Flywheel and CompileCrew:
Reinventing Food Access During the Pandemic
- | 5 minute readMVP Development
Flywheel and CompileCrew:
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, life as we knew it was changing dramatically.
Amid this upheaval, an opportunity arose for Flywheel, a frontrunner in mobility solutions, to pivot into the food and grocery delivery space with Flywheel Express.
The aim? To ease the burden on local restaurants and grocers in California, enabling them to deliver goods right to customers’ doors.
This wasn’t just about convenience, it was about providing a lifeline to vulnerable groups, including seniors, recovering COVID patients, and folks with compromised immunity.
Though the idea was promising, it brought its share of challenges. But with every challenge, there’s an opportunity to learn and innovate, right? And that’s exactly what we did.
Turning Roadblocks into Milestones
Flywheel faced a steep learning curve venturing into an unfamiliar industry, while dealing with the operational complexities of coordinating multiple stakeholders – from restaurants and grocers to drivers and end consumers.
Embracing the Scrum methodology, we at CompileCrew aimed to be as adaptive and responsive as possible to these challenges. This approach allowed us to turn this ambitious idea into a functional, user-friendly software.
Our task required an in-depth understanding of the delivery process, strategic design, and nimble software development.
A significant part of our task was also harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop an intelligent software such as Flywheel Express.
This software could automatically and efficiently map out delivery routes for drivers, maximizing their productivity and earnings.
Starting from concept in April 2020, we moved swiftly to create this software and by May 2020, we had an MVP ready for a trial run with a small group of drivers and a partner restaurant in Orange County.
Building Momentum Amid the Uncertainty
In a rapidly changing market, staying nimble was key.
As our software’s features expanded, the Flywheel Partner web app was introduced in June, offering restaurants a clear view of the entire delivery process. This transparency fuelled growth, even as we had to continually adapt to new safety protocols and market fluctuations.
By July, we successfully rolled out the Flywheel Delivery driver app.
Despite the time pressure and logistical challenges, our team managed to deliver software upgrades on schedule, while ensuring high-quality user experience.
Growing Our Footprint in Uncharted Territory
Embracing the ‘go big or go home’ attitude, we added San Jose to our map in November.
Despite the logistical challenges of onboarding multiple small restaurants and grocers, we pushed our daily deliveries to about 1,500.
By December, we expanded to San Francisco, seeing our daily delivery count hit 2,000.
Flying High Despite the Turbulence
The numbers speak volumes about our journey.
Flywheel Express now generates $4M in gross revenue and $1.2M in net revenue per year. We have about 100 drivers earning an average of $65 per hour, well above the minimum wage in California.
Not to brag but some of our top drivers bring home around $35,000 to $40,000 per year, spending just two hours a day on the road!
Our Story of Innovation and Resilience
When we reflect on Flywheel Express, we see it as an adventure filled with learning, problem-solving, and ultimate success – bringing smiles to people’s faces amid a crisis.
It’s a narrative that encapsulates what we’re about at CompileCrew – creative problem solving, unyielding perseverance, and leveraging technology for meaningful change.
During the pandemic, CompileCrew came through with innovative solutions for Flywheel Express, helping us keep vital food delivery services going. Their commitment was crucial in those tough times.
Izzy Aala
CEO, Flywheel
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We’d love to hear about the unique challenges and aspirations that are part of your story, regardless of your industry or stage of business.
How about we have a chat about your vision and explore how we can bring it to life together? After all, every journey gets better and can be even more fulfilling when it’s shared.
