LIVE: DoorDash’s Tony Xu and Miki Kuusi Talk Scaling Operational Excellence
Nov 14, 2024
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Tony Xu, CEO of DoorDash, and Miki Kuusi, Head of International at Wolt, share their journeys of building successful delivery platforms. They delve into the challenges of scaling operational excellence and maintaining company culture during rapid growth. Insights on navigating labor law reforms in the gig economy highlight the need for modernization. The conversation also touches on urban reorganization and the balance of physical and digital ambitions, offering a forward-looking perspective on the future of commerce in cities.
Tony Xu and Miki Kuusi emphasize that understanding and engaging with operational challenges is crucial for scaling a delivery business successfully.
They highlight the importance of maintaining a cohesive culture and aligned priorities during hypergrowth to ensure long-term success.
Deep dives
DoorDash's Journey and Strategic Insights
DoorDash's evolution reflects a compelling journey shaped by foundational strategies and market insights. Initially established to improve restaurant delivery, the company's vision has gradually expanded to encompass infrastructure for every city globally. Founders Tony and Miki share that although they had faith in their vision, they did not initially believe they could achieve such extensive success. This belief in starting small and adapting based on market feedback underpins their approach, showcasing how curiosity drives innovation in the ever-evolving online and delivery landscapes.
Navigating Operational Challenges
The operational complexities of DoorDash exemplify the significant challenges in scaling a delivery service effectively. Tony reflects on a pivotal moment when the team faced overwhelming demand with an inadequate number of couriers and restaurants, leading to chaos and customer dissatisfaction. This experience underscored the need for a fine balance between providing excellent customer service and achieving operational efficiency at scale. The ongoing challenge rests in continually enhancing customer experience while maintaining growth and ensuring a quality service for all stakeholders involved.
Leadership and Organizational Growth
As DoorDash has scaled to 15,000 employees across 32 countries, maintaining a cohesive culture and aligned priorities has become increasingly crucial. The founders emphasize the importance of loving the problems rather than fixating solely on solutions, advocating for deep understanding and engagement with operational challenges. They also note that a successful leader must set a standard for excellence, creating alignment and fostering an environment where diverse ideas can flourish. This approach is key for transforming a founding team into a strong, unified organization capable of executing their ambitious long-term vision.
Tony Xu and Miki Kuusi share insights from building two of the world's most successful delivery platforms—DoorDash and Wolt—which merged in 2022 to create an $80B GOV business operating in 32 countries. In this candid conversation with Sequoia's Alfred Lin live at a Sequoia event in Europe, they discuss the challenges of scaling operational excellence, maintaining culture through hypergrowth and the future of commerce in cities.
Host: Alfred Lin, Sequoia Capital
Featuring: Tony Xu, Miki Kuusi
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