doordash strategy and operations interview

Ultimately, were judged not on whether our experiment fails, but whether we fail to experiment. Uber 52bd9. Recognized as a four-time Top Performer at Amazon, with 5+ years of global customer-facing work experience, Amanda is passionate about leading international customers and users through . You can see how cohorts consistently increase their spend on DoorDash. Are deliveries being made on time? Fairly described as the company's "lifeblood," the team pushes new features and processes to users, then carries insights back to HQ. Uber, Go to company page At DoorDash, I am empowered to do that, and I can have an impact on not just one aspect of the business but sometimes the entire company. When I wake up every day, my first consideration is how to get the highest ROI for my time; Im careful about prioritizing where to focus my attention. Lets assume 8% for simpler math. RIP DoorDash hiring process. Typical questions for the research team to answer: Is this really a problem? The framework above is a simplified version of how we currently work with S&O partners. Example of partnership: In a segmentation study, the researcher identified picking up beverages (coffee, tea, juice, etc.) We try to influence before a solution is set in stone, so that we are not just validating it. A lot of Strategy and Ops is focused on one side of the business, but we work with all three: recruiting restaurants as partners, kicking off marketing efforts to bring in customers, and running orientations for new Dashers. Staff Researcher@DoorDash. Interested in joining the team? Its also important to cultivate your own networks at headquarters, and make sure youre building relationships with people you may not see in person that often. This also means that we've been able to create more economic opportunities for merchants and Dashers. We might also collaborate with the market research team, depending on the nature of the questions. Postmates, Takeaway.com, Delivery Hero, Glovo, Deliveroo you name it. But you definitely form bonds with your teammates. Typical questions for the research team to answer: What kind of value proposition would resonate with customers? Building on that momentum, the two-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company is also planning international expansion following a recent launch in Japan. Fang: Yes, there are more consumers using DoorDash than ever, ordering delivery more than they were before Covid-19 but notably, they are continuing to order at higher rates, even in the face of reopenings. CNBC: Can you tell me more about the early DoorDash days? Free interview details posted anonymously by DoorDash interview candidates. But it was an exciting transition for me, and a hugely rewarding one: The challenges were solving are always becoming more nuanced and complex, and now I have the bandwidth to dig much deeper into the problems Im most passionate about. Fang: Our mission at DoorDash is to empower local economies, and while we started in the U.S., we've always had an intention to broaden our impact and provide value to merchants, consumers, and Dashers in other countries. Were launching new markets, were announcing new partners, were experimenting with things like catering and alcohol I love coming in every day thinking about the next big thing. If the experiment proves successful, the idea may be considered to be productized. What type of questions to expect in the SQL and case interview rounds? Not every operational test becomes a product. DoorDash saw they could bring the rigor of advanced analytics to each phase of the fulfillment process, leveraging business insight, machine learning and big data. So how exactly are they doing this? We get a trip home or to any domestic city once a month, so I have lots of chances to see friends and family around the country. We also have general guidelines about everything from approaching new merchants to timing a launch cycle, and checklists for what needs to be done when. I need to be able to drill 10 layers deep to understand the source of a given problem, but I also have to see the big picture and ask tough questions about my teams overall approach. I was drawn to apply at Doordash because of this. In this article, I But no analysis so far has focused on how exactly DoorDash went from last to first in a super competitive market and the answer includes by using data. By using data, DoorDash has been squeezing out the smallest inefficiencies out of its operating model, increasing customer / Dasher / merchant satisfaction, marketplace gross order volume (GOV) and customer lifetime value. We are only as good as our next order. The logistical considerations for a dense urban city like Chicago or New York are different from those of a suburban area like Palo Alto, Calif., where we started. On a personal level, these would be the things I wish to achieve in my life. DoorDash embraces and invests in this function because of our belief in an ownership mentality our employees can develop the strategy and execute it. Im a Regional General Manager based out of our Midwest hub in Chicago. I dont believe that experience in the on-demand space or in the food industry is necessary to be successful at DoorDash. With data from the over 900 million orders that have been completed through the platform since founding, theyve made it more efficient and profitable to deliver food from A to B than anybody else. Posted 1:12:12 AM. People can chart their own course. About the Role. A data platform that drives intelligence and automation. How long does it take to cook a pizza? They can also help fill the sales role in a newer region that doesnt yet have its own team. Case Study 2. For our full list of Doordash QAs, visit: https://www.mockquestions.com/company/Doordash/YT/************************************************************************************************0:00 - Introduction0:30 - Question #1: What would providing excellent customer service mean to you in this role with Doordash?1:32 - Question #2: At Doordash, we value organization. So why is that? Thats a lot, in the range of 23x higher than what I see with other engineering organizations. The combination of regional experts and focus on each side of the business ensures that local marketplaces within the regions are growing and running smoothly. Users can get the subscription for $9.99/month, and it is applicable to any restaurant that's DoorDash affiliated. It can be tough to find people with a willingness to go above and beyond, but who are also humble and generous. On one hand, it's really an exercise in capturing all the details you can about the physical world Where are the open parking spaces on Main Street? Customers stick around for at least 3 years, with spend growing to 1.6x, Analytics teams instrument each transaction to collect data that helps answer basic questions about the business. Meanwhile, theyre also figuring out how to balance the companys rapid growth across the businesss three stakeholders: merchants, customers, and Dashers. All with excellent data engineering teams. Ive heard this repeated often: Speak as if youre right. Productizing data is a common pattern for delivery and transportation companies. I like to tell people Im a recovering consultant and banker. Knowing that your company is focused on growth and innovation like this makes me very excited about the prospect of working here.\"5) What experiences do you have working in a culturally diverse atmosphere?Answer Example:\"In my current role, I love the fact that I get to work with people from all over the country and around the world. One day that might be recruiting new talent; the next its growth strategy; the day after that its working with top Dashers or merchants, making sure they feel valued. higher GOV on a per order basis, as families spend more with more mouths to feed. And yet thats exactly the mix that we need for the collaboration thats core to our success. Sometimes S&O partners may request additional inputs to understand the opportunity size or gather customer stories to support a potential solution. Any tips on what to expect from the Strategy & Ops interviews? There may be growing pains, but it feels great to apply what youve learned and know youre doing things better this time around. . Conventional wisdom in the food delivery business suggests that the biggest markets are in high-density metropolitan areas. Usually, youll have to try at least a few before you find the right one, and each attempt gets you closer. Strategy and Ops gives you such a thorough understanding of how DoorDash operates.. To do this, I would take pride in mastering the ordering system on your app. The opportunity before us is vast, and as we dive deep into the unique needs of each new country we enter, we continue to be excited by the impact we can make for our stakeholders there. Were determined to leave our mark. Thats a ton of operating leverage and drives up the LTV / CAC ratio. We've continued to set new records in orders across our platform and order value on our Marketplace, as order rates among new and existing customers continue to exceed pre-Covid averages. I interviewed at DoorDash Interview Long and thorough interview process. Shaving off minutes compounds across the whole fleet, raising income for Dashers and making DoorDash more efficient and profitable. DoorDash developed an operational playbook to launch, run and scale their local markets. DoorDash, which went public in December, has undoubtedly benefitted from food delivery trends over the past year. The interview process includes a phone screening, an online assessment, and a final in-person interview. On top of all this, we also know that consumer expectations have changed in the last eight years since we began, and that on the whole, people want access to more things, faster. From there, DoorDash also provides education for merchants, e.g. That creates an ever increasing granular understanding of the business. Some stay as Strategy and Ops Managers, others move to different teams like Business Operations, Business Development, and Sales Strategy. Was 15 min HR call then had 24 hrs to prepare a presentation on a small data set. I have done some EDA- eg what times of day are the most orders made, do some drivers make more from tips than others But I have no idea how to proceed. is a common use case for power users. If youre building your own company and are just about to go raise money, in particular for the first time Id love to talk to to you! Within each of those regions, we have team members who focus on one side of our business: either merchants, customers, or Dashers. Each order on our local logistics platform provides a broad range of information that is analyzed by our machine learning algorithms to improve the quality and performance of our platform. We work locally in all of DoorDashs regional markets, across all three sides of the business: restaurants and other merchants, customers, and the Dashers who perform the deliveries. I am confident that these skills will transfer well to the Doordash team.\"3) How do you define success in your work?Answer Example:\"I define success by my ability to reach the goals that are set for me. Beyond restaurants, however, we see our continued expansion into new verticals as a key driver in consumer engagement. Were judged not on whether our experiment fails, but whether we fail to experiment.. This is the gist of how pricing on DoorDash works. Operational excellence at the 1-foot and 50K foot levels Our business operates in both the short and long-term (i.e., high quality orders need to be fulfilled today and how the space we are operating in changes over the next 12 months). This is where their technology platform comes into play. + View 9 more replies. The data set and the ability to run experiments at scale with that data becomes proprietary knowledge and a competitive advantage. We have a solid playbook of best practices. Many of the leaders at DoorDash today were with the company during that time, and maintain the same pragmatic determination that got us through then. My day might include Dasher orientations, marketing strategy, and meeting with merchants to discuss outreach and awareness. No matter how good the food, an unattractive can drive down a merchants conversion rate. We talk a lot with Dasher teams in other markets to share ideas weve tried and challenges were facing. There was no researcher dedicated to this vertical. How long will a pint of ice cream stay cold? Consultant, Go to company page At the beginning of the pandemic, over 40% of merchants didn't have an online channel to reach customers, and we know that now more than ever, driving online sales is critical for these businesses. In food delivery that could be how many orders did we sell yesterday? or which is the the most popular restaurant in Austin in July vs. December?, Over time, analytics teams collect more data points, incl. Im really excited to see that growth, and its been amazing to add such diverse viewpoints to the mix. [] While it might seem small in isolation, our daily work be it on reducing delivery times, increasing efficiency, or improving personalization is about compounding incremental improvements that drive significant value over time. As we get closer to launch, our work is more operations-heavy. Try not to get overwhelmed or frustrated. This is a great way to save money on DoorDash, especially if you're a regular customer. Internationally, just like in the U.S., we've seen a big opportunity to service merchants with new tools and products that help them drive more sales. Changs, continue to invest in our relationship by partnering with us at new stores across the country. Did he reply to any of the previous DMs? Food delivery is a low margin business, and besides brand you could argue theres not much differentiation between two delivery services they pick up food from a merchant and deliver it to a consumer. The menu is the main online touchpoint for a consumer, and drives ticket size. Whatever Im doing, I have to understand whats happening on the ground. Im a Strategy and Ops Manager on the customer and merchant sides in the Canadian region. Etc. Consider a prediction a data microservice that any DoorDash app can call, and automate decisions based on real-time data, vs. static rules. First off, Gross Margin grew from 23% in Q1 2019 to 53% in Q3 2020. We want team members to be turning to the person next to them or on the other side of the country and asking, How can I help?. I have the same question, Iirc.,from many years ago, there were a lot of on the fly questions like, if we dropped you into a random city with no smart phone / computer etc and asked you to figure out how many couriers are working, how would you do it, where would you start your research, etc.. Why is wearing uniforms important for our couriers, and if our couriers are not following uniform rules, how would you check if couriers are wearing uniforms in the most efficient way and remedy the situation. Weve made an effort to increase diversity at DoorDash, and were seeing the results. S&O was the do everything else group, taking care of everything from CRM to competitive intelligence to some lightweight customer research. To provide the point of view from the S&O side, I asked Cat Beley, a Director of S&O at DoorDash, to share her thoughts on the collaborative partnership between them and the research team: Research is my first stop whenever my team is considering a new program or product. Because of less choice in those markets, customers also stick around with DoorDash and dont churn to other delivery services. In a previous article, 3 unique things about being a researcher at DoorDash, I mentioned that working with Strategy & Operations (S&O) is something I really enjoy about my role. Ive heard this repeated often: Speak as if youre right. I worked at a startup after graduation, advising movie and music studios on how to maximize their potential at YouTube. Andy holds a BS in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he met fellow co-founders Tony Xu and Stanley Tang and the concept for DoorDash was born. Sign in to create your job alert for Merchant Services jobs in Tempe, AZ. You always have that sounding board, so youre never really alone. If this were a play, I would say we just finished act one this year. Listen as if youre wrong. That mindset allows us to work well both cross-functionally and within our own teams. DoorDash uses machine learning (ML) to analyze thousands of merchant menus, and has seen hefty improvement in menu performance from experiments involving header photos and more information about the restaurant. The insight here I think is that it will be hard if not impossible to grow the business by increasing the average order size, e.g. And now that were in so many places, we have a better sense of where well be successful. Where and how should we introduce the product to customers? Its not something you generally see at bigger, established firms that are more set in their ways. DoorDash runs seven regions across the U.S. and Canada. Were definitely not going in blind. We are former journalists, founders, developers, and, yes, job seekers, working to improve the hiring experience from both sides of the table. Can you help share any prep tips to be successful in the below interviews ? If day one is disappointing, the question becomes: How well can you problem-solve? Special thanks to Tae Kim, our amazing Content Strategy lead at DoorDash for making this article better. Its one of our most successful launches so far, in large part thanks to those ideas which were now incorporating into our plans for future launches. We also work with Business Operations to look at the bigger-picture data beyond our own team, and with Engineering to help them improve the product. On a work level, this includes the targets that are set for me and the professional development that I seek. Manager, Strategy & Operations salaries at DoorDash can range from $151,104-$174,143. View: 3842. If a merchant does not design its menu correctly, customers wont be as attracted to their online offerings and will not buy as often. Probably a bit of both. Im also tracking growth and making sure we hit our numbers. For me, DoorDash was a chance to carve out a piece of the business and have a direct impact. One of the biggest levers for a profitable delivery business is driver dispatch which dasher is best suited to fulfill a delivery. Ive learned to push back a little bit. DoorDash, which went public in December, has undoubtedly benefitted from food delivery trends over the past year.The company's stock began trading at $182 per share on Dec. 9, 2020, and while it . Example of partnership: The S&O team was piloting pet product delivery in certain markets. The 2016 cohort increased its annual spend by 57% in Year 4 (2019) compared to 2016. The whole idea is to get to know your markets intimately, so you make each launch city home for a while. Your platform becomes intelligent. If youre interested in joining DoorDashs awesome UXR Team, check out the open roles on our Career Page. There are three distinct lessons learned from the DoorDash S-1. kick off marketing efforts to bring in customers. Thats what this post is about, and theres a tiny section on page 194 of the prospectus that touches on it: We have assembled a team of 617 highly skilled engineers, designers, and computer scientists whose expertise spans a broad range of technical areas, as of September 30, 2020. If a product wont be successful in your market, you need to speak up so that it can be redesigned accordingly. Activision Blizzard, Go to company page 8 DoorDash Strategy And Operations interview questions and 8 interview reviews. What type of questions to expect from the DoorDash S-1 invest in our relationship by partnering with us at stores! Understanding of the business ive heard this repeated often: Speak as youre. As we get closer to launch, run and scale their local.... 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