Is Chasing Competitors Holding You Back?
Ever feel like you’re constantly playing catch-up with competitors? What if I told you the real winning move might be to… look the other way? Roger Montti recently broke down some fascinating insights from DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, and honestly, it’s got me thinking.
The DoorDash Difference: Customer Obsession
Montti highlights how Tang built his massive delivery empire not by obsessively tracking rivals, but by becoming utterly customer-obsessed. Seriously, Tang and his early team weren’t just crunching numbers in an office; they were out there *being* customers and delivery drivers (Dashers)! Imagine the insights you’d get from walking a mile, or delivering a meal, in your customer’s shoes.
Why Hands-On Experience Matters
From my perspective as a consultant, this is gold. Montti’s piece explains how this deep, hands-on understanding allowed DoorDash to spot real problems – the little annoyances and the big hurdles – and build solutions that actually mattered to people using the service. While competitors might have been busy reacting to each other’s latest moves, DoorDash was focused on making the experience better for their users and Dashers.
The Real Growth Engine: Solving Customer Problems
The lesson here? Genuine customer focus isn’t just a nice-to-have; it can be your most powerful growth engine, driving innovation from the ground up. It’s about solving *their* problems, not just beating the other guy.
Makes you pause and ask, where is *your* energy truly going right now? Is it directed towards your rivals, or squarely focused on the people you aim to serve?
Learn More
For a deeper dive into how they pulled this off and the specific examples Tang shared, I absolutely recommend reading Roger Montti’s full report. You can learn more about DoorDash’s Customer-First Strategy right here.