Startup lessons learnt from OlaCab
Tu travel agent Banna chahta hai ?Bhavesh ke father ne usse yahi tana maara jab usne pehli baar unse apna ye business plan discuss kara tha.
2008 mein Bhavesh ne IIT Bombay se apni graduation poori Kari and fir Microsoft mein placement lete hue usne unki research team mein kaam karna shuru kar diya.
2 saal Microsoft k saath kaam karke usne apni Job se resign de diya because kaafi sochne samjhne ke baad Bhavesh iss nateeje par pahucha ki job toh fir se bhi kar lega, but agar abhi usne himmat nhi jutai toh shayad woh jindagi bhar apna startup na shuru kar paaye.
Iss situation mein mujhe TVF pitchers ka woh famous dialogue yaad aata hai: ki iss desh ke graduate jab apni 9 to 5 ki job se bore hone lagte hai na, tab bahar nikalne ke unhe sirf teen raste dikhte hai, MBA, IAS ya fir Startup!
Job chod kar fir Bhavesh ne ek website setup kari OlaTrip.com. Usne kaafi research ke baad kuch achhe weekend breaks and short duration holidays apni website par list kare.
Bhavesh ke father ko uske business karne se koi dikkat nhi thi, bas unhe ye chinta satayi jaa rahi thi ki in sab chakaro mein kahi unka beta travel agent na ban ke reh jaye. Isliye unhone usko suggest kara, ki beta tumhara job experience acha hai, ab bhi agar tum kisi ache college se apna MBA kar ke ek solid track record bana lete ho, toh baad mein karte rehna ye business vusiness. Tumhe akhir abhi pata hi kitna hai?
Uske father kahi na kahi sahi bhi the, ki usse akhir iss industry ka idea hi kitna tha. But still Bhavesh ki gut feeling ne usse abhi aur explore karne ko kaha.
Jab OlaTrip website par usko koi response nhi mila toh woh fir 2010 mein ho rhe commonwealth games ke stadium ke bahar pahuch ke logo ko kuch pamphlets batne laga, ki shayad wahi se usse kuch clients mil jaaye. But subah se shaam ho gayi aur woh kisi ek person ko bhi apna package nhi sell kar paya.
Fir ek din kya hua jab Bhavesh ne Bangalore se Bandipur jaane ke liye car rent kari hui thi, toh car waale ne aadhe raste mein jaa ke hi car roki aur usse paiso ka renegotiation karne laga, jab Bhavesh ne usse kuch bhi extra dene se inkar diya toh woh usse beech raste mein hi utaar kar khud nikal gaya. Poore din Bhavesh bas yahi sochta raha ki India mein bina jaan pehchan ke kisi ko bhi ek decent cab service milna kitna mushkil kaam hai.
Kuch time baad jab woh kisi client ko holiday package bechne mein laga hua tha, toh uss client ne milte hi Bhavesh ko bola, Nainital jaana hai yaar, Gaadi dila de.
Ye sunkar usse realise hua ki logo ko actually mein kahi par bhi jaane ke liye uski ya OlaTrip ki jarurat nhi hai. Agar jarurat hai toh bas ek Gaadi ki.
Iss incident ke baad Bhavesh Mumbai chala aaya usne apne dost Ankit Bhati ke saath mil kar ek nayi website launch kari OlaCabs.com, aur 2010 mein woh finally apni website ke through cars rent par dene mein kamyab raha. Online cabs provide karne ke 7 se 8 months mein hi market mein ye news spread ho gayi ki OlaCabs karke koi naya startup aaya hai, jo ki logo ki ek real life problem ko solve karne mein laga pada hai.
Aaj bhi India mein har koi easily car afford nahi kar paata aur jo afford kar bhi raha hai unke liye parking aur fuel prices jaisi cheeje ek daily struggle ban chuki hai.
2012 ke mid mein jab OlaCabs ne apna mobile app launch kara toh logo ke beech uska word of mouth failte hi investors ko usme ek jabardast opportunity dikhai dene lagi. Snapdeal ke founder Kunal Bahl Ola ke angel investor bane, fir shaadi.com ke founder Anupam Mittal ne bhi isme investment kari. Aur 2012 ke end tak Ola ko fir market mein baithe bade bade investors se ek organised way mein funding milni start ho gayi.
Ola ke starting days mein Bhavesh ko sahi tarah ke drivers aur cars dhoondne ke liye bahut jagah bhatakna padta tha, kabhi kabhi driver available na hone par woh khud kisi ki car borrow kar ke pickup ke liye chale jaya karta tha.
Ek chhote se kamre mein shuru kare hue startup ko aaj poore India mein execute kara dena apne aap mein hi bahut challenging kaam hai. Bhavesh ne aaj ki date mein itna successful hone k baad bhi khud ke liye koi personal car nahi rakhi hui hai, woh khud daily as a customer din mein 3 se 4 baar OlaCabs use karta hai aur apne ride ka feedback aage forward kar deta hai.
