I went straight to supply-side (more drivers) without pausing to ask which city or what the current market position even was.
Start by clarifying the goal and constraints, then segment the city market to identify the highest-leverage opportunities. Allocate the $1M across a balanced portfolio of initiatives—such as local partnerships, targeted promotions, and operational improvements—with clear metrics and a test-and-learn approach.
Pro tip: Frame your answer around unit economics and ROI: show that you'd invest where customer acquisition cost is lowest and lifetime value is highest, and emphasize the importance of measuring incrementality to avoid wasting budget on users who would have converted anyway.
Ask clarifying questions to understand the specific market, current market share, competitive landscape, and time horizon. Confirm whether the goal is short-term share growth or sustainable long-term presence.
Divide the city into meaningful segments—by neighborhood, demographics, merchant density, or order frequency—to identify where the biggest opportunities and gaps exist.
Evaluate potential initiatives (e.g., merchant acquisition, consumer promotions, delivery logistics, partnerships) based on expected ROI, speed to impact, and alignment with DoorDash's strengths.
Distribute the $1M across selected initiatives, balancing quick wins and long-term bets. For example, 40% to merchant acquisition, 30% to consumer incentives, 20% to operational improvements, 10% to testing.
Establish clear KPIs (e.g., market share, CAC, order frequency, retention) and set up a test-and-learn framework to reallocate funds based on performance.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.