How Was the Electric Scooter Startup Seagull Successful?

electric scooter Its use has been on the rise in recent years, especially in Europe and America. The services provided by companies such as Bird and Lime in this field received positive feedback from users; It was appreciated by everyone because it is a useful and environmentally friendly means of transportation. Especially those who are tired of traffic in big cities show great interest in electric scooter vehicles.

The first initiative to put this experience into service in our country is Seagull had happened. Founded by Oğuz Alper Öktem and Sena Öktem in 2017 Seagull, He started his business by serving at certain points on the Anatolian side of Istanbul with a small team. Then, he started to create an ever-growing Seagull network by adding Izmir, Antalya, Eskişehir, Ankara, Bursa and Yalova. 

Martı's system is actually no different from its competitors abroad:

Seagull is basically the nearest point to you. electric scooter It has a system where you rent it via mobile application and use it for a fee that varies depending on the duration. Payment is made via the mobile application and the time used can also be checked via the mobile application. Once you reach your desired destination, you end your use of Seagull by locking it in a safe spot.

Especially in big cities such as Istanbul and Izmir, which are far to walk; It allows you to go to locations where public transportation or driving is unnecessary, without getting stuck in traffic. In addition to covering these distances with a pleasant ride, you can also avoid the crowds of public transportation or the car. looking for parking You don't have to deal with unpleasant situations like this. 

seagull, also An environmentally friendly transportation option provides. All trips with an electric scooter are a much greener choice than traveling with a standard vehicle. In a period when the issue of climate crisis is on the agenda all over the world, in an age when everyone is talking about the concept of carbon footprint, it is quite normal that initiatives offering such alternative ways are growing rapidly. 

So how did Seagull become so successful?

This interview conducted by egirişim channel actually shows us the reasons why Seagull is successful. According to Oğuz Alper Öktem, one of the founding partners of the project, the reason why Seagull spread to many cities in a short time:"Being able to establish the right team"  lying down. The Martı team became successful in a short time by working disciplined and organized towards a goal. In fact, this situation is not specific to technology startups.

At the same time right service at right time Martı responded to a need that was created by the agenda, even though we did not realize it. Because many of us were actually aware of this service offered by companies such as Bird or Lime, but we did not know whether we could see it in our country or what the experience would be like. The seagull quickly joined our lives and gave us a new habit. 

Martı's rapid growth and ability to organize in five different cities at once is one of the requirements of the sector in which it operates. This rapid growth, It also brings with it rapidly increasing employment figures. A large number of people are involved in many areas, from collecting the seagulls on the streets to their care, from the design to the production of the seagull scooters.

Martı carries out all these works with a large team housed within itself. The benefit of carefully selecting the established team and establishing a good team is evident at this point, because a team that can respond to its own needs provides many advantages in Seagull's dynamic working system.

Martı's scooters are produced in Türkiye:

Martı is a local initiative and many parts of the electric scooters used are produced in our country. This enables it to be designed directly according to the needs of the city it serves and paves the way for rapid growth with success by providing quality service. Martı, which constantly renews itself according to needs, finally launched its new model in early 2020. Anatolia 1He introduced. While Anadolu 1, a more powerful electric scooter, offers its users a comfortable and safe riding experience, it also shows how hard the Martı team works and how much effort they put into developing their business.

It is an initiative that works dynamically and attracts attention with such a large network. It takes serious investments. Seagull, which supports domestic production in addition to the employment it provides and also provides benefits in terms of technological development, also shows how determined steps taken with the right timing can reach important points in a short time. Stating that the company was established in September 2018, Oğuz Alper Öktem states that their start of operation was March 2019. Last in 15 months increased the number of employees to over 300 and in seven different cities. Considering that you provide service; We can truly call this a success achieved in a short time.

Another thing behind the success of Seagull is Transparent communication with investors. Thanks to the environment of trust provided and the strong relationship between the company and investors, the project does not lose value and continues to burn money, while also growing by receiving new investments.

According to Oğuz Alper Öktem, in a project of this type, the development of the project should be a priority rather than profitability. In this way, the focus is always on business development when managing the process, and crisis and stress management, which are the key points of entrepreneurship, becomes easier for both the person and the company. Martı, in a 3-month period at the end of 2019 4 million 885 thousand dollars damage An attempt that did. u

Since the target of the company and the project is not profitability in this period, which can be considered as an early stage, this high figure does not create a crisis environment for the team, and depending on what the expectations are, the development of the project is not interrupted. Also this foreseeable damages, Thanks to the healthy communication established with the investors, it does not create any problems in that direction and the operation continues without any loss of value. 

What is Seagull's next goal?

Martı aims to provide service in more cities in our country in the future and by opening up abroad It aims to leave an impact on the global market in its sector. Planning to continue its development with a similar aggressive growth over the next year or two, Martı wants to make a difference in its field with the electric scooters it will produce for the specific needs of each city. The company is aware of the importance of domestic production and takes critical steps at this point. concept of design and production We can say that they have points that distinguish them from their competitors abroad.

With these aspects, the company thinks that it will get ahead of its major competitors such as Lime, which are considering providing services in Turkey and even taking steps in this direction. Oğuz Alper Öktem thinks that any initiative coming from abroad cannot be as successful as Martı in Turkey, especially since it is a service area that requires high investment and a well-organized structure. serious investments on a city basis He thinks that doing so will put them ahead of other initiatives.

It is useful to emphasize how important such entrepreneurial steps are in our country, especially regarding the development of current social areas where technology is integrated. As a result, carried out R&D studies, The steps taken in the field of design and production and the employment created are very valuable. In short, the key to success is; Taking the right step at the right time with the right people and making an effort with all your strength.