“If you can build your company without raising money, do it because then you’re in control. There’s this idea that you’re really cool if you’ve got some venture money. And I want to say the coolest is if you own the whole thing yourself.” Robin Chase, Co-Founder of Zipcar, GoLoco, Buzzcar, Veniam, and NUMO.

In this episode of “Open for Business,” we speak to serial entrepreneur and transportation innovator Robin Chase. Robin is co-founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the largest car sharing company in the world; Buzzcar, a peer-to-peer car sharing service in France (now merged with Drivy); and GoLoco, an online ride sharing community. She is also co-founder of Veniam, a network company connecting vehicles to the cloud.  More recently she established NUMO, a nonprofit aimed at leveraging new urban mobility technologies for sustainable city development.

From starting Zipcar back in 2000, Robin has decades of experience in revolutionizing urban mobility and entrepreneurship, and she shares her unique insights and the key lessons she’s learned along the way.

Among other things, Robin discusses:

• Her motivation for diving into urban mobility and the challenges she faced along the way.
• The importance of timing and being at the right place at the right time in business.
• The concept of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and its critical role in launching successful ventures.
• Navigating the complex dynamics of fundraising and maintaining control over your company.
• Her vision for the future of transportation, including the rise of electric bikes and smaller vehicles.

There’s a lot to learn from Robin’s experiences over the last 24 years, including practical advice on how to approach entrepreneurship, the importance of innovation, and how to adapt to ever-changing market conditions.

Listen to the full interview below.

Originally published by BFM.