Deep Dive: Why HungryGoWhere ended up being all sizzle and no steak

For years, HungryGoWhere was the go-to platform for anyone looking for grub and sustenance in Singapore.

But last month, the site announced that it’s ending its 15-year run, bidding loyal users – the few who were still around – farewell and thank you.

Announcement of HungryGoWhere closure’s on its home page.

On this episode of Deep Dive, Tech in Asia’s Melissa Goh discusses the events that led to HungryGoWhere’s shuttering, insider accounts about how the company was run, and a potential sale that could give the platform a second wind.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Intro music
00:47 – Today’s topic: HungryGoWhere
01:18 – One of the industry’s pioneers
02:18 – Gaining popularity
05:39 – Getting acquired by Singtel
09:21 – Facing rising competition
08:26 – The end?
11:18 – Singtel’s poor digital venture track record
12:38 – Was Singtel to blame?
14:01 – How this experience might shape Singtel’s innovation endeavors
15:38 – Looking for a buyer
17:39 – What others can learn from HungryGoWhere’s decline

Download the full transcript here.

Featured reporter:

• Melissa Goh, a Tech in Asia journalist based in Singapore

Essential reading:

• Singtel’s restaurant review portal HungryGoWhere to close in July
• Why did HungryGoWhere go nowhere?
• Not dead yet: Singtel looks to sell HungryGoWhere after receiving offers
• Why many of Singtel’s digital bets failed after a decade of trying
• A history of Singtel’s successes and failures in reinventing itself
• For more stories on Singtel, click here

Episode sponsor:

HVR is joining Tech in Asia for a virtual event on July 14, where chief technology officer Mark Van De Wiel will discuss how to accelerate your business with real-time data delivery, alongside Geoff Soon, South Asia managing director of cloud data firm Snowflake; Andrew Psaltis, Asia Pacific director of data analytics and AI/ML at Google; and Kai Xin Thia, senior data scientist at the London Stock Exchange Group.