Rock Fight转发了
It's been 12 years since I left backcountry.com, and my 13 years there were incredibly impactful. I learned how to build brands, teams, software, and develop strategy. When I left Backcountry.com in January 2013, it was evident that relying solely on selling other brands online for revenue would challenge the business. I had an alternative plan that was not supported, so I left, and the goat moved away from the core outdoor athlete to the squishy middle. It's difficult to witness something you helped create become a distressed asset. Most of my best friends are the people who built backcountry. We should all pour one out for the goat. Rock Fight broke this news. Strangely, there has been no official PR. https://lnkd.in/gmucGiYV
Let’s buy it back. Pennies on the dollar!
It is sad to have watched it heading down this path while at the same time knowing this is where it was headed—like a slowmo’ car crash you can’t take your eyes off of. Stoked that I got in at the tail end of the good ‘ol’ days and got to work with you Dustin, and with all the other ex-goat legends from our tenure. Still work and play outside with a lot of the great people I had the good fortune to befriend in those days. With all the business experience most of us have since leaving, think of the powerhouse brand we could build now!
Your work on that brand made you a legend in the marketing game Dustin Robertson. Seeing its demise is a bummer, but this happens every time short-term sales become the metric that matters most, and brand takes a backseat. All plumbing, no soul is bad for long-term business success.
The squishy middle has done so many brands in. It's always hard to see it happen yet again. Hope you are well Dustin.
What an amazing experience with an amazing group of people. Thanks Dustin Robertson for creating something truly unique which provided the opportunity for so many of us to grow, learn and contribute during those golden years in Park City. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCPsCJN4u_Q
Hi Dustin, I am Steve Kopitz. I was the Founder of Skis.com and other sporting goods web sites. Your story is eerily like mine. After 25 years of building my company I sold it to a private equity company, Digital Fuel Capital. In 6 short years they ran it into the ground and then sold it for parts. Over 150 employees showed up for work to a shuttered company. So sad for both of us that all the time trying to build a great company to see others ruin it.
Dustin, your work (and the work of that Backcountry.com team) inspired so many of us. One of the best corp identities ever. Goat 4eva.
very sorry to hear this... I know there are some serious headwinds facing these types of e-commerce companies, but I hope the founders and early leadership team are proud of what they built. Some great work.
Oh wow, a blast from the past Dustin Robertson! It's fun to see those old concepts again. And that's just a fraction of them. Good times!
context for the PBR photo https://youtu.be/L9aHdE2Ns-U?si=TRl85PHt66_RsiKM