May Alkhaldi's Profile

Definitely agree that the close alignment between the company’s business and operating models is certainly one of the reasons it has remained successful for many years. As you’ve also mentioned, providing the best customer experience begins with taking care of its employees which Starbucks has been very well known for.

Interestingly, I went to a Starbucks in Boston a few weeks ago that provided no seating arrangements at all. It felt a bit unusual, since to me, the idea of Starbucks isn’t just about buying a cup of coffee, but it’s also about the environment and experience within the store. Do you think if they continue to expand in such a way (offering only to-go items), that would deviate them from their business model and turn them into just another coffeeshop?

Such an interesting concept and I love the creativity! However, once the chain grows and customers demand more variety in the menu options, how would that change their operating model and their speed? I wonder if offering all vegetarian and few options might limit their potential customer base, and therefore make this a niche concept rather than a scalable one.

Having used Careem a few times while in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, I can attest to the great and certainly generous service provided. I found it impressive that they had developed their own location database, given how much on-going construction there is in many of the local roads.

However, since Careem has no strong competition at the moment in many cities of Saudi Arabia, I do wonder what would happen if Uber expanded from the country’s capital and into other cities such as Dhahran. If Uber learned and adapted to customers of the Middle East, would Careem continue to remain the favorite or would Uber’s global popularity eventually help it to increase its market share in this region?