GRAB's Milestones in Their First 10 Years: A Story of Vision, Innovation, and Resilience
- wanazwan
- Feb 2
- 6 min read
With the right mindsets, they had evolved from graduates of Harvard Business School (HBS) in 2011 to Southeast Asia's first decacorn, and the biggest technology startup in the region. It became publicly-traded on NASDAQ in 2021 following the largest SPAC merger at the time. In 2023, Fast Company listed Grab amongst the most innovative companies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Can we imagine our lives without innovation? Can we live without cars to commute or taxis to travel? Back to the basic necessities in our lives, without rice cooker to cook rice or kettle to boil water? Would it be possible if taxis were not available for us to travel? Could we imagine that cars were not created back then?
Almost everyone knows that Henry Ford invented the Model T, the first commercially available automobile in the year 1896. Automobiles had then evolved into gasoline, electric, steam and solar powered automobiles. An innovation is the creation of an innovator. Since innovation is the application of creative ideas, it's innately connected to creativity and they both work in tandem with one another. An innovation can be a physical object and a concept to improve or create a new process. People innovate to solve a problem or make society functionally more convenient.
These people of innovators had cracked their heads to use their creativity and imagination to invent innovation products to create new ideas, solve problems and think of possibilities that no one else has thought of before.
Grab Holdings Inc (GRAB) is a Singaporean multinational technology company headquartered in One-North, Singapore. It is the developer of a super-app for ride-hailing, food delivery and digital payments services on mobile devices that operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
1.0 OVERVIEW
In just a decade, GRAB has transformed from a Harvard Business School project to Southeast Asia’s first decacorn (a startup valued at over $10 billion) and a publicly-traded company on NASDAQ. Founded in 2011 by Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, GRAB began as MyTeksi, a ride-hailing app aimed at solving transportation challenges in Southeast Asia. Today, it’s a super-app offering ride-hailing, food delivery, digital payments, and more, operating across eight countries.
GRAB’s journey is a testament to the power of visionary leadership, innovative thinking, and resilience. From overcoming logistical hurdles to navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, GRAB has consistently demonstrated how the right mindset and strategic execution can turn challenges into opportunities.
My Horizon Talk for this topic deliberates well below for your nice reading. The Horizon Talk covers the five (5) elements to each topic in my blogs; it includes The Overview, MyStory, MyAnalysis, Iconic Reference, Summary and What’s Next. Horizon is defined as the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet or it is defined as the limit of a person's knowledge, experience, or interest. The Iconic Reference refers to iconic events or elements that resemblance the topics which should be remembered for the betterment of the future.
Being involved with the team for roughly 2 years in the development phase had shown their mindsets and their cultures of doing things, more in My Story section in The Horizon Talk.
2.0 MY STORY
In 2011, while working at Cradle Fund Sdn Bhd (Cradle), a Malaysian government agency supporting innovative startups, I had the privilege of witnessing GRAB’s early days. Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling pitched their idea for MyTeksi, an app designed to make ride-hailing safer and more efficient. With a RM150,000 grant from Cradle, they developed their Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within a year.
Their journey was not without challenges. From regulatory hurdles to fierce competition, GRAB faced numerous obstacles. Yet, their persistence and customer-centric approach allowed them to grow steadily. By 2018, GRAB had acquired Uber’s Southeast Asia operations, solidifying its dominance in the region.
As the saying goes, “Life is too short to learn from your mistakes. So, learn from others.” GRAB’s story is a masterclass in innovation, resilience, and strategic growth.
“Life is too short to learn from your mistakes.
So, learn from others” - Anonymous
The below graphic illustration is a summary of GRAB’s timelines of their first 10 years. They are growing steadily smooth throughout the countries and the nations.
Despite the ongoing challenges of COVID19 pandemic around the world, everyone is effected but life needs to go on for everyone to survive. GRAB’s partner-bikers of GrabFood have been providing delivery services to everyone during this pandemic.
Let’s get to know their journey here and lets learn from their success.
3.0 MY ANALYSIS
Based on my observation and analysis, the following 4 elements were discovered on why GRAB is successful and they are growing steadily.
The right mindset.
Visionary leadership
Business model
Operation Management and Business Governance.
The Right Mindset
- GRAB was born from a simple yet profound question: “How can I best take care of other people?” This customer-first mindset drove Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling to create a platform that addressed real pain points for both passengers and drivers.
- Their design thinking approach—understanding problems, exploring solutions, and iterating quickly—allowed them to build a product that resonated with millions.
“How can I best take care of other people?”
2. Visionary Leadership
- Anthony Tan’s background in the automotive industry and Tan Hooi Ling’s expertise in business administration provided a strong foundation for GRAB’s growth.
- Their ability to adapt and innovate was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they transitioned 150,000 drivers from ride-hailing to food and parcel delivery, ensuring continuity for both drivers and customers.
“Design thinking is a creative problem solving methodology that starts from understanding and addressing human needs”
The same methodology of Design Thinking were used by GRAB for local issues; both logistical and political issues included dealing with unions, government bureaucracies and even criminal attacks.
GRAB had evolved tremendously from rebranding of MyTeksi to GrabTaxi in June2012 and further rebranded it to Grab in 2016. They had penetrated 8 countries of Southeast Asia namely Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnamese and the Philippines with the same structure of its business model.
3. Scalable Business Model
- GRAB’s asset-light model—connecting drivers and customers through a mobile app —allowed it to scale rapidly across Southeast Asia.
- By diversifying into food delivery (GrabFood), digital payments (GrabPay), and other services, GRAB created multiple revenue streams while enhancing customer loyalty.
4. Operational Excellence and Governance
- GRAB’s 4H core values—Heart, Honour, Humility, and Hunger—guided its operations and culture.
- Strong business governance ensured accountability, risk management, and ethical decision-making, enabling GRAB to navigate complex regulatory environments and maintain trust with stakeholders.
4.0 ICONIC REFERENCE
The Tortoise in the The Hare&The Tortoise Fable Story is given to GRAB’s founders and its management team. Their humble-persistent yet focused mindset had driven them to accelerate the company from day one till currently despite challenges and obstacles despite limited resources that they had faced during the years.
Get to know the story of The Hare and The Tortoise here.
Despite GRAB was at a startup and a smaller size company initially, it had successfully overtook the main player at that time.
5.0 SUMMARY
GRAB’s first decade is a story of vision, innovation, and resilience. By focusing on customer needs, embracing challenges, and staying true to their values, Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling built a company that has become an integral part of Southeast Asia’s digital economy.
The most significant difference and advantage that GRAB has in achieving their success as of to date is the mindsets of the leaders in GRAB as compared to others.
It is unfortunate to understand that there are a lot of businesses in the market but failed in the middle of their operations.
My humble suggestion for the existing businesses in operation is to revisit the above 4 elements in your ecosystems before it is to late to make any changes.
As the saying goes, “We only change when it’s too late.” GRAB’s success reminds us to revisit our strategies, embrace innovation, and stay adaptable in an ever-changing world.
"We only change when it’s too late"
Anonymous
6.0 WHAT'S NEXT?
For businesses looking to emulate GRAB’s success, here are three key takeaways:
1. Adopt a Customer-Centric Mindset: Solve real problems for your customers.
2. Embrace Innovation: Continuously explore new ideas and technologies.
3. Build Resilience: Be prepared to adapt and pivot in the face of challenges.
GRAB’s journey is far from over. With its super-app ambitions and focus on Industrial Revolution 4.0 technologies like AI and big data, GRAB is poised to continue shaping the future of Southeast Asia’s digital landscape.
Related stories:
1.0 Grab (The Company) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grab_(company)
 Wan Azwan is the CEO and Strategy Analyst of Dyne Perspective Sdn Bhd (DYNE), a strategic management and training company. With 26 years of experience in management, consultancy, and accounting, he specializes in driving business success through innovation. He has helped startups and SMEs to achieve market success via go-to-market strategies, financial positioning, and business repositioning. A member of the Malaysia Institute of Accountants (MIA) and a CIMA certification candidate, Wan Azwan believes everyone is capable of innovating. His explorative mindset has led to the creation of three innovative services, embodying his passion for solving challenges through creativity, innovation and fresh approaches. |
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