Episode 2 - Anthony Tan's Entrepreneurial Effort to Care for People
Aug 17, 2022
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Anthony Tan, Founder of Grab, the leading superapp in Southeast Asia valued at $14 billion, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the story behind 9 million drivers in 352 cities. They discuss faith-driven entrepreneurship, evolving their business plan, scaling with Christ-centered values, and the impact of COVID-19 on the informal economy in Asia.
Entrepreneurs can create sustainable ventures that serve God and the community by prioritizing serving others, honoring commitments, and maintaining humility and a heart to serve society.
Grab's success and growth as a Southeast Asian company is rooted in addressing the safety of women in taxis, partnering with the government to digitize small businesses, and adapting to challenges, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, through scaling up food and grocery deliveries and providing telemedicine services.
Deep dives
Using entrepreneurship to serve God and others
Entrepreneurs have the opportunity to build sustainable ventures that enable people to flourish. By rooting themselves in love and purpose, entrepreneurs can create businesses that serve God and the community. It is important to prioritize serving others and honoring commitments, while also maintaining humility and a heart to serve society.
The origin story of Grab and its mission to solve a problem
Grab, a Southeast Asian company, was born out of a desire to solve a problem: the safety of women in taxis. The founders, Anthony Tan and Hui Ling, wanted to create a business that not only addressed this issue, but also had a social impact. This idea gained traction and evolved into a business plan that focused on virtual fleet transportation services. Grab experiences significant growth through its food and grocery deliveries, partnering with the government to digitize small businesses, and assisting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emphasizing the importance of hunger, heart, honor, and humility
Grab values its employees and operates on the principles of hunger, heart, honor, and humility. The company encourages its team members to work hard, serve society, honor their commitments, and approach their work with humility. These values form the foundation of the company's culture and guide its decision-making process.
Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on Grab's business, with a 90% drop in transportation services. However, Grab was able to adapt by scaling up its food and grocery deliveries, partnering with governments to help deliver COVID-19 testing kits, and providing telemedicine services. The company's focus on serving its drivers, merchants, and healthcare workers enabled it to navigate these challenges and continue making a positive impact in Southeast Asia.
Anthony Tan’s entrepreneurial journey started with a simple question: how can I best take care of other people?
Through that he founded Grab, the leading superapp in Southeast Asia. Grab provides food delivery, ridesharing, and digital payments for its users. It’s also valued at $14 billion.
Anthony sat down with our global podcast hosts in the midst of the 2020 pandemic to share the story that led to 9 million drivers in 352 cities. We’re excited to share it with the Asia Pacific audience with a new intro from our hosts, Wen and Henry.
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