The vision was bold: bring the “Genius Bar” into customers’ homes through same-day device delivery and setup.
When I joined, the company was still operating as a concept. An iPhone would be purchased from an AT&T store and sent to the customer via rideshare. There was no scalable inventory model, no routing infrastructure, and no capital discipline capable of supporting national expansion.
The commercial upside was clear. The operating risk was greater.
High-ticket inventory — iPhones, DJI drones, premium consumer electronics — created significant working capital exposure. Without tighter control, growth would magnify balance sheet strain rather than create leverage.
What I Built
Mobile Inventory Control
Designed and implemented a technician-level mobile inventory system with real-time device tracking, allocation logic, and inventory visibility across distributed markets.
AI-Enabled Dispatch & Skill Matching
Built a dispatch and routing engine that matched customer orders to certified field experts carrying the appropriate inventory in their vehicles, optimising travel time, service levels, and fulfilment accuracy.
Scalable Field Operating Model
Standardised technician onboarding, certification, performance management, and regional leadership structures to ensure service consistency as new cities launched.
Capital Protection via Consignment Strategy
Negotiated a multi-million-dollar consignment agreement with AT&T for Apple inventory, materially reducing working capital exposure while enabling rapid geographic expansion.
Operating Mechanics
Execution centred on:
- Real-time inventory visibility at technician level
- AI-driven routing and skill alignment
- Daily service-level tracking reviewed weekly
- Strict inventory velocity thresholds to protect margin
- Regional leadership accountability as markets scaled
Expansion was gated by service reliability and inventory velocity — not marketing demand.
Outcomes
The platform scaled from concept to operations across 51 U.S. cities, followed by a United Kingdom launch.
It moved through venture backing, private equity ownership, and ultimately IPO exit.
High-ticket inventory exposure was mitigated through the consignment structure, allowing capital-efficient expansion without destabilising working capital or service reliability.
The business evolved from ad hoc fulfilment to a repeatable, cash-aware field operations platform.
Pattern
Vision alone does not scale service businesses. Control does.
Scaling high-ticket, same-day operations requires:
- Inventory discipline before marketing scale
- Routing intelligence before geographic expansion
- Capital alignment before growth
- Service reliability before velocity
Protect cash first. Growth follows.