Why 1% done?
By Ratul Kumar
This post was originally published on Zomato Blog on July 10, 2017.
“Whenever an individual or a business decides that success has been attained, progress stops.” — Anonymous
Having worked with Zomato for almost 6 years and across 3 different countries (with very diverse cultures) I’ve often come across our signature remark — ‘1% done.’ Be it from the team that launches Zomato in a new country in 21 days, or the one hits their revenue targets out of the park, or from Deepinder or Pankaj at the time of a milestone announcement or celebration.
Whether our Online ordering (food delivery) business crosses 1 Million orders a month, or if we grew our overall revenue by 100% in a quarter — we tend to celebrate these massive wins and remain discontented for more, by always remembering that our destination is a moving target, and that we are always ‘1% done.’
The mindset of being ‘1% done’ is like a secret recipe — better than Col. Sanders’ if you ask me. It has been passed on from one generation of Zomans to the other here. The hunger for more — to do more, accomplish more, to achieve more, to stretch beyond our actual and notional limitations — this is true not just for a few, but for most Zomans at large.
As I write this piece, I am preparing for my next stint which takes me to a new land and I’m brimming with hope for the opportunities that await. With this move, I will shift base to Jakarta, Indonesia, the 4th country I will explore thanks to Zomato.
Waiting for my work permit to come through, I am anxious about what lies ahead and how the future will unfold. I am anxious, and excited to explore the culture, learn the tricks of the trade, accomplish what I moving there to do, and so many other things. The one thing that I am however most certain of, is the passion, commitment and ownership my fellow Zomans in Jakarta have for what we do. I can proudly say this true for all Zomato teams and offices across the globe. Zomato offices are like your favourite airline company. No matter which country you fly to, you can be assured of the impeccable experience your favourite airline company will provide throughout your journey. Similarly, no matter which city or country a Zoman relocates to, s/he will always know they aren’t leaving friends behind, but moving to the part of their family they haven’t met as yet.
So while it’s daunting to think that you may move a mountain and it will still be 1% done, that, exactly that, is what drives us, the crazy ones. The ones who truly believe the sky’s the limit. The ones that will define and redefine their own ceilings. The ones who believe there is an immense expanse that lays ahead of us, and will relentlessly keep charging at it. That’s who we are, and what we do. Our destination is a moving target, and we’re always 1% done!
