Daniel Rodriguez lives in Bogotá, the third most traffic-congested city in the world. He knows a thing or two about the frustration that comes from spending hours inside a car in slow-moving traffic when you need to get somewhere.
Daniel’s usual response to these situations was to hitch a ride on a motorcycle. The ease and speed with which they would navigate Bogota’s congested streets made him realize that many other Colombians could benefit from this solution. So he decided to launch Picap, a ride-hailing platform that boasts one of the largest motorcycle fleets in Latin America.
I sat down with Daniel to talk about some of his first endeavors from selling empanadas at school to eventually founding his first startup Smart Taxi. We also discuss the real problems that Picap is solving through its ride-hailing and logistics services, as well as how they overcame the regulatory hurdles that disruptive businesses often have to face.
Adding value to Picap’s drivers
Daniel explains that Picap first started out as a ride-hailing platform before branching into logistics. As his startup grew, he became very passionate about Picap’s drivers and how he could add value to their lives. He realized that there was a missing link between his drivers who were looking for opportunities to grow and companies looking for logistics services. Putting two and two together, he decided to launch a logistics vertical for drivers to start delivering packages.
Listen to this episode of Crossing Borders to learn more about Picap’s logistics vertical.
Drawing comparisons with Gojek
Although it was further down the line that Daniel discovered that there was a similar solution to Picap’s in Indonesia by the name of Gojek, he comments that there were many lessons he learned from that comparison. One of the main takeaways from observing Gojek’s trajectory was that they had faced the same problems with the government and regulations, and the solution was to focus on solving the problem and grow fast.
Learn more about the lessons Daniel learned from investors and mentors on how to overcome regulatory hurdles in this episode of Crossing Borders.
The root of the problem
One of the reasons motorcycles are a great solution for Latin America’s largest and most congested cities is that they can go where cars cannot. Daniel explains that in Latin America, many cities were built and have continued to grow with no proper planning. The result? Small roads overcrowded with cars.
Learn more about why motorcycles are a great option for transport and deliveries in Latin America in this episode of Crossing Borders.
Daniel is helping the ecosystem grow by contributing to the economic development of the region through Picap’s logistics services. He is passionate about adding value to the livelihood of Latin Americans.
Outline of this episode:
- [1:43] – About Picap
- [5:28] – Raised in a family of entrepreneurs
- [10:10] – Drawing inspiration from Gojek in Indonesia
- [13:44] – Overcoming regulatory hurdles
- [16:13] – Motorcycles as a solution to car congestion
- [17:58] – The inner workings of Picap
- [20:28] – Advice to Daniel’s younger self
- [21:33] – Books, blogs, or podcast recommendations
- [22:44] – What’s next for Daniel and Picap?
Resources & people mentioned:
