How To Do Business Growth - An Insight Into Kirill Noskov's Life
The business growth of IAMRUNBOX founder Kirill Noskov
Kirill Noskov, the founder of the Swedish lifestyle brand IAMRUNBOX, is passionate about sports, running, and the outdoors. A business professional with more than 15-years of experience working for a multinational company, he has always dreamed of combining his love of endurance sports with his full-time career, and in 2015, he managed to do just that.
“I was about to become one of these unhealthy, stressed-out and unhappy businessmen, sitting in my office for 60 hours a week and knowing that I need to change something. I wanted to be more flexible and active in my job." Kirill recollects. “This was when I discovered run commuting for myself.”
The first encounter with run commuting
It was in 2012, after moving from Gothenburg to Rotterdam, that Kirill decided to run his first marathon. While being a keen runner, he knew he needed to up his game if he wants to finish in a reasonable time, but balancing work, life, and sport was a challenge. It was only when a colleague recommended running to work to him that he realised he could split his personal, professional, and family life equally. But there were more challenges ahead.
Facing challenges and solving them
Running to work requires a certain amount of planning. You need to find a suitable route, somewhere to shower, and a way to transport your business attire without it becoming creased. But the solutions available at the time didn’t meet Kirill’s needs. Taking matters into his own hands, he decided to design his own product, using an old MacBook Box that he had lying around at home. And surprisingly, it worked. The result was the first prototype of a garment carrier specially designed to fit the needs of run commuters.
“I wanted to create a lifestyle product that would solve the problem that many sports enthusiasts face – finding the perfect carrying solution for their active lifestyle. I used the MacBook Box prototype myself, and it worked perfectly. That’s why I decided to take IAMRUNBOX to the next level.”, Kirill recalls.
The vision to make active lifestyles easier
Inspired by the recent achievement of running his second marathon in just 03:25 and the positive impact run commuting had had on his daily life, Kirill set off on a mission to motivate people to become more active by running or cycling to work with the help of his products. He refined his initial idea and added straps and other functions to the lightweight and durable garment carrier. The IAMRUNBOX anti-bounce running backpack was invented!
“Run commuting completely changed my life. I got healthier, happier and as energetic as never before in my life. I wanted to inspire more people to live an active lifestyle and making it as easy as possible for them.”, Kirill says.
Hard work pays off - The business takes off
With Kirill’s passion, determination, and desire to succeed, IAMRUNBOX was an immediate success, and is now sold in over 30 countries worldwide. IAMRUNBOX has become so much more than a garment carrier for run commuters. It is a popular choice for traveling, bike commuting, and storing technology and accessories – its versatility knows no bounds.
The crowdfunding success
It didn’t take long for the IAMRUNBOX Collection to grow, and by 2017, the lifestyle brand comprised of garment carriers, backpacks, and accessories for running and cycling commuters, travelers, and business professionals.
Crowdfunding is an essential part of the company's innovative strategy. It's a great opportunity for crowdsourced brainstorming to refine ideas and gain early adopters as well as loyal advocates. It's an efficient way to expand the target group as well as building up an active community. By raising close to SEK 1,000,000 on Kickstarter and SEK 2,500,000 on FundedByMe, Kirill’s hopes to develop a community of investors committed to promoting an active lifestyle with innovative products that supersede expectations have become a reality.
In the fourth quarter of 2018, IAMRUNBOX reached a record high revenue and is still rapidly growing. The year-to-date revenue in May 2019 exceeded 2018's revenue level. Within the next months, the small team will start retail business in South East Asia and Middle East & North Africa with new products entering the markets.
