From Zero to One
Building A Digital Marketplace
I joined Saloodo! in May 2018 as the first in-house designer. Until then, DHL had relied on agencies and freelancers to get the startup off the ground. We'd proven the concept, but the platform needed a complete relaunch to scale.
0%
Shipper Growth
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Countries by 2020
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Annual Growth
Over the next two years, I built the design team from scratch, established a user-centered design culture and helped expand the marketplace from European pilot to global platform serving customers across three continents.
This was my crucible—where I learned to move at startup velocity, measure everything that mattered, and build infrastructure that could scale to 50+ countries without breaking.
🚀 Startup Growth
Refactoring for Scale
Design System
My job was to build the infrastructure for rapid geographic expansion. I've builded a new design system from scratch: a living style guide based on Atomic Design principles—reusable components that could adapt to different markets without constant redesign. Connected design tokens directly to React components so changes propagated automatically.
Frontend Refactor
Worked with engineering to rebuild the entire frontend in React/Redux. This wasn't just a visual refresh—we systematically eliminated technical debt and created a foundation that could handle exponential growth.
The Result
We launched across multiple European markets in rapid succession—Netherlands, Italy, Poland, Austria, Denmark—each rollout taking weeks instead of months because we'd built scalable infrastructure. The refactored platform could handle regional variations (language, currency, regulations) without forking the codebase.
Business Impact
Backed by DHL's trust and our improved conversion rates, we achieved profitable unit economics that justified aggressive marketing spend. We built a loyal customer base that kept coming back because the product actually worked well.
Data-Driven Disrupter
Learning & Experimentation
Saloodo! had an unfair advantage: access to DHL's decades of freight data. Our data science team used this to experiment with machine learning products completely new to the logistics industry—dynamic pricing models, load optimization algorithms, carrier recommendation systems.
I worked closely with brilliant data engineers, translating complex algorithms into interfaces users could trust. The most sophisticated work was our PTL (Part Truckload) optimization engine: we tracked carriers' booked routes and available capacity, then recommended compatible shipments along their existing routes.
This created real marketplace efficiency. Carriers filled partially empty trucks with shipments they were already driving past—reducing empty miles, improving utilization, and enabling competitive pricing because marginal cost was low. Shippers got better rates. Carriers improved margins. The algorithm generated value for both sides.
This collaboration taught me how machine learning models work, what data they need, and how to design experiences that make complex algorithms trustworthy. More importantly: how smart algorithms create marketplace value, not just automate processes.
UX ROI
Measuring What Matters
In startups, you build what drives customer lifetime value and measurable return—not only what stakeholders request or what's cool. I established reporting frameworks connecting design decisions directly to business outcomes.
I partnered with performance marketing to build comprehensive tracking infrastructure, then established bi-weekly product performance reviews with cross-functional teams.
We examined what actually mattered: CAC trends, LTV:CAC ratios, payback periods, funnel drop-offs, unit economics. Together as a team we gained common understanding of goals and ROI.
Every major feature had defined success metrics: conversion lift, retention improvement, cost reduction. I analyzed qualified user test results together with hard analytics like task completion times, session recordings, and conversion data. By identifying friction points and presenting actionable insights, we systematically improved the experience and reduced shipment creation time for first-time users by over 40%.
Use Case Prioritization
We scored every potential feature on business value (revenue impact, cost savings, strategic importance) and user value. Without quantified evidence from at least one dimension, features didn't even make it on the roadmap.
We changed the platform with confidence because we had the data we needed and learned to ask the right questions. That way we could experiment, measure, and iterate faster than traditional logistics companies could schedule a meeting.
Case Study
MEA Expansion – From Pilot to 9 Countries in 6 Months
The Challenge
By early 2019, Saloodo! had proven itself in Europe. DHL saw massive opportunity in Middle East & Africa, but the business model needed fundamental adaptation. The MEA market had different dynamics—high smartphone penetration but lower trust in purely digital platforms, different logistics infrastructure, different payment norms, different regulatory environments.
The Question
Could we scale Saloodo! globally while adapting to radically different markets? Or would each region require a forked codebase, separate teams, and endless customization?
Design Thinking Workshops in Dubai
I traveled to Dubai to lead stakeholder workshops with local DHL teams, potential customers, and carrier partners. We used Design Thinking methodologies to understand what actually needed to change versus what could stay the same.
The workshops revealed critical insights. MEA customers needed local DHL entity contracts, not just marketplace transactions, to build trust. WhatsApp was the business platform, making SMS and email insufficient. Markets required convoy shipments for high-value goods due to security concerns. Most importantly, some markets needed a pure marketplace model while others required a DHL-backed forwarder hybrid.
The Solution: Scalable Multi-Tenant Architecture
Based on these insights, I designed UX flows, sitemaps and design for a multi-tenant platform that could serve multiple DHL business units with separate branding, workflows, and margin structures. Two distinct business models could run on the same infrastructure.
Regional customizations like WhatsApp integration, local payment methods, and convoy services worked without rebuilding the core platform.
WhatsApp integration for Africa
Go-to-Market Execution: Speed as Competitive Advantage
The rollout happened fast. We launched in the UAE with Dubai as regional headquarters, then expanded to all six GCC countries within six weeks. Egypt and Jordan followed, with the Cairo kickoff event drawing 238 attendees. By November, we launched in South Africa, becoming the first international digital freight platform on the African continent with over 150 attendees at the Sandton event.
The numbers told the story: nine countries in six months, faster than any European expansion. MEA directly drove growth from 18,000 to 30,000 shippers.
Each additional country took days, not months, because the tenant architecture solved most complexity once. Regional teams could customize what mattered locally while core platform logic remained shared. One codebase. One design system. Multiple markets.
The Strategic Impact
This successful expansion validated the entire global strategy. The MEA rollout proved that Saloodo! could adapt to radically different markets without breaking. By the time I transitioned to lead myDHLi in April 2020, the platform was operating on four continents, and the foundation I'd built in those Dubai workshops made it possible.
