of dollars to thousands of customers. In addition to receiving (mostly unexpected) refunds into their bottom line, customers love using our dashboard to view apples-to-apples analytics, shipping maps, and data metrics that help them make better business decisions on their shipping.

In addition to the money-back-guarantee refunds, we provide:

– Invoice Audits for incorrect surcharges, fees, and contract rates
– Lost and Damaged refunds
– Contract Negotiations
– Shipping Insurance

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
As every other city, South Florida has its pros and cons. For personal reasons, we chose to start 71lbs here. Business has been good, and you learn that if you cannot get investors here locally, you can always pick up the phone/call them or hop on a plane and meet face-to-face. We work with some of the local universities (Nova Univ is 1/2 mile from our office) and FIU to hire interns who have turned into some of our best team members.

Contact Info: