Petersen: We could have become Shopify with our early e-commerce software
Ryan Petersen · Ryan Petersen: Building Flexport · Aug 5, 2025 · at 5:24
Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen reflects on the early 2000s software he and his brother built to manage inventory and checkout for importing goods from China.
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“Like if we'd have been smart, like Toby was, we had to sell subscriptions to our little platform and maybe could have been Shopify, but instead we just like bought motorcycles and sold them on eBay motors and Actually through live car auctions, our own website, et cetera.”
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