Two good friends, a simple business idea, and 20 minutes to convince Posti’s executives. Axel Aarnio and Mikael Mauranen’s plans took an unexpected turn when Posti decided to develop their idea into a service it could sell.
Two students, a long friendship, a van, and a garage. That was the starting point from which Axel Aarnio and Mikael Mauranen imagined building their own business.
But then something unexpected happen. Now the duo works as product managers at Posti. Their business idea became Posti Remote Home Storage, a service that makes transporting and storing one’s belongings easier. Along the way, school friends became coworkers.
”We thought it was a great idea, but we never expected to present it to Posti’s executive team or turn our hobby into a career,” Aarnio says.
Here’s how Aarnio and Mauranen’s student idea became a service customers can actually buy.
Of countless business ideas, one proved harder to let go
For Aarnio and Mauranen, both from Kuopio, coming up with business ideas had been a pastime since high school, where their friendship began. They got their first taste of entrepreneurship by starting a taxi company in Kuopio — what better way to learn than by doing?
After high school, both moved to Helsinki: Aarnio to study at the Hanken School of Economics and Mauranen to attend law school. They kept brainstorming alongside their studies.
One idea proved harder to let go. Not even their limited resources as students or their lack of coding skills could derail it.
”We were planning a service to help people through a move, a renovation, or another stressful life situation. Those times when you need to get your belongings out of the way but don’t have the time or energy to transport and move them around. The simplicity of the idea appealed to us,” Aarnio says.
The pair took their idea to the Hanken Business Lab incubator to develop it further.
Learn more about Posti Remote Home Storage
The pitch that decided their future — 20 minutes to convince Posti’s executive team
The practical assignments at Hanken’s business incubator helped Aarnio and Mauranen to move the project forward. They for example interviewed people on the street to find out whether there would be demand for the service.
”We also made a podcast for ourselves, analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of both the project and ourselves. But reflection alone wasn’t enough. For example, we might be expected to have a website demo ready the following week, so plans really turned into action,” Aarnio says.
When Posti asked Hanken about interesting logistics projects, Aarnio and Mauranen’s project came up. The discussions led to collaboration with Posti’s experts and, eventually, a 20-minute pitch to the company’s executives.
”We’d never prepared so thoroughly for anything. We memorized the presentation word for word. It was incredible to get to pitch to the CEO of such a big company! It was a real make-or-break moment for us,” Mauranen says.
A bigger plan, backed by Posti’s logistics network
In early 2025, Mauranen and Aarnio began developing their business idea into a service as Posti employees. The service was named Posti Remote Home Storage or Posti Kodin etävarasto in Finnish.
”The service follows the same basic idea as our original plan. Whether it’s living room furniture or ice skates, Posti picks up your belongings directly from your home and stores them in its warehouse. You can then have them delivered back whenever you need them,” Mauranen explains.
As product managers, Mauranen and Aarnio are responsible for developing the service.
”Compared to our original plans, the service now operates on an incredible scale. We get to work with leading experts in logistics, technology, and marketing and help shape the service,” Aarnio says.
The project has had strong support from management from the start, but Aarnio and Mauranen have been particularly impressed by the reactions of Posti’s employees.
”We’re not coders or logistics professionals, but our ideas are met with enthusiasm. People at Posti immediately start thinking about how they could help. They’re an incredible help to us,” Mauranen says.
A long friendship became a strength at work, too
The journey from developing an idea into a finished service has taught Aarnio and Mauranen how important it is to have the courage to share your ideas.
”Be an ambassador for your idea. At first, we felt like we were just two students from Hanken’s basement. Why would the executives of a big company want to listen to us? Then we realized that people actually want to help and talk ideas through,” Mauranen says.
The project has also shown how well Aarnio and Mauranen complement each other as a team. Learning the quality standards and ways of working at a large organization has taken effort, so their long friendship has been valuable during challenging moments at work.
”We know each other’s strengths: I’m good at jumping into things right away, while Axel thinks about the big picture. We also know when the other person needs more support. Even challenging work feels more rewarding when you get to do it with your best friend,” Mikael says.
Axel and Mikael’s three tips for bringing your business idea to life
1. Don’t try to prove to yourself that your idea is good.
Instead, try to find reasons why it wouldn’t work — then address them.
2. Surround yourself with people and seek out situations that require you to deliver something concrete. For us, that might mean having a finished website demo ready by the following week.
3. Talk about your idea. You never know where it might lead, but one thing is certain: if you keep your ideas to yourself, no one can help you bring them to life.
Explore career opportunities at Posti
Career story created in cooperation with Duunitori. Author: Sara Gyldén Photos: Tommi Haapaniemi