Gurinder Dhillon: From 1 black cab to bootstrapping one of the fastest growing Startups in Europe with Otto Car

“[Having bootstrapped] we get to control our destiny, we can move as quickly as we want and we can go where we want and don’t have to be accountable.” 

Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Gurinder Dhillon, Founder of Otto Car, London’s largest community of PCO drivers and Europe’s largest provider of electric vehicles to private-hire drivers.  

Having recently partnered with Gurinder and Otto Car to deliver a very exciting search for them, it was extra special to sit down with Gurinder and find out more about his incredible journey with Otto Car - from one Toyota Prius in a West London garage to one of the fastest growing startups in Europe…all completely bootstrapped. 

In amongst the shared ups and downs of scaling a bootstrapped business, Gurinder shares invaluable advice for anyone thinking of starting their own entrepreneurial journey. 

Episode chapters: 

➡️ The cost of entrepreneurship [04:18] 

➡️ Gurinder’s upbringing and route into entrepreneurship [07:16] 

➡️ Early startup experience [09:40] 

➡️ Eternal optimism & navigating failure [13:06] 

➡️ Otto Car’s origin story [14:32] 

➡️ Losing 75% of revenue in one day - Otto Car’s pivot [17:44] 

➡️ Advice on pivoting [19:14] 

➡️ Building a business around love [23:22] 

➡️ Gurinder’s vision for the future [26:00] 

➡️ The benefits & reality behind bootstrapping [28:12] 

➡️ Hiring advice [30:30] 

➡️ Audience question: What would you do if you wouldn’t have followed the entrepreneurial route? [37:00] 

⛳ Helpful links:

➡️ Connect with Gurinder: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurinder-dhillon/ 

➡️ Find our more about Otto Car: https://ottocar.co.uk/ 

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