This week, I was drawn into the feud between Project44 and FourKites, fierce rivals in logistics tech.
Matt Elenjickal, FourKites’ CEO, misrepresented my comments about Project44’s Movement platform as a quote from Jett McCandless, Project44’s CEO. He also misstated their context to unfairly damage Project44’s reputation. Those were my words alone.
In a LinkedIn post, Elenjickal used a comment I made on X: “This week, a certain ‘Decision Intelligence Platform’ announced its intention to become a ‘managed transportation platform’ for the top 2,000 global shippers, effectively eliminating the need for contracted logistics providers.”
He was referring to Project44’s Movement platform, which I previewed two weeks ago. It’s an impressive, transformative solution for logistics tech.
Elenjickal claimed Project44 aims to harm carriers, 3PLs, 4PLs, freight forwarders, and brokers, urging caution in doing business with them. This distorts Project44’s mission.
Project44 seeks to empower shippers with better supply chain control while supporting their logistics provider network. Elenjickal’s misrepresentation of my quote created a false narrative to undermine their credibility.
My comment about “eliminating the need for contracted logistics providers” was about AI solutions taking over tasks traditionally done by managed transportation services. As AI handles these roles, such services may become less critical.
I wasn’t suggesting Project44 wants to drive these companies out of business.
Elenjickal also left out the next paragraph of my X post, where I wrote: “The most exciting feature (for me) is the shipment negotiation tool, which enables carriers, brokers, and forwarders to participate in the Project44 execution platform.”
It continued: “An AI agent negotiates with carriers on behalf of shippers. This feature will drive a significant increase in spot freight, allowing shippers to access lower-cost spot rates while working with pre-approved, vetted carriers.”
Does that sound like Project44 plans to put these firms out of business? Far from it.
The core issue is Elenjickal’s manipulation of my words and their context. I posted my thoughts on X, and he falsely presented them as coming from McCandless or Project44 to harm their reputation.
McCandless never told me Project44 aimed to eliminate contracted logistics providers. That reference was mine alone.
This behavior, though unsurprising, is troubling. FourKites, under Elenjickal’s leadership, has a history of purported unethical conduct, in its rivalry with Project44.
In a 2020 lawsuit, Project44 accused Elenjickal of sending anonymous emails to its board and an executive, falsely claiming accounting fraud and ties to organized crime.
A forensic IT investigation traced the emails to accounts linked to phone numbers tied to FourKites and Elenjickal. The case reached the Illinois Supreme Court, which ruled FourKites had sent “a false message in bad faith.”
The lawsuit settled out of court. Shockingly, the FourKites Board retained Elenjickal despite millions in legal fees and a damaged reputation.
Competitive rivalries are normal, but Elenjickal should provide proper attribution and, if suggesting a quote comes from Project44, ensure it is accurate. Twisting my words and their context to harm a competitor is unethical and undermines fair competition.
