I first met Dima when we were working to scale our AI-powered STEM school, Mathema.me, to European markets. At the time, Dima was leading Glovo’s expansion into Central and Eastern Europe and is now scaling Glovo’s business across Africa.
For context, Glovo is one of the largest food delivery apps in the world and was acquired by Delivery Hero. Big shots!
If you think scaling a tutoring platform is hard, try scaling food delivery.
This podcast is for you if you want to figure out how to scale something that works well in one market.
Here is what I learned from Dima.
On Leadership and Mindset
"Every success is like a mountain... you have many ways to get to the top. You just need to find a skill set that helps you use one of the roads."
"The mindset to get things done is critical—this is an output-driven business. You can do many things right, but if it's not working, it’s not working."
"Calculated risk and learning agility are non-negotiable—there are no books about food delivery. You need to fail, learn, and try again."
On Expansion and Market Strategies
"If you want to know the future of quick commerce, look at the US, Korea, or London. The future is already here; it’s just not evenly distributed."
"When you expand with hyperlocal marketplaces, too many things are not scalable—you’re building from scratch every time."
"To launch a new market, you need a strong local team from the start. Without local experience, you won’t know what’s okay and what’s not."
On Food Delivery Marketplace Evolution
"Three years ago, speed was king. Now, people prioritize cost over speed because the macroeconomy has changed."
"Generation 1 food delivery platforms had restaurants deliver themselves. Generation 2 food platforms realized delivery isn’t a restaurant's core expertise."
"In the next five to ten years, ultrafast delivery will be back as volumes grow, but it was a case of wrong timing and too much optimism."
On Recruitment
"If someone can’t refer at least a few great people, I question whether they’re great themselves. A-players attract A-players."
"We stopped outsourcing hiring to agencies—they can’t meet the high bar we set for talent."
On Super Apps
"Everyone wants to build a super app, but the big trend now is unbundling. Companies focus on niches to disrupt small areas better than anyone else."
Books recommendations from Dima
"38 Letters from Rockefeller to His Son" – A focus on mindset and personal growth.
"Amp It Up" by Frank Slootman – Insights into management philosophy.
"Tiger Woods" by Jeff Benedict – A deep dive into the cost of greatness.
What else did we cover?
Scaling the food delivery business across markets
Glovo’s playbooks for launching new cities and hiring the first couriers
How global economic trends change food delivery customers’ expectations
Trends in drone delivery
Trends in qCommerce
Hiring local teams: how to source and interview effectively
Is it the end of superapps?
Socio-demographic reasons behind unbundling
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