Tony Xu, MBA ’13, Cofounder and CEO, DoorDash
View From The Top — Stanford Graduate School of Business
Lessons from DoorDash CEO Tony Xu
In a recent interview with Joy Huang, MBA class of 2021, Tony Xu, co-founder and CEO of DoorDash, shared insights and stories about his entrepreneurial journey. From his childhood experiences to the challenges of running a fast-growing startup, Tony’s journey is an inspiring one. Here are some key takeaways from the interview.
Simplify the Problem You’re Trying to Solve
One of the biggest lessons Tony learned from his experience at DoorDash is to simplify the problem you’re trying to solve. When they started the company, they knew they wanted to build a last-mile delivery service, but that was too big of an endeavor for just four people. So, they asked themselves three questions: Would customers want and pay for this service? Would restaurants pay for it? And would drivers want this job?
By simplifying the problem, they were able to focus on the core value proposition of their business and test their ideas quickly. This approach helped them identify the potential demand for their service and gave them the insight they needed to build the business. It also helped them avoid the pitfalls of…
