Post by rohiaktarrina99 on Mar 11, 2024 21:28:30 GMT -6
A car is parked for 90% of its useful life. With that idea in mind, and looking for a solution to the intense traffic in the Federal District, two entrepreneurs implemented the concept of car sharing for the first time in Mexico. And they plan to extend the service to the entire region. In the heart of Mexico City, next to an avenue lined with palm trees, a glass building with an orange carrot on its façade stands out in the landscape. Carrot, the company that successfully implemented the shared vehicle rental service in the Aztec country, has its headquarters there. The striking presence of the company logo on the urban skyline of DF is a good example of its growth: three years after its creation, the system has more than 100,000 registered users and 70 operational cars. At the helm of Carrot are two young entrepreneurs: Diego Solórzano, a former financial analyst who fell in love with the idea of Zipcar - the company that created the concept of "car sharing" - during his university studies, and Jimena Pardo, an industrial engineer who He embraced entrepreneurship after working at giants like and HP. WOBI interviewed them to tell them about their experience.
What made you decide to start your own business? Diego: The entrepreneurial leap has been a concern of mine for many years. Since I was Special Database a child I tried to do things to earn a few extra pesos like selling drawings of the Knights of the Zodiac or washing cars. Somehow, I always had that itch to do something for myself. Jimena: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and I had very good examples. I wanted to do something for my country; something new. However, I imagined it was a much longer, much more difficult path. That's why I made the decision to learn in the corporate world and do a master's degree. I thought that after those experiences I would be ready to undertake. However, Carrot literally crossed my path before she accomplished those goals. And it was incredible, because I had the flexibility to let go of the plans that she had very structured.
How did the idea for Carrot come about? Why did you decide to tackle the project together? Diego: In 2010, when I graduated, I started a diploma in entrepreneurship: There I learned about the business model of Zipcar, an American company basically dedicated to car sharing , and I thought it could be a good alternative for a city like Mexico, which is why which I decided to develop the project for a year. Jimena: At a family meal, a cousin explained that business to me and told me that they were looking for a profile like mine, someone very commercial. That's how I met Diego, who was in the beta stage of planning. I literally fell in love with the project. I thought he would just involve me in the launch, and then I would start a master's degree. But finally I decided to stay here. How did the idea grow until its execution? Diego: Once I developed the business plan, I took an acceleration program at the Venture Institute, with the goal of going to market. To do so, I personally bought three cars that we put to work in the neighborhood.
What made you decide to start your own business? Diego: The entrepreneurial leap has been a concern of mine for many years. Since I was Special Database a child I tried to do things to earn a few extra pesos like selling drawings of the Knights of the Zodiac or washing cars. Somehow, I always had that itch to do something for myself. Jimena: I come from a family of entrepreneurs and I had very good examples. I wanted to do something for my country; something new. However, I imagined it was a much longer, much more difficult path. That's why I made the decision to learn in the corporate world and do a master's degree. I thought that after those experiences I would be ready to undertake. However, Carrot literally crossed my path before she accomplished those goals. And it was incredible, because I had the flexibility to let go of the plans that she had very structured.
How did the idea for Carrot come about? Why did you decide to tackle the project together? Diego: In 2010, when I graduated, I started a diploma in entrepreneurship: There I learned about the business model of Zipcar, an American company basically dedicated to car sharing , and I thought it could be a good alternative for a city like Mexico, which is why which I decided to develop the project for a year. Jimena: At a family meal, a cousin explained that business to me and told me that they were looking for a profile like mine, someone very commercial. That's how I met Diego, who was in the beta stage of planning. I literally fell in love with the project. I thought he would just involve me in the launch, and then I would start a master's degree. But finally I decided to stay here. How did the idea grow until its execution? Diego: Once I developed the business plan, I took an acceleration program at the Venture Institute, with the goal of going to market. To do so, I personally bought three cars that we put to work in the neighborhood.