The Blueprint: The Backstory - #001

When I first conceived BOXRAW as you know it today*, all I knew was that I wanted to innovate.

"Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use," 

- Steve Jobs.

This stuck with me as I was growing up because it rationalised the notion of what most deemed to be greatness and made it something very tangible and within reach.

I wanted to create a brand that could revolutionise and expand the sport and its lifestyle. I was frustrated with how stale the market had become. It was crazy to me that, as I witnessed the sport evolving at a faster rate than ever before, the product** was so outdated.

In practically every sport, brands had found a way to innovate in their space. But, in boxing, everyone got lazy and I felt a responsibility to do something about it.

In 2015 I set out on this adventure to launch a brand that could disrupt the industry. It took two years to launch, primarily because of the steep and unforgiving learning curve of trying to get great, liveable product made.

I was fired by two suppliers after working with them for over a year for being 'too demanding', lost thousands and ended up sending many cancelled orders to orphanages in Ghana and Nigeria.

In 2017, at the age of 25, I launched as a one-man band out of my bedroom at my mum's and her kitchen table.

Fast forward to 2022, why am I doing this?

We've filed for over 16 patents over the last two years but only three of those products have launched to date. My team are telling me that I should be shouting about the method behind the madness.

I'm better at product than I am at selling but I do journal almost every day. So, in the same vein, here are some raw reflections on the why behind the what.

* Before the brand you know today, BOXRAW was the name of my passion project - a boxing events company that raised money for children's charities.

** My definition of Product: anything or service that should provide value to the end user.

*** Disclaimer: I don't profess to have always got it right. But I can promise that I'm learning with each mistake and will continue to do so. Feedback is so important so please don't hesitate to write an email to [email protected] giving us any feedback - both negative and positive.