James Morrell from Muval

Sub11 Uncovered: Amplifying Innovation

Sub 11 Uncovered Series: Episode 1 with James Morrell Co-founder of Muval

1. Muval is a booking platform for moving house, similar to booking.com but for moving services.
2. The company was founded in 2018 by James Muval and his co-founder Mahdi, who noticed underutilized space in moving trucks.
3. Muval leverages technology to connect customers with moving companies, allowing for discounted prices and better space utilization.
4. The platform addresses the industry practice of backloading, scaling it across the country.
5. Moving is identified as a key moment for consumers to change consumption habits, presenting opportunities for various services and products.
6. The moving industry was largely untouched by technology, presenting an opportunity for Muval to innovate and solve pain points.
7. Muval faced the classic marketplace challenge of balancing supply and demand, eventually establishing a credible name that attracted moving companies.
8. The company focused on unit economics and organic search to efficiently acquire customers on the consumer side.
9. Trust and customer reviews are crucial for Muval, with a focus on turning negative feedback into positive outcomes.
10. Customer feedback drives product innovation, focusing on convenience, good pricing, and expanding service offerings.
11. Muval has repeat customers and targets specific life moments for moving, using content and partnerships to stay relevant.
12. The company has benefited from angel investors and a family office, valuing their network and support.
13. Muval future plans include expanding distribution, focusing on corporate relocations, and continuing to scale the business.
14. Advice from fellow startup founders about the reality of startup struggles has been valuable for resilience and solidarity.