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Running out of mistakes: The lessons that turned waste into a business 📦 | Jack Good (Reuseabox)

The one thing that matters more than talent when hiring

📺 Watch the full episode on Substack or 🎧 listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

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This week’s Millennial Master is Jack Good, founder and CEO of Reuseabox.

What started as a scrappy eBay hustle selling second-hand cardboard has turned into a full-fledged environmental business. Jack’s journey is all about resilience, learning from mistakes, and hiring the right people, not just the most talented ones.

His secret? Every problem is a business opportunity, and scaling isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about being willing to adapt.

🔗 Find Jack on LinkedIn



Takeaways from Jack’s episode:

1️⃣ Hiring isn’t about talent, it’s about mindset

Skills can be taught, but the right attitude and resilience are what drive real impact. Jack now prioritises problem-solvers over perfect CVs.

2️⃣ Fix it once, fix it forever

Every mistake is a lesson, but only if you put systems in place to prevent it from happening again. This “crap filter” mindset helped Jack build a business that keeps improving.

3️⃣ Test fast, fail cheap

Jack spent two years and £5,000 building a marketplace that flopped. The lesson? Always validate ideas before sinking time and money into them.

4️⃣ Scaling is about removing yourself

The more Jack delegated, the faster the company grew. His new focus? Finding the right people and getting out of their way.

5️⃣ Sustainability is a competitive edge

Reuseabox didn’t start as an environmental business—but once Jack framed it that way, it unlocked bigger clients and more impact.



📖 Jack’s book recommendations

Essentialism by Greg McKeown – for cutting out the noise and focusing on what truly moves the needle

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson – a masterclass in vision, product obsession, and leadership

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson – an unfiltered look at risk-taking, ambition, and relentless problem-solving

The House of Gucci by Sara Gay Forden – a fascinating look at how family dynamics can make or break a business



Want to build an empire? Start with the books that matter. Subscribe today to get Building Empires: 50 Books That Made Millennial Masters straight to your inbox!


In this episode we cover:

00:00 Introduction to Jack Good

03:09 The Entrepreneurial Spark

05:23 From Rejection to Innovation: The Birth of a Business

08:05 Navigating Early Challenges: Lessons from the Trenches

10:10 Hiring for Success: Building the Right Team

14:24 Mistakes to Avoid: Insights for New Entrepreneurs

16:54 Scaling Up: Transitioning from Startup to Growth

20:01 Embracing Problems: The Entrepreneur's Mindset

22:30 Culture and Impact: Building a Purpose-Driven Business

26:04 Innovating for the Future: Tracking Environmental Impact

32:23 B Corp Certification and Its Impact

37:44 Sustainability and Business Practices

40:02 Personal Habits for Business Success

48:11 Learning from Others and Continuous Improvement

53:50 Sacrifices and Lessons Learned


Let’s grow together 🌱

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