Who is not familiar with Tokopedia? The startup founded in 2009 is known for its massive growth. To learn the strategy behind it, the SBM ITB invited Aldino Jazmi, Tokopedia’s Senior Lead Product Manager, to a guest lecture session on Tuesday, 10/04/2022.
According to Aldino, the most critical foundation for a company is a clear vision. Vision is like a compass determining the company direction. We have to make sure it goes to the right path.
“At Tokopedia, our vision is to build a super ecosystem where anyone can start and find anything,” said Aldino. “We aim to impact as many sellers, users, and MSMEs as possible and drive the Indonesian economy.”
In addition, to scale up a business, the business must have a growth mindset and be ready to face challenges. “Especially in the startup industry, the pace is fast, and competitors everywhere are issuing innovations. With a growth mindset, we can overcome these challenges,” Aldino explained.
When scaling up, business needs to focus on consumer needs. According to Aldino, many startups have not yet achieved product-market fit, meaning that they create something that is not necessarily needed by the public.
“Many startups still wear ‘horse glasses,’ so they focus too much on their vision without thinking about consumers. In fact, in the end, we are here to provide solutions to problems faced by consumers. So, put our customers first. Make sure the products we develop solve consumer problems,” said Aldino.
Lastly, Tokopedia’s strategy for scaling up is continuous improvement. A business should always strive to be better. So, reiteration and evaluation need to be done continuously.