Here’s Nadiem Makarim’s farewell letter to Gojek staff

Gojek announced earlier this week that co-founder Nadiem Makarim would be stepping down as the company’s CEO to take up a government post in Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s new cabinet.

He’ll be succeeded by Gojek co-founder Kevin Aluwi and former group president Andre Soelistyo who will both take over as co-CEOs.

Nadiem Makarim on stage at Tech in Asia Jakarta 2016 / Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Earlier today, Makarim was unveiled as Indonesia’s new education and culture minister.

Here’s the full text of the email he sent to Gojek employees this morning:

“It’s not about you” – so goes one of the core Gojek values, the one that has always been most important to me. We work together as a team for a greater good because as soon as it becomes about the individual, things begin to fall apart.

That’s why today’s announcement is not about me, it’s about Gojek and the next chapter of the journey that started out nine years ago in a tiny office in South Jakarta and has grown to affect the lives of millions of people in Indonesia and around the region.

We started this company with nothing, other than a deep desire to change things for the better. We saw that the streets of Jakarta were a mess and that there was an informal community of ojek drivers who could easily act as a huge part of the solution to that mess, if only they were organised and working efficiently.

With just that initial desire to improve life for everyone, as well as a large amount of support from countless friends, partners, investors, and stakeholders, we’ve created Gojek. An iconic company that flies the flag for the future of Indonesia and Southeast Asia. We’re no longer a ride-hailing company, we’re now a technology business with the power to really improve life across the board – consumers, drivers, merchants, service providers, and their families. Everyone has benefitted, whether we’ve reduced friction in their daily lives or we’ve created income-earning opportunities for those who need it most.

So, what is the next logical step in our journey? Gojek thrives on talent and if Indonesia is to produce more high-quality talent, the country’s educational system is going to have to undergo a transformation just like the one that began on the streets of Jakarta in 2010. Our schools and academic institutions are going to have to meet the demands of our future economy. That’s why, when I received the mandate to be the Minister of Education and Culture, I knew it was something I had to do. I am so grateful for the trust that President Joko Widodo has placed in me and I will do my best to support his vision in improving the country’s educational system.

I will leave Gojek in the capable hands of Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi as co-CEOs, both of whom have played central roles in moving the company along its path from that office in South Jakarta onto the global stage. We got very lucky as we progressed along that path, but I believe that luck in business only really becomes a valuable commodity if you have the brilliant minds needed to take advantage of it. Kevin and Andre have mentored me to be the leader I am today. They are quite simply Gojek’s best. They have been running this company for a number of years and I have complete faith not just in their technical skills and ability to execute flawlessly, but also in their integrity and their desire to do the right thing every step of the way.

High emotions are involved in running a company like Gojek but Kevin and Andre are always the steady voices of reason, approaching problems with intelligence and compassion. I couldn’t ask for better successors as the Gojek movement begins its next stage of growth.

To all of you, thank you so much for being part of this company. I will always be proud of everything we have achieved together. I am looking forward to continuing to support the Gojek ethos which, from the start, was all about acting in the best interests of Indonesia and Southeast Asia and making it an even better place to call home.