Overcoming Early Adversity
The company “GoGoVan” is a prominent example of a unicorn business born in Hong Kong. Its founder, after failing to get into his desired school in Hong Kong, moved to the United States with only a high school diploma. While studying at an American university, he noticed that many students commuted using used cars or motorcycles. This inspired him to self-learn car repair through YouTube. Using the skills he acquired, he repaired and sold broken vehicles to pay his tuition, eventually graduating from the University of California, Berkeley. Through this journey, he developed the resilience and resourcefulness needed to carve out his own path in the face of adversity.
Challenges After Graduation
Even after graduation, challenges persisted. In the U.S., he struggled to find suitable career opportunities for Asians and faced significant obstacles in building his career. This led him to return to Hong Kong. Upon his return, he recognized inefficiencies and a lack of flexibility in the logistics industry. At the time, Hong Kong’s transportation services were dominated by large companies, leaving users dissatisfied with high costs and rigid services. On the other hand, relying on independent drivers posed issues of reliability and efficiency. For drivers, idle time was abundant, leading to unstable incomes. Witnessing these problems firsthand, he decided to introduce a “new model.”
Building an Innovative Platform
The founder’s vision was to create a platform that connected users (people who wanted to send goods quickly and conveniently) with providers (drivers who owned vehicles but faced frequent idle time). By leveraging technology similar to Uber’s, he enabled efficient matching between the two parties, creating a system that delivered value for both. This innovative model disrupted the traditional monopoly in the logistics industry and quickly gained widespread support from users. As a result, “GoGoVan” experienced rapid growth, ultimately becoming Asia’s first unicorn company.
Lessons from GoGoVan’s Success
The success of “GoGoVan” highlights the importance of identifying challenges and taking action to solve them. The founder’s journey began with the setback of failing to get into his desired school, followed by the hardships of life in a foreign country and the tough circumstances he faced upon returning home. Yet, he never gave up. Instead, he continued to create new value through determination and action. His ability to overcome adversity and take decisive action became the driving force behind the birth of a unicorn company.
The Universal Key to Success
The story of “GoGoVan” underscores a universal truth in business: success comes from identifying problems and consistently taking steps to solve them. This approach is the key to unlocking new opportunities and achieving lasting success.
マーケの種 (19) 「ユニコーンの誕生」 香港発ユニコーン企業
企業「GoGoVan」。創業者は香港で志望校に落ちた後、高卒で渡米しました。アメリカの大学では、中古車やバイクで通学する学生が多いことに気づき、YouTubeで車修理を独学。その知識を活かし、壊れた車を直しては売ることで学費を稼ぎ、なんとかカリフォルニア大学バークレー校を卒業しました。その過程で、逆境に直面しながらも自力で道を切り開く力を養ったのです。
卒業後も試練は続きました。米国ではアジア人に適した仕事が見つからず、思うようにキャリアを築けない状況に直面します。そこで帰国を決意。香港に戻ると、物流業界が非効率で柔軟性を欠いていることに気づきます。当時の香港では大企業による輸送サービスが寡占状態で、利用者は高いコストや融通の利かないサービスに不満を抱えていました。一方で、個人の運転手に依頼する場合は組織化されておらず、信頼性や効率に欠けるという問題も。また、運転手側もアイドル時間が多く、収益が不安定でした。このような状況を目の当たりにし、彼は「新しいモデル」を持ち込むことを決意します。
彼が目指したのは、利用者（荷物を手軽かつ迅速に送りたい人）と供給者（車両を持ちながらもアイドル時間が多い運転手）をつなげるプラットフォームの構築でした。Uberのようなテクノロジーを活用することで、効率的なマッチングを可能にし、双方にとって価値のある仕組みを生み出しました。このモデルは、従来の寡占状態に風穴を開ける画期的なサービスとなり、瞬く間に利用者の支持を集めます。こうして「GoGoVan」は急成長を遂げ、アジア初のユニコーン企業へと成長したのです。
「GoGoVan」の成功は、課題を見つけ、それを解決するために行動する力の重要性を示しています。創業者は、志望校に落ちたという挫折から始まり、異国での厳しい生活や帰国後の厳しい状況を経験しました。それでも諦めることなく、新たな価値を創造していきました。彼の行動力と逆境を乗り越える力が、ユニコーン企業を生む原動力となったのです。課題を見つけ、それを解決する行動を積み重ねる。それこそが、ビジネスの成功を掴むための普遍的なカギであると言えるでしょう。