One of the cornerstones of our approach was the development and refinement of a staged rollout system. Drawing on my experience and insights gained from previous expansions, we designed a system that prioritised data-driven decision-making and agility. Each stage of the rollout was meticulously planned, allowing us to gauge traction, identify challenges, and pivot as needed.

The approach is designed to be both data-driven and agile. It is based on achieving a quantifiable end result known as Traction, this is essential to measure progress and in the case of Gett was x number of rides per month and y number of active drivers.

The launch team is responsible for hitting traction in multiple regions. Once traction is hit the launch team handover the region to the core business who are able to manage the growth through centralised customer care and self service tech.

In cases where positive signs emerge, additional investment becomes justified. However, it’s also important to recognize that lack of immediate traction doesn’t necessarily signify failure. In such instances, it’s perfectly acceptable to prioritise other regions that offer more immediate opportunities. These regions can always be revisited at a later stage, ensuring a strategic and adaptable approach to expansion.

To accompany the staged rollout system there are a collection of components that need to be managed to ensure success. 

Effective management of all these components is crucial for successful delivery for a marketplace expansion. However, in the case of Gett, it’s particularly noteworthy to highlight the implementation of Launching In Waves and Smart incentives. While I delve into the other components in the Teespring x YouTube launch and Tempstars USA Expansion.

Since we had some many regions we wanted to gain traction in Launching in Waves was a savvy approach. It  allowed for expansion into multiple territories simultaneously without becoming overly distracting. 

This approach acknowledges the possibility that some areas may not gain traction as quickly as others, enabling a steady forward momentum while saving valuable time. 

Furthermore, it offers the opportunity to conduct A/B testing of various incentives and marketing tactics in different locations, providing valuable insights to fine-tune future waves of expansion.

When it comes to market palace business it can be a tale of chicken and egg or supply and demand, what do you need first? 

In the case of Gett we found it useful to build a base of supply first by offering an incentive that ‘bought’ their patience, this was an hourly rate for cab drivers that was above the going rate. In Fact it was quite lucrative and therefore the drivers were happy to stay logged in to the app and keep an eye out for any customer bookings. This is what I refer to as a smart incentive.

We also armed them with a tool that rewarded them for signing up new customers on to the app. Essentially turning them into a sales team for a nice reward. It was genius in a sense as if the cab drivers were trained properly they were able to have a clear 5-6 mins during the ride to convince the passenger they needed the app.

Once the customers were signed up we could market them directly!