Making Something From Nothing: Christian Schauf Of ‘Uncharted Supply Co’ On How To Go From Idea To Launch
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
Keep an open mind. From managing the development of talented people to the launch of new products, there’s no way you have every answer. Listen and be open to alternative avenues for success.
As a part of our series called “Making Something From Nothing”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Christian Schauf.
After traveling the world with his band, Scuba diving with Richard Branson, conquering ironman competitions and climbing some of the world’s tallest mountains, Christian Schauf took on a new adventure as a business owner. Inspired to encourage people to be confident, level-headed and prepared for any adventure, natural disaster or unexpected emergency, he founded Uncharted Supply Co. and has committed his life to ensuring the safety of others. His dedication to sourcing and curating the highest quality gear to ensure peace of mind in harsh conditions, started with the creation of The SEVENTY2™ Survival System, which has become a staple for adventures and an essential piece of gear in any crisis situation. Today, Uncharted Supply Co. not only offers survival systems, but also first aid kits, power systems, rafts and go bags.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up on a large farm in Northwest Wisconsin. We had everything from dairy cattle and crops to a wood shavings business. Growing up on the farm, I learned the incredible value of hard work and the challenges that come with running a small business. I am a graduate of the University of Wisconsin — Madison where I received degrees in business management and communications. Upon graduation, I enrolled in Berklee College of Music to receive a third degree in music production. Shortly after graduation, I toured with my band, which took us around the world. Our travels included 39 trips to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. We then expanded our role with the Department of Defense, ultimately managing dozens of entertainment tours including everything from comedy to action sports. During the times I was stateside, I was recruited to concept and manage events for several large brands. I also started a hard apple cider company, which was later acquired. My untraditional journey led to me founding Uncharted Supply Co. in 2016 to prepare any adventurer for unexpected survival situations.
Can you please give us your favorite life lesson quote? Can you share how it is relevant in your life?
My favorite quote changes almost weekly, but the one that’s lived in my Instagram bio for years is “Life Is Not A Dress Rehearsal.” I’m very cognizant of the fact that our time on Earth is both limited and precious. Every day is a gift; I want to make the most of my time by appreciating the beauty of life and keeping everything in perspective.
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One book that has made a big impact on me is Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight. I read this book when I was starting Uncharted Supply Co. and it was helpful knowing the entrepreneurial and startup journey was also difficult for one of the most successful brands in history.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. There is no shortage of good ideas out there. Many people have good ideas all the time. But people seem to struggle in taking a good idea and translating it into an actual business. Can you share a few ideas from your experience about how to overcome this challenge?
I believe there are a lot of paths to success, but I can only speak to mine. I had always wanted to be in the outdoor industry, but knew I needed to find an open space in the market. After a few years, I was able to identify an opportunity and began building Uncharted Supply Co. I started slow with modest investments in time and resources. I researched, built prototypes, talked to mentors, interviewed potential customers, visited stores but most importantly challenged the idea over and over. I kept looking for reasons it would not work. I did so until I felt confident the business would be successful. Then I burned the ships. I wrote a check using a significant amount of my life savings to buy inventory, quit my job and went 100 percent in. Entrepreneurship is as much staying alive every day as it is anything else. If you don’t give yourself an out, I believe you’re going to have a much better chance of finding a path forward instead of giving up when things get super hard.
Often when people think of a new idea, they dismiss it saying someone else must have thought of it before. How would you recommend that someone go about researching whether or not their idea has already been created?
If you’re thinking about starting a business, or creating a product, you must be ready to put the work in. Getting online and spending time searching and researching is about as easy, and inexpensive, as entrepreneurship gets. If you aren’t even willing to do that — you better stay on the sidelines.
For the benefit of our readers, can you outline the steps one has to go through from when they think of the idea until it finally lands in a customer’s hands? In particular, we’d love to hear about how to file a patent, how to source a good manufacturer, and how to find a retailer to distribute it.
There are so many books that address this question alone. For me, it’s continually checking away at all the tasks it takes to become a business, then make that business run and finally make the business grow.
In the beginning, it’s setting up an LLC, getting a bank account, creating a logo/brand name, building a website, finding a manufacturer, etc. Nobody has all the answers right away, but entrepreneurship is equal parts doing what you can as well as finding answers and paths forward. Find mentors, read books and search the internet. The answers are all out there if you’re willing to dig deep enough.
For me, when it came to product sourcing and development, I tapped my network to connect with people who had experience in this area to provide guidance and direction. Together, we built prototypes and launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. I ordered parts from several sources and kept them in a storage space until I could assemble Uncharted Supply Co. products in my apartment. Candidly, it was far from glamorous and quite chaotic, but it worked well at the time. There’s no silver bullet, there’s just consistent hard (and creative) work that’s needed day after day.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started Leading My Company” and why?
- Over communicate. I think many times entrepreneurs have a clear vision and move very fast. That doesn’t mean your team is always on the same page. Create an environment that encourages constant communication and the opportunity for any questions to be asked.
- Be personal, but not too personal. I love the idea of a company being a bunch of friends, but the reality is boundaries are incredibly important. Finding the right balance between friendship and being the boss/leader is critical.
- Recognize good work. We work fast, which makes it common for us to see an employee do something great but not take the time to recognize a job well done. Be mindful of this and train yourself to stop to recognize greatness. Doing so goes a long way for your employees.
- Surround yourself with people smarter than you. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Recognize that when you’re hiring your team to create a team of experts in their respective roles. I like to make sure I’m far from the smartest person in the room. Also, check your ego. It’s good to seek advice from your colleagues as they are sure to have experiences and knowledge you don’t have that’s valuable for the success of your company.
- Keep an open mind. From managing the development of talented people to the launch of new products, there’s no way you have every answer. Listen and be open to alternative avenues for success.
Let’s imagine a reader reading this interview has an idea for a product they would like to invent. What are the first few steps you would recommend he/she takes?
- Make sure there is a need for it. I’m often reminded of the quote from Mark Cuban on a Shark Tank episode — “You’re solving for a problem that doesn’t exist.”
- Research — a lot. Conduct the needed amount of research to ensure your product is unique, differentiated and solves a pivotal need for consumers.
- Confirm the addressable market is as big as possible. While there are exceptions to this, generally speaking, the more people who need your product, the more potential customers you will have.
- Start. Begin building the brand, the mission, the positioning, the audience, the logo and the product. Businesses are a big ball of clay in the beginning. Start carving away right away or you’ll never shape it into your vision.
There are many invention development consultants. Would you recommend a person with a new idea hire such a consultant, or should they try to strike out on their own?
I build products to solve problems I am uniquely familiar with. I have as much experience in these spaces as almost anyone. To me, this is a competitive advantage.
You can design in a studio, but without real world application and experience you’re going to miss at least some key insights that should inform product design. My suggestion is to do as much work on your own as possible. Know your business and industry inside and out. If after, you feel a designer or consulting is needed, seek those resources. The more info you can bring to the table, the more accurate those consultants can be.
What are your thoughts about bootstrapping vs. looking for venture capital? What is the best way to decide if you should do either one?
I recommend not taking money unless you absolutely must. If your company is growing, and capital simply is a multiplier, that’s good. If you’re out of cash and struggling to find a path forward, odds are that additional capital is just going to speed up your demise. It’s also worth noting the longer you can hold off the more valuable your company likely is, which allows you to retain more equity in the event of a raise. Early money is very expensive.
You are an inspiration to a great many people. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Uncharted Supply Co. is very much a mission-based company that strives to make the world a safer place for all. Our products and educational content deliver on this brand promise. In my opinion, every time a product ships from our warehouse the world has gotten a little bit safer. It’s a great feeling.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
When I was on Shark Tank, Mark Cuban told me that I didn’t need his help. I respectfully told him I disagreed. I’d love to circle back, now that a few years have passed, to give him a business update on Uncharted Supply Co.
I’d also enjoy grabbing a beer with Joe Rogan. From hunting to martial arts and cars, there are a lot of synergies between his interests and the products we make at Uncharted Supply Co. He has a wealth of knowledge on a wide range of topics, and think he’d have interesting insights and could help educate people on why being prepared for the unexpected is so critical — a topic that has certainly gained momentum with his followers over the last two years.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Making Something From Nothing: Christian Schauf Of ‘Uncharted Supply Co’ On How To Go From Idea To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
