Naveen Gupta’s Post

Recently, I had an experience that profoundly shifted my perspective on the ride-hailing industry. It began with a routine Ola ride. As usual, the driver asked me to cancel the ride through the app and offered to take me directly for the same fare. I declined and asked him why drivers often resort to such practices, especially when the company is providing them with business. He shared a story that made me rethink the entire model. He told me about a ride he had just completed—21 kilometers for three passengers at night. Despite the distance and the late hour, he accepted the ride. However, due to Ola's policy, a coupon was applied, reducing his expected earnings from around ₹300 to just ₹84. I was shocked and asked him to show me the app details. Curious to understand more, I suggested he raise a complaint. He replied that customer care was unhelpful, and as someone not very educated, he felt powerless against the system’s complexities. I decided to help him contact customer care. The response was disheartening: "App promotion is part of the driver’s agreement. You agree to these terms when signing up." This explanation struck me as nonsensical. How could such high-profile companies, valued in billions, exploit drivers with these tactics? And why should end-users bear the brunt of these practices? This experience shed light on the lack of regulation in the cab aggregation sector. It seems companies like Ola are more focused on their valuation game than on genuine customer service or fair treatment of drivers. This revelation has made it clear why there's often a disconnect between the service promised and the reality faced by both drivers and passengers. It's time we scrutinise these practices and advocate for a system where technology serves both drivers and customers fairly, not just for profit. Let’s hope for a future where ride-hailing is not just a business model, but a platform that truly supports its workforce and customers alike. #ola #uber #startupstories #darksideofinnovation #indianstartups #10yearsofstartupecosystem

We are making big, strategic moves at OV Loop, Inc. Adding to our recent acquisition of Cultos, we have now acquired Skipti to help us take that next giant step to a Super App. A Super App, by definition, is so much more than payments. The platform must deliver a variety of customer and merchant experiences that make life safer, easier and better. Read the official press release below... and find out the tie between our Super App and gig + transportation services... and while you are at it, come on this journey with us to create the American Super App and Commerce Network. >>>>> I know, I know..."but Marg, it's so early in the game..." <<<< Yes it is, but it's easy to get started now, and your growth in the platform can happen organically as we expand. If you are in my network, chances are you are a start-up, innovator, early adopter or first in line for new products... How can you participate? - Download the MVP app and use one or more of the features, like your personal vault, membership/ID storage, a dynamic CVC cash card that protects your payment data (requires ID authentication because...AML (IYKYK)) ... and more! - Become a merchant in the platform to engage with end-users directly with our CRM, offers, campaigns and loyalty features - Consider investing in OV Loop and our mission to rebuild direct relationships between brands, retailers and consumers -- unencumbered by big tech walled gardens. And, if you are in my network, I'd also love to hear from you on what we can do to make the experience even better. DM me, text me or call. Let's go! #crm #superapp #startup #boston #payments Will Graylin LP Platow Michael Arner #letsdothis

Souled Store’s story reminds us that with dedication and love for what you do, anything is possible! We love their story of overcoming challenges with pure passion. What inspires you about their journey? #souledStore #entrepreneurIndia #startupStory #startupSuccess #makeInIndia #businesssolutions

The most important thing I learned during my time at Samsara is the continuous commitment to using the customer feedback loop to build a valuable product roadmap. As we build LocalArena Tix, we’re acting on the customer feedback that we’re getting, where one of the most frequent questions I receive is, “How quickly do I get paid after selling my tickets?” That’s why we built Instant Payouts, a feature only LocalArena Tix offers. Unlike other platforms, we recognize the financial burden that comes with purchasing season tickets and the need for quicker access to funds. 💡 Why Instant Payouts? - Immediate Access to Earnings: With Instant Payouts, you no longer have to wait for weeks to receive your funds after selling a ticket. We can provide payouts instantly to help alleviate the cash flow strain from upfront season ticket costs. - Risk Mitigation: With Instant Payouts, we’re helping season ticket holders reduce risk of resale market fluctuations or slower sales later in the season. - Reinvestment: Instant Payouts allows our customers to reinvest in their season tickets for next year, or even invest in high demand games! - Exclusive to LocalArena Tix: We’re proud to be the only company in the market offering this unique feature to our customers. It’s designed to help season ticket holders recoup costs much earlier than anywhere else. Instant Payouts was developed from direct customer feedback, and we’re thrilled to offer a solution that no other platform provides. It’s part of our commitment to delivering real value and making life easier for season ticket holders. To our existing customers, thank you for your feedback - we’re going to continue building for you! #startup #customerfeedback #seasontickets

Stop waiting for tomorrow to start. The time to take action is now. Embrace the present moment, set your goals, and begin working towards them with determination and purpose. Your future starts today. #StartNow #SeizeTheMoment #NoMoreWaiting #TakeAction #JayTheLauncher #LauncHer

I recently posted about BluSmart 's rise in the ride-hailing space in India. GrowthX® had put out out a very informative YouTube video summarizing the strategy and journey taken. I wanted to follow up on my previous post to cover another major aspect of BluSmart's success in India: Customer Centricity. BluSmart already had the #usp of being a transportation company with fully-electric vehicles. Done. Getting traction requires solving one or very few small problems for users. They went the airport rides route in major cities like #bangalore #delhi #mumbai. Bangalore in particular has an airport that is far away from the center of the city with no metro service or smooth public bus transport options. If you have a lot of luggage, don't wish to spend 2+ hours using public transport, or need reliability, then you were at the whims of Ola and Uber drivers that may or may not make you sweat at peak times. BluSmart basically digitized the private car service on an app as opposed to have to arrange one with a service via telephone or Whatsapp which also comes at a premium price; sometimes 30-50% more than using a ride-hailing app. BluSmart allows your to pick a date and time in advance and the driver always show up on-time and in many instances, earlier than the designated time. This concept doesn't only apply for catching flights; but for any appointment you may have. It comes at a bit of a premium, but it's reliable, consistent, and keeps customers stress-free and happy. Namma Yatri Rapido are companies in a similar space got the word out by offering a very specific feature that was very customer centric - the ability to name your price above a standard base price for autorickshaws and cabs. Uber Ola didn't offer this option. Users would be at the back and call of surge/demand pricing while not having the option to pay a premium to get a faster ride. Namma Yatri and Rapido offered this option. It was no surprise that Ola followed suit (albeit briefly) with a similar function that went away as fast it came. The 2.0 of startups or 2.0 of 21st century crucial services is starting to emerge and companies are learning from the mistakes or even apathy from the giants that thrived on a growth-only mindset in 1.0. Interesting times ahead as these later founders and leaders are more visible, have deep experience, clear leadership teams, and are not breaking the bank by "growth at all costs" with long-term planning and finances. #taxi #cab #transportation Punit K Goyal Anmol Jaggi Puneet Jaggi #rikshaw Pavan Guntupalli Rishikesh SR Aravind Sanka #ride #transport #blusmart #rapido #nammayatri #customer #customercentric #brand #funding #user #uxdesign #business LinkedIn Linkedin News GrowthX®Shoffr #finance #ev #electric #pricing #energy #logistics #electricvehicle #electricity #convenience #india #app Google #business #businesscase

It is hard to realize it in the moment, but looking back, I am now grateful for the countless passes I received from investors. Today we closed out Q1 with another profitable month and here's why: As a solo-female (and non-technical) founder, it’s safe to say I’ve been given every excuse in the book from VCs as to why they passed on Locker. As an early stage company, we were told “come back to us when...” (insert some caption about revenue or traction), when my male counterparts were raising millions on just an idea or zero in revenue. The hundreds of passes, series of due diligence calls, and general scrutiny only pushed me to get scrappier and prove them all wrong. I was forced to find our revenue streams, get my foot in the door with affiliate networks, agencies and brands (thank you Chris Arreguin). Forced to build sustainable brand partnerships with realistic placement fees and outperform each time so the brands would want to continue to work with us. We first hit profitability in November 2023 and maintained profitability in December 2023. We expected a lull in Q1 as we were growing the team and expected to experience the typical post-Q4 shopping slowdown, BUT we did it again in March 2024. So to the investors who passed on us, thank you for making me dig deeper, and to our incredible investors who do believe in me and Locker, also thank you - I am beyond excited to continue to prove why Locker exists. As a user told us today in an interview, "Locker is more than just a fun platform, I literally use it everyday - it's a community and concept that has quite literally altered my passions and career trajectory. I don't know what my friends and I would do without it." We're ready for Q2! #consumer #consumerbehavior #startup #fundraising #femalefounder #consumertech #onlineshopping #vc

Zepto : "Celebrating 3 years of growth & milestones! with Aadit Palicha & Kaivalya V. Young entrepreneurs Received an amazing anniversary gift from my team, marking 3 incredible years of journey together! Inspired by Zepto's rapid scaling, I'm excited for our own team's future milestones! However, let's not forget the importance of customer experience. "Reminds me of Zepto's remarkable growth path: - Founded in 2021 - $1.3M initial funding - Expanded to multiple cities - $100M Series C funding in 2022 - $1B GMV run rate achieved! To take Zepto to the next level, I suggest: - Enhance customer support with faster response times - Improve location tracking accuracy - Streamline delivery processes for timely arrivals By focusing on these areas, Zepto can ensure a seamless customer experience that matches its rapid growth! Divesh Sawhney | Vikas Sharma | Vinay Dhanani | Chandan Mendiratta | Devendra Meel | Ankit Agarwal | Nikhil Mittal | Anant Rastogi | Anchit Saini | Sayan Saha #AnniversaryGift #ZeptoGrowth #CustomerFirst #ImprovementSuggestions"

🎉 It's finally arrived – YOU can try ShoppinGenie yourself! 🛍️✨ 🔍 See the value ShoppinGenie can bring you, either as a retailer or as a shopper, via the demos on our website. 💡 Want to try it? Just search "ShoppinGenie" in Google – we're the first search result. 🚀 Visit our site and try it!! 🌐 🛒 There are two stores set up for you to interact with ShoppinGenie – a grocery store on the home page and a liquor store on the demo page. 🍏🍷 ✨ Try it now and let us know what you think! 💬 #Shoppingenie #tryit #startupnation

It's a new week to start afresh, Keep fighting and never stop working hard! #Mondaymotivation #CustomSoftware #SoftwareDevelopment #BusinessGrowth #StartupSuccess #TechSolutions #StreamlineOperations #InnovativeTech #TailoredSolutions #BusinessEfficiency #TechExperts #StartupSupport #BusinessSolutions #TechInnovation #SoftwareExperts #GrowthHacks #BusinessOptimization #EfficiencyBoost #TechForBusiness