Super Apps in Southeast Asia

This chapter explores the evolution of a ride-hailing service into a comprehensive super app in Southeast Asia, addressing its diverse cultural context and the strategic acquisition of Uber's operations. It highlights the region's young, digitally-savvy population and the challenges faced in adopting such a model compared to Western markets.

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This episode takes a deep dive into the business model of super app Grab as CJ interviews CFO Peter Oey. Peter introduces listeners to Grab and how it operates in Southeast Asia, highlighting the company’s journey from a ride-hailing service to acquiring Uber's operations in the region, expanding into food delivery, and even branching into banking services, all in one single super app. Peter explains why this model thrives in Southeast Asia and speculates on its potential in Western markets. He sheds light on the flywheel effect of branching into banking services, how they get customers to use Grab’s different products, and the advertising opportunities that exist for the platform. He also discusses how Grab has positively affected economic activity in the region and shares one customer’s incredible success story. The podcast concludes with insights into Grab's proprietary technology, including its unique mapping system, and advice for Western companies looking to enter the Southeast Asian market.

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@cjgustafson222 (CJ)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Preview and Intro

(02:15) Sponsor – Vanta | Tropic | RightRev

(05:54) Super Apps and Grab’s Business Model

(11:16) Why the Super App Model Thrives in Southeast Asia

(15:33) The Super App Model and Western Markets

(17:03) Sponsor – Planful | Brex

(19:16) The Role of Banking Services in Grab’s Business Model

(23:05) The First Step to Becoming a Fintech