How I Accidentally Started the First DoorDash in My Town

It all began with the distribution of a promotional flyer. It was not a sophisticated application or a sophisticated business plan but, instead, a simple home-printed flyer that I distributed in many places throughout the little country town. At 16 years old, behind the wheel of a VW Cabrio convertible, I was trying to earn extra income. What I was unaware of was that I was about to create a service that would prove to be a valuable resource for the elderly community in my small town—and one that would be a precursor to services that would come years later, like DoorDash and Instacart.

This is not my phone no. so please don't call. Thanks <3

The flyer was quite creative. It showed a caricatured drawing of me cruising along in my convertible with my hair flowing in the wind. I placed it where older adults typically congregate, like residential complexes, restaurants, church bulletin boards, and retirement homes. I was there to grab groceries, help with other errands, take care of medications, or even help with tasks that can be more difficult to accomplish because one is growing older.

The response was quick. My cell phone started ringing, and within moments, I was engaged in entrepreneurial endeavors. The services that I offered were grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, and errands to the post office. Most of my customers were elderly persons who, though living independently, needed extra help with routine tasks. They liked the idea of having help from a young, friendly, and responsible individual. The Cabrio was converted into my mobile office. I would stock it with bags full of produce, carefully sorted by each customer's orders, and travel around the town to complete my rounds. On good days, I'd drive with the convertible top off, securing the produce in the back, my hair streaming behind me just like the brochure copy.

The experience was more than the mere fulfillment of duties. I gained an appreciation for the people to whom I was bringing mail. I listened intently to the stories that they told me, helped them sort through their letters, and sometimes broke bread with them upon the conclusion of my rounds. For many people, I was not only a messenger but also a connection to the larger external world.

Upon reflection, I appreciate the valuable lessons learned from this experience and the deep influence it left on my customers. It was about the lessons of presence, reliability, and the formation of trust. These elements made my small business successful.

This transient small-town project did not grow into a franchise nor generate large profits, but it affected my way of thinking in unexpected ways. It taught me about the need to work with people on their own terms, the role that creativity plays in finding solutions to challenges, and the means for developing an enterprise that connects with the community.

Years later, watching the mass use of services like DoorDash and Instacart makes me chuckle. Even though these businesses use apps and sophisticated technology, the basic nature of how they operate is the same. I like to think that I was an early pioneer who came up with this idea—using a flyer, a convertible car, and a large quantity of groceries packed into the back.