Grab is five and what a ride it's been!

Five years. Seven countries. 55 cities. Over 45 million downloads, 930,000 drivers and countless heartwarming stories of human connections we’ve enabled every day.

Kudos to all Grabbers and a big thank you to all our partners and customers for the incredible support.

These numbers affirm the impact we’ve had across the region and is a testament to the grit, creativity, and hard work of the team.

We have a few guiding principles which have been instrumental in getting us here against all the odds and will remain key to how we can continue staying ahead of the pack.

Here's an excerpt of four principles I shared with the team two days ago. Posting here so our partners and customers can have an even better understanding and appreciation of what drives us forward. 

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1. Know your WHY.

Hooi Ling and I started Grab with the simple goals of improving the safety of transportation and driver productivity. We saw a real problem that we really cared about solving. And whilst the size of the challenges we take on today have grown in proportion to Grab’s growth, what remains the same is we are clear WHY we do what we do. This clarity keeps us going, even when times get tough.

So find what motivates you personally. Remember why you joined Grab, why you are here today. You’d be surprised how much you can get done in short amounts of time when you’re pumped. 

2. Focus on the customer. Build locally relevant, world-class products.

We are blessed to have amassed the largest pool of top-notch global talent in this region. But remember, money and talent don’t guarantee success. Regardless how smart or talented our people are, if we fail to understand our customers, if we produce amazing products that don’t solve local problems, if the user experience isn’t right, and if we forget about our Why and care less about our customers than someone else - then what IS guaranteed is someone else eating our lunch.

So get on the ground, regularly invest time into understanding our customers, be clear what problem you’re solving, then build locally relevant, kick-ass products together. 

3. Keep an open mind, welcome feedback, debate respectfully.

Those close to me know that I love receiving feedback (both good and bad) because it helps me identify what my blind spots are, and where I need to improve. But I can assure you, this was learned over time. 

I was never the smartest kid. I used to be stubborn, hot-headed, and couldn’t be bothered about what others said or thought. But once I learned to listen more, talk less, think more, and ACT on feedback, that’s when I grew.

Similarly, we need to constantly seek out and act on feedback of ourselves and our products if we are to improve. So welcome feedback. Seek out people who think differently from you, who can broaden your perspective.

Ask for advice. Be open-minded. Debate respectfully.

4. Don’t get comfortable.

We operate in a fast-moving industry and are growing at breakneck speed. For you to thrive along with Grab, you’ll need to get comfortable with discomfort. My direct reports often say that due to the pace of our growth, they feel like they need to reapply for their jobs every six months.

That’s their way of saying that they’re constantly stretching, renewing and becoming better versions of themselves. We all need to do that to remain relevant and stay ahead. 

So stay humble and teachable, constantly challenge yourself and your teammates to do better for our customers, and never be afraid to fail.

Then just go all out and execute!