Ring founder Jamie Siminoff has a surprisingly personal way of staying connected to customers: he still puts his email address on every product box the company sells. As Amazon‘s smart home security business prepares for tougher competition from Apple, Siminoff believes direct customer feedback remains one of his most valuable tools for building products people actually want.

In an interview with Yahoo Finance published on October 17, Siminoff explained that keeping his email address on Ring packaging gives him direct access to customer experiences, including problems that might otherwise get lost as information moves through a large organization. He calls this access to unfiltered feedback one of his biggest advantages.

“I still have my email on every box,” Siminoff said, explaining that the arrangement gives him what he described as “ground truth data” about the company’s products.

Why Jamie Siminoff still shares his email with Ring customers

Siminoff’s approach dates back to Ring’s early days, when he was closely involved in customer service and product development. Rather than relying exclusively on reports from support teams or internal performance metrics, he wanted customers to have a direct way to tell him what was working and what needed improvement.

That feedback loop also creates accountability inside the company. Siminoff has explained in previous interviews that employees know he takes customer complaints seriously and will follow up when something goes wrong. The knowledge that an unhappy customer can reach the founder encourages teams to take their responsibilities seriously.

However, hearing customers does not mean implementing every suggestion exactly as requested. Siminoff says his job is to interpret what people tell him and identify the underlying problem they need solved.

He illustrated the distinction with the familiar Henry Ford anecdote about customers asking for a faster horse rather than an automobile. The broader point is that customers can describe their frustrations and needs, but developing the right solution requires understanding what lies behind their requests.

For a company selling connected security devices, that distinction matters. A doorbell camera, for example, must do more than record video. It needs to be practical to install, reliable in everyday use and useful when someone actually needs to see who is at the door.

Apple’s smart home ambitions put Ring under fresh pressure

Siminoff’s emphasis on customer feedback comes as Ring faces the prospect of a more direct contest with Apple in the smart home market.

Apple has been expanding its ambitions for the connected home, with its HomeView smart home hub emerging as a potential competitor to products from Amazon‘s Ring and Google‘s Nest. The device, described as resembling a square iPad designed for a tabletop, is expected to bring several smart home functions together in one place, including security and home automation features.

The reported plans include a video doorbell, a smart lock and a thermostat developed through a partnership with LG Electronics. If Apple brings these products together into a tightly integrated ecosystem, it could appeal to customers who already rely on Apple devices and services.

Ring, meanwhile, has spent years building a connected security lineup around its video doorbells, indoor and outdoor cameras, floodlight cameras and alarm systems. Its relationship with Amazon also gives it a route to connect security products with Alexa and other compatible devices.

The competition is therefore about more than individual gadgets. Both companies have an opportunity to make their products part of a broader home experience, where cameras, locks, voice assistants and other devices work together.

Apple’s entry could put additional pressure on Ring to keep improving its hardware and software while giving customers compelling reasons to remain within Amazon’s ecosystem.

Ring is expanding beyond video doorbells

Ring’s response is already taking shape through new hardware. Siminoff recently introduced the company’s first smart lock, adding another major category to a business that initially built its reputation on video doorbells.

One of the lock’s distinguishing features is a built-in power dial that allows users to manually generate power to recharge the device if its battery runs out. It also offers four ways to unlock the door: a fingerprint reader, a keypad, the Ring app or Alexa.

The lock is designed to work with Ring and Amazon devices, extending the company’s connected security ecosystem beyond cameras. It is expected to become available in early 2027.

The launch reflects a broader effort to develop products that solve practical problems rather than simply adding another connected device to the home. A smart lock, for instance, can complement a video doorbell by allowing homeowners to see who is at the entrance and manage access without relying on a traditional key.

Ring is also investing in artificial intelligence to expand what its security products can do. Amazon has highlighted features such as Smart Video Search as part of its efforts to make camera footage more useful, while Siminoff has described a longer-term vision of AI acting as an intelligent assistant for the home.

These initiatives could help Ring compete as smart home products become more interconnected. They also raise the stakes for getting the user experience right, since customers need to trust both the hardware protecting their homes and the software interpreting what their cameras see.

From a rejected Shark Tank pitch to an Amazon business

Ring’s current position is a considerable change from its early days. Siminoff originally developed the video doorbell under the name Doorbot and pitched the product on Shark Tank in 2013, seeking $700,000 in exchange for a 10% stake in the business. He left without an investment after the show’s investors declined the opportunity.

He subsequently rebranded the product as Ring and built the company into a major name in home security. Amazon acquired Ring in 2018 for approximately $1.15 billion.

Siminoff left Amazon in 2023 before returning in early 2025 to lead its security products business. His return has coincided with a renewed emphasis on invention, operational efficiency and the use of AI across connected devices.

His continued insistence on putting his email address on every box offers a glimpse into how he wants Ring to operate as it grows. Even as the company expands its product lineup and faces competition from some of the world’s biggest technology companies, he wants to maintain a direct connection with the people using its products.

That approach will not, by itself, determine whether Ring can hold its position against Apple. Product quality, pricing, privacy, reliability and compatibility will all matter. But Siminoff’s philosophy gives the company a straightforward starting point: listen to customers, understand the problems behind their feedback and build products that address those problems.