Zomato is in the news. Again.
This time because its founder-CEO Deepinder Goyal took on the role of a delivery person.
Many people called it a PR stunt.
To be honest, I’m not sure if it was.
Even if it was, the buzz it generated made it a success.
But more importantly, it (again) highlights the value of CXOs getting firsthand experience of on-ground realities.
Every time I’ve had a poor experience with a major brand, I’ve wondered: Are the people sitting in their plush, air-conditioned offices even aware of the issues their on-ground teams face?
I remember back in 2019, when we (ScaleFactor) acquired a majority stake in TheFlora.in, I moved from Pune to Bengaluru to support the operations team during the transition.
Back then, we were experimenting with the midnight flower deliveries after receiving requests from our loyal customers.
Before marketing it to the broader audience, I took on one of the deliveries to IIM-B to understand the end-to-end delivery process.
At the time, quick commerce wasn’t around, and other flower delivery operators were running on a franchise model.
We wanted to ensure that we could deliver without compromising the customer experience (CX) and within our unit economics.
After a few late-night deliveries, we realized the idea wasn’t feasible and decided to scrap it.
We did the same with our flea market marketing events.
Sure, a guy in shorts with a tiara may grab attention, but as a bootstrapped brand, we quickly learned that our limited marketing budget had better applications.
The point is, we often view CXOs stepping into ground roles as a major deviation. But that’s the only way to avoid blind spots.
If you follow Arindam Paul, you’ll see the wealth of insights he shares from his dealer visits for Atomberg Technologies .
And this isn’t just limited to business.
Imagine a world where our politicians commuted by public transport, used roadside toilets, and sought treatment in government hospitals.
Our lives would undoubtedly be better, and we’d feel more confident about how our (tax) money is being used.