S13E08: Taking on a global giant, with Andy Hunter (CEO, Bookshop.org)

The Impact Multiplier CEO

We're continuing our season on "business as a force for good", Richard speaks with Andy Hunter, the Founder & CEO of Bookshop.org, an e-commerce marketplace that helps independent, local bookstores compete with Amazon for online sales. Andy was recognized in the Real Leaders 2023 Impact Awards and is also the co-creator and publisher of the websites Literary Hub, Crime Reads, and BookMarks, and co-founder and chairman of Electric Literature. His focus is keeping literature a vital part of our culture in the digital age.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
0:00 Intro
01:59 Bookstores X Amazon
05:23 Expands into the digital market
08:32 Launching Bookshop amid chaos, stress, and success.
12:56 The importance of supporting local businesses
16:08 Independent booksellers embracing technology
19:27 How to secure the future of books
27:05 Multiplying impact means letting go of old methods.
Why Andy decided to take on one of the largest corporations on the planet!
How Andy coped when the business grew 50x in one month and he only had 4 employees.
The "entrepreneurial trap" and how Andy worked at taking a different path.
The "Ecosystem thinking" has created such a s strong network effect and driven Bookshop.org's astonishing growth.
What it will take for Andy to multiply his impact and scale his ambitions to the entire local high street.
Resources/sources mentioned:
The Impact Multiplier CEO Podcast (https://xquadrant.com/podcast/)
Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/)
For full show notes, head to https://xquadrant.com/andy-hunter