From Napkin Sketch to Global Impact: Rethinking Logistics from First Principles with Sam Berman

In this thought-provoking episode of Built for This, Carly Pepin sits down with Sam Berman, founder and CEO of LARC (Logistics Advanced Research Center), to explore how challenging deeply embedded industry assumptions can unlock real innovation. Sam shares how LARC began as a simple idea sketched on a napkin and evolved into a global solution for transporting high-value, mission-critical equipment. At the heart of his approach is first-principles thinking, breaking problems down to their core and rebuilding solutions from the ground up rather than accepting inefficiencies as inevitable. Carly and Sam dive into the hidden flaws within traditional logistics systems, from wasteful packaging to outdated processes that persist simply because they have never been questioned. By redesigning these systems with reusable, modular solutions, Sam demonstrates how businesses can simultaneously improve performance, reduce cost, and increase sustainability. This episode is a powerful reminder that many of the biggest constraints in business are not real limitations, but accepted norms waiting to be reimagined.   Key Themes: Challenge Assumptions: Why many industries operate on outdated systems that exist because no one has questioned them. Think from First Principles: How breaking problems down to their fundamentals leads to breakthrough innovation rather than incremental improvement. Align Efficiency with Sustainability: Why better systems can reduce waste, lower costs, and improve outcomes at the same time.   Memorable Quotes: “Most of the systems we rely on today weren’t designed to be optimal, they were designed to be acceptable.” “If you don’t question the assumptions, you end up optimizing a broken system.” “The goal isn’t to make something slightly better. It’s to build what should have existed in the first place.”   About Sam Berman: Sam Berman is the Founder and CEO of Logistics Advanced Research Center (LARC), a technology-driven packaging and logistics company redefining how the world’s most valuable equipment is transported. LARC designs reusable, modular crate systems built for high-value and mission-critical assets, including data center infrastructure, advanced electronics, aerospace components, and emerging AI hardware. A lifelong entrepreneur and systems thinker, Sam has spent decades challenging legacy assumptions across logistics, manufacturing, and supply chains. Under his leadership, LARC has become a trusted partner to hyperscalers, global manufacturers, and Tier-1 logistics providers by delivering solutions that improve protection, security, sustainability, and total cost of ownership.   Connect with Sam Berman: https://www.larc.co/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelberman/