How Swiggy’s Genie shutdown shows the power of focusing on what works!

Not everything in business always goes according to plan. Recently, Swiggy decided to shut down Swiggy Genie, its hyperlocal delivery service, to focus on its main strengths: food delivery and quick commerce. There are plenty of reasons for Swiggy to shutdown the Swiggy Genie service. It’s a reminder that things can go wrong, but you can always fix it and get back to what’s right to keep the business going strong.

In April 2020, Swiggy Genie was launched which allowed users to send packages or pick up items within their city, pitting it against services such as Uber Package, Porter and Rapido. Eventually it was successful. Genie at its peak operated in over 60 cities. But it never scaled up in a tough market and never became a major revenue driver for Swiggy. When the competition in quick commerce was heating up with companies like Blinkit and Zepto, Swiggy realised that their Genie service was not doing enough to justify further investment.

Shutting down Genie for Swiggy: Learning from setbacks

It’s not just about cutting losses and shutting down Genie for Swiggy, it’s also about learning from what didn’t work and investing in what does. Genie was more of a side business, and with growing competition in quick commerce, Swiggy is now doubling down on Instamart. Most public communication from Swiggy regarding Genie’s suspension has been through responses on X (formerly Twitter), where the company cites "operational constraints". Instead, Swiggy is choosing to move resources away from Genie and into Instamart and food delivery, and strengthening its core business where it sees the most potential.

But this isn’t just a Swiggy story. Even pioneers can have tough times, as other companies like Dunzo have scaled down their hyperlocal delivery services. Instead of viewing these changes as failures, they are opportunities to adapt. Swiggy’s decision has let other companies like Uber and Rapido to grow. Swiggy has a better chance to compete in the quick commerce space which is gaining traction.

Focusing on what’s right enabled Swiggy to move forward.

In business, it’s okay if things don’t always work out perfectly. It’s what you do with it that counts. Swiggy has taken a stand on the issue, learnt from experiences and is now focusing on what it does best. In a fast changing market, Swiggy is doubling down on food delivery and Instamart to stay relevant and successful. Challenges and failed experiments are a part of every business. A clear example of this is Swiggy’s Genie shutdown, which is a clear example of how addressing what’s not working and focusing on your strengths can help you move forward. When things go wrong, don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy-sometimes, that’s exactly what you need to keep your business thriving.