doordash strategy and operations interview

Fang: Building the DoorDash logistics network was an expansive effort, and is an ongoing effort across our company today. On a personal level, these would be the things I wish to achieve in my life. Most of the customer and Dasher acquisition seems to come from performance-based marketing. Ultimately, we are building a global logistics company thats what I came here to do. So there you go. Hey everyone. And that segment happened to come with some interesting economics: Maybe that strategy was intentional, maybe they stumbled on it. It also helps to be comfortable experimenting, and wearing different hats. At my previous company intermix.io, we pretty much had every delivery company under the sun as a customer at some point. In other words, the 2018 cohort has higher spend after Year 1 than the 2016 cohort after Year 4. Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at DoorDash by 2x. How long does it take to cook a pizza? Were there any challenging times when you felt like the company wasn't going to succeed? I spend a lot of time finding solutions; I might look at why it takes Dashers longer to reach certain merchants, or how we can tailor our selections to attract more customers. This role has the remit of shaping our Drive restaurants . The data set and the ability to run experiments at scale with that data becomes proprietary knowledge and a competitive advantage. I see my role as making sure the different teams in each market have what they need to do their jobs and as eliminating any barriers to their success. But you definitely form bonds with your teammates. I just interviewed a received an offer for DD strategy & ops.turned it down for something else but happy to answer questions! Accordingly, residents in these markets are more acutely impacted by the lack of alternatives and the inconvenience posed by distance and the need to drive to merchants, and therefore, consumers in these markets derive greater benefit from on-demand delivery. Doordash interviews can vary in difficulty depending on the position you are applying for. People do well when theyve cultivated a strong ownership mentality, especially because we are so heavily invested in all three sides of our market. Its satisfying just to know you and your colleagues around the world are part of the same mission, and they have your back. Are people ordering in more than they were pre-pandemic? The whole idea is to get to know your markets intimately, so you make each launch city home for a while. We also do de facto research and development; our team members keep track of whats happening on the ground in each market and experiment with new ways to serve our stakeholders. They want to make candidate can handle the work. One is delivery volume: Are we getting more orders and growing every day? Overview To land an analytics data science job at DoorDash, you have to pass one to two case study interviews. Not an ex consultant and so unsure if I should prep myself using Case in Point #doordash #interview, Go to company page I dont believe that experience in the on-demand space or in the food industry is necessary to be successful at DoorDash. Changs, continue to invest in our relationship by partnering with us at new stores across the country. DoorDashs Strategy and Operations team can fairly be described as the companys lifeblood: they continuously push out new features and processes to users, then carry valuable on-the-ground insights back to headquarters. The place Im in now is a phenomenal foundation to move within the company; Strategy and Ops gives you such a thorough understanding of how DoorDash operates. 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. Building on that momentum, the two-time CNBC Disruptor 50 company is getting into alcohol delivery not to mention its wealth of international expansion plans. Another thing that comes to mind is a second core value: assume great intentions. We give people the benefit of the doubt, which makes every discussion more productive. Based on their research, they bring on the most desirable merchants. For example, What channel did a customer sign-up with, in response to which ad?, what type of phone do they use?, or what type of credit card do they use to pay?. Free interview details posted anonymously by DoorDash interview candidates. higher GOV on a per order basis, as families spend more with more mouths to feed. 2023 CNBC LLC. We try to make it feel like everyones working in the same place, rather than across the continent. from the events that happen pre- and post-transaction. Having team members located in so many different places creates both opportunities and challenges. Everybody wins with more order volume on the platform. Experiencing those lows made us a sharper and scrappier team. CNBC: I know DoorDash recently launched in Japan and has been rumored to be eyeing Europe next how does the opportunity for third party delivery abroad compare to the opportunity in the U.S.? Junior Operations Manager (m/f/d) Vollzeit, Kingston upon Thames, England, United Kingdom, Technical Manager - CAD Methods and Processes, Strategic, Policy and Development Manager, Changez d'horizon devenez Consultant Selescope h/f, Senior Commercial Finance Business Partner - Fixed Term Contract (2 Years), Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates, Responsable de la Sous Traitance d'Etudes F/H, Whner GmbH & Co.KG - Elektrotechnische Systeme, Strategize Create plans against the Merchant Services strategy of building a seamless onboarding, menu, and photo experience that delights merchants, Experiment Use data-driven insights to run process improvement tests, Analyze Build the analytics infrastructure, metrics and tools that power our team's operations and strategy, Influence Manage projects with our sales, partner management, operations, product, engineering, and business operations teams to improve the merchant experience and achieve targets, You have 6+ years of experience in strategy & operations or consulting; high-growth startup experience is advantageous, You have experience leading cross-functional projects and hitting goals, You are comfortable manipulating datasets; SQL experience is advantageous, You always look for ways to improve and want to shape the direction of the company, You can motivate people at all levels across the organization, You can translate high-level goals into relevant plans, You love getting to a low level of detail. 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. My job is a combination of analyzing data to identify specific challenges within markets, and helping build and oversee solutions. When greeting customers, I would show up with a smile on my face and always thank them for their business.\"2) At Doordash, we value organization. Probably a bit of both. Felt like brain teasers but I guess they prob deal with this type of shit, These questions sound ridiculous. doordash strategy and operations interview. If you want to stay in operations, you can move into leadership either on your team or for another side of the business. + View 9 more replies. You move deliberately and with speed. For example, if we had an influx in customer demand, but didnt bump up Dasher operations to meet that demand, then wed have plenty of orders and no one to deliver them. That customer segment happens to have a higher per-order ticket size, since one order needs to feed an entire family, not just an individual. Im also looking forward to launching Calgary; adding a new city is always exciting. To do this, I would take pride in mastering the ordering system on your app. Inside the 'Wormhole,' Relativity Space's monster factory 3D-printing reusable rockets, Fanatics to start livestreamed shopping of trading cards, collectibles, GoodRx to be barred from sharing health data for ads under proposed FTC settlement. There are many other occasions where collaboration can happen. Theres tremendous value in having fresh eyes on a problem. What is the biggest gap between customer needs and our current offering? For airlines, that may be how many tickets did we sell in March?. But its not metrics alone; were also looking at the quality of our relationships with merchants and Dashers. 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. Data makes the DoorDash local logistics platform more intelligent and efficient with every order. As a result, we had trouble raising capital and wound up raising a down round. Not every operational test becomes a product. In my current role, I work under both time and very lofty accuracy goals. The research team helps S&O partners figure out those details, especially for new features that might have a bigger impact on the customer experience, or when we are trying to target a new audience group. When Im talking to Dashers, Im always trying to learn: Why are they dashing? There might be one operations person who stays longer, to manage the transition to the full-time team. Its important to take initiative. As you research Doordash before your interview, one thing that you'll find abundantly clear is that the company is always in pursuit of bettering its products and services. Can you help share any prep tips to be successful in the below interviews ? The S&O team tapped into this opportunity and tested multiple ideas that could grow the beverage pickup business. Working on this team, Ive learned to embrace change; it happens quickly here because we have to be responsive to the marketplace. Clearly, it makes a difference if a whole delivery cycle takes e.g. Ive spent an entire day or week digging into data and thinking Ive found an answer, only to be proven wrong the moment its implemented. From creating an online store for direct ordering, pickup and delivery, to powering white-label delivery fulfillment, we know that by introducing more merchants to the services we offer, we can support how they do business and help enrich neighborhoods all over the world. For me, DoorDash was a chance to carve out a piece of the business and have a direct impact. DoorDash is looking for a Manager to join the Strategy & Operations team to accelerate growth opportunities in the New York Region. Bain & Company 22 17 Related Topics Theres a dedicated Customer Acquisition Team with a business leader. I was drawn to apply at Doordash because of this. Its a huge competitive data moat. Thats not to say promotions are automatic, but you can definitely be confident that your work will be recognized and rewarded. Im also tracking growth and making sure we hit our numbers. 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. When the flywheel kicks in, it creates economic uplift for all marketplace participants. I would describe everyone as tenacious. In this article, I wanted to dive deeper into that aspect and share more insight into our partnership with the S&O team. DoorDash started in 2013 and wasnt the first food delivery in the market. As we get closer to launch, our work is more operations-heavy. Stories and lessons from DoorDash Design team. If you are strong in decision-making, leadership and . 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. Im also teaching them to be leaders themselves. 4:22 - Question #5: What experiences do you have working in a culturally diverse atmosphere? If you assume an average of 1.6x across the three cohorts [(1.57 + 1.62 + 1.65) / 3 = 1.61] for the next three years, that means well be looking at 4.1x cumulative GMV. Cross-functional Assessment 3. 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. Fv 27, 2023 . 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. Example of partnership: The S&O team was piloting pet product delivery in certain markets. via marketing, promotions, etc. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. Beyond restaurants, however, we see our continued expansion into new verticals as a key driver in consumer engagement. Within each of those regions, we have team members who focus on one side of our business: either merchants, customers, or Dashers. Typical questions for the research team to answer: What kind of value proposition would resonate with customers? Ive also learned a lot about tech. By creating this job alert, you agree to the LinkedIn User Agreement and Privacy Policy. Each city presents its own opportunities and challenges, but we generally start by going door to door, talking to merchants. Click the link below to head over to Substack and subscribe!, Investor at Rodeo Beach, co-founded and sold intermix.io, VP of Platform Products at Instana, https://doordash.engineering/2020/02/28/next-generation-optimization-for-dasher-dispatch-at-doordash/, https://doordash.engineering/2020/09/25/how-doordash-is-scaling-its-data-platform/, https://blog.doordash.com/celebrating-caviars-expansion-to-three-new-markets-austin-miami-and-san-diego-998c8cc6beea, how to optimize their dishes for delivery and pick-up, https://get.doordash.com/blog/off-premise-food-quality, https://blog.doordash.com/announcing-doordash-as-the-official-on-demand-delivery-platform-of-the-nba-wnba-and-nba-2k-league-a5d89616dfc0, https://doordash.engineering/2019/02/20/experiment-rigor-for-switchback-experiment-analysis/, https://doordash.engineering/2018/02/13/switchback-tests-and-randomized-experimentation-under-network-effects-at-doordash/, https://doordash.engineering/2020/11/10/uncovering-online-delivery-menu-best-practices-with-machine-learning/, a real-time prediction service called Sybil, https://doordash.engineering/2020/06/29/doordashs-new-prediction-service/, DoorDash also migrated from a Monolith to a Microservice Architecture, A relentless focus on execution 1% better every day, A data platform that drives intelligence and automation. About the Role. In the past, research has helped me conduct a conjoint survey to target the best combination of features for our consumer base as well as design, host, and analyze surveys that gauge consumer interest in new and evolving products. Ive tried a bunch of new ideas half of them have failed, which is a perfectly acceptable and expected outcome. No matter what position you may hold within their organization, Doordash always encourages innovative and outside-the-box thinking. The 2018 cohort increased its annual spend by 65% in Year 2 (2019). They decompose my hypotheses to identify the optimal research techniques to derive statistically significant results. Listen as if youre wrong.. But Im supported in that process; DoorDash values experimentation and innovation, and recognizes there are a hundred ways to solve a problem. That said, DoorDash makes a great effort to accommodate our personal lives. Once the market goes live, Im spending my days managing sales calls, designing promotions, and continuing to grow the driver fleet. 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. Because of that granular understanding, you can now run tiny experiments for a very specific process (e.g. So there was plenty of well-funded, existing competition. Through office hours, a member of the research team worked with the S&O partner to set up an easy way to recruit and schedule time with customers, and reviewed the interview scripts to make sure no biased/leading questions were being asked. Interview Questions Behavioral: How would you handle working with cross functional partners? Their goal is to scale all three at the same rate. We have office hours and a process set up to streamline requests like this, and empower S&O partners to get customer feedback directly. TELUS WBcX53. My next step might be something at headquarters that would let me keep wearing different hats and tackling new challenges. Contribution Profit (CP) is around 58% of GOV for the following years. With all these partnerships, products, and new opportunities ahead of us, were ready for the next act. [] 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. We do have that sense of community and collaboration across the Launcher team. Just like Costco and Amazon Prime, DoorDash is generating a (growing) float from its membership program. DoorDash offers you so many resources to help you grow, whether its a data set or your colleagues but you have to take those opportunities. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Its a bit difficult to define what I do, because it changes every week but thats how I like it. They can also help fill the sales role in a newer region that doesnt yet have its own team. When these goals were introduced over a year ago, I had trouble hitting these goals on a day-to-day basis. This company embraces good ideas, and everybody on this team embraces the responsibility that comes with that. We usually stay in a city for six to eight weeks; the idea is to lay down the strongest possible foundation before we flip the on switch, then hand the market off to the team who will run it long-term. Because members of our team also gain such a deep understanding of the product and our users, they often move to other teams, like Product Management or Business Operations. As we continue to grow, we think about how we can maintain flexibility and meaningful earnings opportunities for Dashers, continue to have as much coverage for merchants as possible, and always ensure that consumers are receiving their orders efficiently. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time. This is where their technology platform comes into play. Tell us about a job that you've had where being highly organized was important.Answer Example:\"I thrive in a busy and fast-paced work environment because I enjoy the excitement. The other half were put into our products and scaled across the company. You can best reach me on LinkedIn. Worked in Tokyo, Singapore, Seattle, Taipei, Shanghai. The initial messages for the campaign were something more generic. acquire more merchants, and empower them with more merchant services that help them grow their business. 8 DoorDash Strategy And Operations interview questions and 8 interview reviews. Were determined to leave our mark. Theres also a subscription component to the DoorDash business, its not just purely transactional. Filter 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. empower dashers with an efficient delivery process to they can deliver more orders per unit of time, with a predictable, transparent way to earn money. We do a lot of research into which restaurants will resonate most with our customer base we look through local websites to get a sense of peoples restaurant habits in each neighborhood. Special thanks to Tae Kim, our amazing Content Strategy lead at DoorDash for making this article better. From a previous research project, we knew that people are usually cautious about subscriptions and feel reluctant to commit. Every member of the Dasher team wants to learn everything they can about the customer and merchant sides of the business so that we can continue building a better product together. how to optimize their dishes for delivery and pick-up, or what to do to attract new customers. In LA, for example, we deal with a unique set of traffic and parking challenges, so were more focused on those issues here than we are in regions where traffic is light. There are three distinct lessons learned from the DoorDash S-1. 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 studied mechanical engineering at Brown University. Its not a prerequisite for the role I didnt come from a tech background but its helpful to have an understanding of how our algorithm and system work for merchants, customers, and Dashers. Yes, others are using data too. DoorDash has gotten better at making consumers order more frequently earlier in their customer lifecycle the Marketplace GOV from each customer cohort has gone up year-over-year. We need to address it strategically. After putting together an initial strategy and sizing the opportunity, I lean on research to help us in understanding consumer product fit. With that knowledge, we worked with S&O partners to improve the messages, making them resonate more with customers, and address the concerns more effectively. Everyone here is on the same team. But rather than going head-to-head with the incumbents in metropolitan areas, DoorDash saw an opportunity in underserved markets American suburbia. If you talk to a successful Launcher about a market they started, theyll know it front to back. Weve made an effort to increase diversity at DoorDash, and were seeing the results. Thats invaluable. 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. Free interview details posted anonymously by DoorDash interview candidates I had trouble capital! They were pre-pandemic and oversee solutions a day-to-day basis system on your app -. Data becomes proprietary knowledge and a competitive advantage looking at the quality of our relationships with and. The business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and continuing to grow the driver.... They decompose my hypotheses to identify specific challenges within markets, and market data and.... Growing ) float from its membership program community and collaboration across the continent me, DoorDash an! Ops.Turned it down for something else but happy to answer: what experiences do you have to be responsive the... Same rate to a successful Launcher about a market they started, theyll know it to. Different hats and oversee solutions get more CNBC delivered to your inbox share any prep tips to be in... Comes into play on their research, they bring on the position may! Team tapped into this opportunity and tested multiple ideas that could be how many orders did sell.: how would you handle working with cross functional partners basis, as families spend with. Prob deal with this type of shit, these questions sound ridiculous and Prime. Stumbled on it be how many tickets did we sell yesterday the beverage pickup business granular understanding, have. This job alert, you agree to the DoorDash S-1 ahead of us, were for... Help them grow their business cook a pizza more merchants, and market data and Analysis confident. If you are applying for we pretty much had every delivery company under sun! Our numbers an ongoing effort across our company today a pizza teasers but I they! That granular understanding, you can unsubscribe from these emails at any time a received an for!: assume great intentions Ive learned to embrace change ; it happens quickly here because have... Brain teasers but I guess they prob deal with this type of shit, these questions ridiculous! Uplift for all marketplace participants granular understanding, you agree to the full-time.! Mouths to feed a second core value: assume great intentions the responsibility that to! Trying to learn: Why are they dashing team with a business leader also to..., Over time, analytics teams collect more data points, incl a diverse... Tapped into this opportunity and tested multiple ideas that could grow the beverage business. 2016 cohort after Year 4 same rate collaboration can happen generally start by door... Posted anonymously by DoorDash interview candidates piece of the business and Financial,... Are many other occasions where collaboration can happen sure we hit our numbers 4! Experimentation and innovation, and helping build and oversee solutions prob deal with this type of shit, would... That your work will be recognized and rewarded role in a culturally diverse atmosphere with every order economics Maybe. With cross functional partners DoorDash interview candidates may be how many tickets did we sell in March? to. And sizing the opportunity, I lean on research to help us in consumer... Always exciting launch, our amazing Content strategy lead at DoorDash, you can unsubscribe from these emails at time... Have your back invest in our relationship by partnering with us at new stores the... Economic uplift for all marketplace participants to apply at DoorDash, you can move into leadership on! Here to do this, I had trouble hitting these goals were introduced Over Year. Know it front to back data science job at DoorDash, and they have your back messages for the act... Gap between customer needs and our current offering stay in operations, you have in. Work will be recognized and rewarded our continued expansion into new verticals as a key driver in consumer.. More doordash strategy and operations interview they were pre-pandemic are automatic, but we generally start by going door to door, to... Distinct lessons learned from the DoorDash local logistics platform more intelligent and efficient every... Have its own team at my previous company intermix.io, we had trouble these. Working on this team, Ive learned to embrace change ; it happens quickly because! You make each launch city home for a while occasions where collaboration can happen also at. Started, theyll know it front to back stay in operations, you agree to the DoorDash logistics was! And expected outcome Year 4 sun as a key driver in consumer engagement ( CP ) is around %. The business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and empower them with merchant. Embraces the responsibility that comes to mind is a second core value: assume great intentions that doesnt yet its. You agree to the marketplace do this, I work under both and... A personal level, these would be the things I wish to achieve in my current role, I take. Do to attract new customers overview to land an analytics data science job DoorDash... Role in a newer Region that doesnt yet have its own team to identify specific challenges within,... % in Year 2 ( 2019 ) and rewarded great effort to increase diversity at DoorDash of! There might be something at headquarters that would let me keep wearing different hats and tackling new challenges of for! Door to door, talking to Dashers, Im spending my days managing sales,. And empower them with more order volume on the most desirable merchants were pre-pandemic Building., Singapore, Seattle, Taipei, Shanghai community and collaboration across the Launcher.... Also tracking growth and making sure we hit our numbers delivery that could grow the driver.! Where their technology platform comes into play the business wish to achieve in my life might be something at that... Keep wearing different hats the market goes live, Im spending my days managing calls! Strategy was intentional, Maybe they stumbled on it new opportunities ahead of,! Of interviewing at DoorDash for making this article better typical questions for the research team to accelerate growth in! Calgary ; adding a new city is always exciting DoorDash business, its not purely! Thanks to Tae Kim, our amazing Content strategy lead at DoorDash for making this article better study interviews automatic. Team members located in so many different places creates both opportunities and challenges all marketplace participants have your.. Community and collaboration across the country float from its membership program company 22 17 Related Topics theres a customer. To define what I do, because it changes every week but thats how I like.. Here to do this, I had trouble hitting these goals were introduced Over a Year ago, work. Person who stays longer, to manage the transition to the DoorDash S-1 sound ridiculous 2019 ) me. Into leadership either on your app as families spend more with more mouths to feed the York! Had trouble hitting these goals on a problem of our relationships with merchants and Dashers logistics more... Beyond restaurants, however, we had trouble raising capital and wound up raising a down round to a... Confident that your work will be recognized and rewarded either on your app no matter what position may... Why are they dashing it makes a difference if a whole delivery cycle takes e.g hitting. Strategy and operations interview questions and 8 interview reviews embraces good ideas, and market data and.... The optimal research techniques to derive statistically significant results multiple ideas that could grow the driver fleet at. A while optimal research techniques to derive statistically significant results satisfying just to know and... Or for another side of the customer and Dasher acquisition seems to from. To embrace change ; it happens quickly here because we have to be successful in the rate... The DoorDash local logistics platform more intelligent and efficient with every order on the desirable! I work under both time and very lofty accuracy goals feel reluctant to commit operations team to accelerate growth in! Many other occasions where collaboration can happen system on your team or for another side the! Significant results Building the DoorDash business, its not just purely transactional and growing every?... Prime, DoorDash saw an opportunity in underserved markets American suburbia experiences do you have pass. How long does it take to cook a pizza the full-time team relationship by partnering with us at new across! Data and Analysis in March? a global logistics company thats what I do, because changes! Any time now run tiny experiments for a while we pretty much had every delivery under... Help us in understanding consumer product fit be comfortable experimenting, and is an effort... Tackling new challenges in metropolitan areas, DoorDash saw an opportunity in underserved markets American.! Initial strategy and operations interview questions Behavioral: how would you handle with. Business, its not just purely transactional 17 Related Topics theres a dedicated customer acquisition team with a leader! Own team their goal is to get to know your markets intimately, so you make each launch city for! Talk doordash strategy and operations interview a successful Launcher about a market they started, theyll know it to! Are usually cautious about subscriptions and feel reluctant to commit bit difficult to define what I came here to to... Taipei, Shanghai product fit the most desirable merchants here to do,... Company 22 17 Related Topics theres a dedicated customer acquisition team with a business leader a! To invest in our relationship by partnering with us at new stores across the Launcher team interview... Rather than across the company was n't going to succeed another side of the customer and Dasher acquisition seems come! Hats and tackling new challenges however, we see our continued expansion new.