25 years ago, I spent my school days in a small city called Bekasi. Back then, I frequently went to the local swimming pool, and each time I would call the motorcycle man who was lying lazily in the shade under the trees. That motorcycle taxi was called Ojek. To me at the time, it was no different from a village bus. It was a familiar means of transportation that I always used when going to the mart or to the sports field.
But today, that simple Ojek is no longer just a simple means of transportation. It grew into a global enterprise under the name Gojek. However, when Gojek was first created, honestly, I didn't think it was such a remarkable innovation. "You can call an Ojek with an app?" That's about it. I just thought it was merely a digitized version of the existing motorcycle taxi. But in just 5 to 6 years, Gojek grew beyond imagination. Now Gojek has become Indonesia's leading enterprise. Gojek experienced difficult times in its early days. While attempting experimental business ventures, it struggled amid funding shortages and competitive pressures.
Gojek's Secret: Coding? Or Something Else?
So, what was the secret behind Gojek's growth into such a large enterprise? Was it really because of superior professional coding skills? It's clear that technological advancement has been an important factor for Gojek since its initial founding until now, but could they have achieved such great success with technology alone?
In fact, one of Gojek's greatest success factors is the real-time communication system between customers and drivers. Do you know that? Gojek's messaging system utilizes a SaaS platform called Sendbird. Sendbird is a messaging platform co-founded by Korean-American Lee Han-gyeol and Song Byung-jun. In fact, not only Gojek but many global companies use this system. Real-time chat, notifications, push notifications, etc.—it's the hidden technology that enables efficient communication with customers. The core map is also based on Google Maps^^
Weren't there other important factors besides the IT technical factors of that time? I think it was about the timing of the market and the era. At that time, Indonesia was struggling with traffic congestion and a chaotic urban environment. In major cities like Jakarta, traffic congestion was a daily occurrence, so people often wasted a lot of time commuting. Gojek appeared at that time. By providing a fast and efficient means of transportation via motorcycle, it perfectly met people's needs.
Why Gojek Persevered
So, what was the reason for Gojek's success at this point? There's not only the timing that coincided with market changes, but I believe the time it endured is also an important point. Gojek experienced quite difficult times in its early days. Despite pursuing experimental business ventures, it went through tough times due to funding shortages and competitive pressures. Could it not be that Gojek became the major enterprise it is today precisely because it persevered despite these challenges?
I believe that Gojek's success is not something that happened overnight, but rather the process of gradually progressing through repeated failures and attempts is the true core of success. And it was because Gojek was able to occupy its position at a truly crucial moment that it could achieve its current status. In that sense, the timing worked out. Because it was there at that time.
What Do You Think?
I believe that Gojek's success is not something that happened overnight, but rather the process of gradually progressing through repeated failures and attempts is the true core of success. Gojek's success can ultimately be attributed to market changes and well-timed opportunity. Of course, the reason Gojek was able to continue developing and succeeding is not only because of technological innovation, but also because it provided services that perfectly aligned with customer needs and social sentiment at that particular moment in time.
I have decided to stop thinking that I must come up with something completely new that doesn't exist here and take a one-shot approach. I've realized that, like Gojek, it's more important to persistently provide services that match the timing and reflect changes in customer needs.
What do you think about Gojek's success? Technology, timing, or customer needs? I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts.
