So, you want a plate of momos from a 5 mile away eatery, and you want it now? In less than ten minutes? This type of entitled, brattish behavior used to earn the wrath of reasonable parents and a week of nothing but dal-sabzi. It’s now rewarded by tech bros looking to make a million dollars fast. As a result, app after an app has been enticing clients with the promise of delivering anything in 20 minutes or less – smokes, groceries, sanitizers, even the moon. In this meaningless race to see who can place the fastest orders, Zomato has launched an immediate delivery service that promises hot meals delivered in 10 minutes from the kitchen to your door. Who are you kidding, boss? Even instant noodles require more time to prepare.
Without a question, today’s hottest internet business is speedy delivery. However, 10-minute grocery and meal delivery may be the ultimate mousetrap that no one desires. Sure, that sounds amazing and has drawn a lot of attention to Zomato, which recently introduced its Zomato instant 10-minute food delivery service. In some situations, such as with Zepto, which sparked a demand for same-day grocery delivery, it has also brought in millions of dollars in venture capital.
And, frankly, why are you in such a hurry? Why should you force poor, overworked gig workers to exceed speed limits to achieve your arbitrary deadlines? Why add more furious two-wheelers to rush-hour traffic? Of course, we’ve all heard the pitch. The customer is king, and businesses are rewarded for meeting their demands. But here’s the thing: no one truly needs their item delivered right away. Yes, there are ambulances. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no This is a fabricated economy of quick gratification designed to absorb venture capital cash. Surely, the greatest of India’s entrepreneurial talent has more interesting challenges to address and new ideas to come up with.
So much frantic activity in providing anda-bread merely confirms what we already know: speed is overrated, especially when it becomes intoxicating in and of itself. What India’s startup culture’s dudebros need is a lesson in slowing down rather than racing the herd. Perhaps a trip through the sabzi mandi, followed by some thoughtful time in the kitchen preparing, will suffice. Customers who are sold the cult of hyper convenience should be aware that the promise that apps will provide us with entertainment is a lemon — it may arrive in 10 minutes, but they must still make their lemonade.
