Early disruptors and chaos

Early disruptors face a huge challenge in finding their footing in a chaotic, unorganized and unregulated market.

Before Zoomcar, the concept of self-driven car rentals was alien to India. One of the reasons Zoomcar caught early traction was because it got people excited about not having the hassle of driving their own vehicles for long distance trips, while having the "fun" of driving, regardless.

What sold self-driving rentals early was not convenience. It was carefreeness. Consequently, many of their early vehicles were being driven rashly with drivers cutting corners with traffic laws [anecdotal observations]. Their first few batches of vehicles must have worn out quickly.



When you self-drive a rental today, you have to comply with their terms. That includes indemnifying the company, taking potential insurance liability on yourself (which discourages you from sharing the steering with your buddy sitting next to you), and being accountable for breaking any traffic laws. Suddenly, fun vs inconvenience take a back seat (no pun intended) to need vs want.

In other news, I just saw three guys riding a dockless scooter without a helmet :)

[Originally posted on LinkedIn]

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana, India

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