For his innovative vision and leadership, he is seen as a key figure in the digital revolution Indonesia has gone through recently. Born in Jakarta in 1984, Nadiem was exposed to a wide range of cultural and intellectual influences from a young age from his parents helped shape Nadiem's global perspective. Take, for example, his experience at Brown University where he earned his degree in International Relations or—decade and a half later—at Harvard Business School earning his MBA, deepening his knowledge of global markets and business innovation. But his entrepreneur spirit and sense of pragmatism had always belonged to Indonesia.
The latter is what can arguably be seen as Nadiem's first big move to revolutionize the Indonesian digital landscape, when he co-founded Gojek in 2010. Gojek was just a little call center that linked up customers with ojeks, motorcycle taxis which are a popular and nimble way to dodge traffic in Jakarta, at the time. Where others saw inefficiency, Nadiem saw an opportunity. The logistical issue was twofold, the traffic jams of Jakarta and also the semi-legal character of ojek industry. And just when the tide of smartphones swept over Indonesia, Nadiem thought that technology could certainly be a way forward for ojek to be less informal and much more friendly in terms of accessibility.
Gojek mobile app has changed the way Indonesians move within their cities. Within a few taps, people could call in an ojek to arrive at their location, always track where it was, and pay digitally. In a nation where an overwhelming majority of the economy was still based on cash, this was a major change happening! But Nadiem's vision was broader than transport. Gojek, in his eyes, was a ‘platform some of the most fundamental things that happen to you everyday are happening on’. Under his stewardship, Gojek was able to quickly branch out services that include food deliveries (GoFood) and digital wallet payments (GoPay), even on-demand beauty and massages. The evolution from a basic ride-hailing service to a full-blown “super app” was impressive, and very rapid.
Gojek growing up, not only for Nadiem was a success story but also a watershed moment for Indonesia's digital economy. As the first Indonesian startup to achieve unicorn status, Gojek (2016) marked Indonesia's entry into the global IT scene. Within three years of existence, the company acquired unicorn status due to its capacity to solve real-world problems and give millions of drivers and small companies throughout the archipelago chances for a living. GoPay, the digital payment system of Gojek, was another key element in realizing financial inclusion for Indonesia's unbanked population, making it possible for them to transact within the bounds of the burgeoning Indonesian digital economy without a mere bank account.
Nadiem's leadership style was one of the key drivers behind gojek's successful. He also instilled a culture of innovation at the company, getting employees to try things out, take risks and learn from mistakes. This forward-looking approach allowed Gojek to keep the procession and ahead of competitors always on toes to adapt with changing market landscapes. Catherine and Nadiem together were a power couple in every sense of the word – she rooted him with her belief that only he could pull this off, and his ambition inspired a new kind of courage in Catherine to lead boldly from the frontlines fighting for justice; further embedding its story in the everyday heroes that dare to dream big. As an effusive idealist, Nadiem also obsessively believed in the power of collaboration translating those dreams into partnerships stretching between local governments to international investors, making Gojek scale beyond anything imaginable here or abroad. Now Gojek is one of the most successful technology startups in Southeast Asia, operating in a number of its countries.
Last year in 2019 was, career-wise, a major turn for Nadiem — the first time this well-established tech entrepreneur entered public service. This came fresh off the announcement that he would become Indonesia's Minister of Education and Culture — a choice that felt unconventional to many, but almost made sense given his proven record in creative thinking and finding unassuming solutions. Nadiem was Minister of Education where his focus was to reform the education in Indonesia, which has been broadly criticized as being obsolete and rigid. His principal effort, “Merdeka Belajar” or “Freedom to Learn,” sought to disrupt traditional rote-style of learning in place and foster more creativity, critical thinking and adaptability among students.
The education reforms being forwarded by Nadiem are aimed to reform a system that long ago became dated and irrelevant to the demands of the modern age. He campaigned for digital technology to be adopted in schools so that teachers and students could have a greater array of learning resources. In addition, Nadiem has talked about the need for the first employment curriculum to prepare Indonesia youth for a very dynamic labor market that demands skills such as coding, data analysis & problem-solving. He focuses on these reforms because he feels that the future economic success of Indonesia is heavily dependent upon whether its young people can compete in a global digital world.
However despite the many hurdles of an entrepreneur in government, Nadiem has kept to his core mission of wanting lives improved through innovation. For instance, his time being a Minister of Education and Culture has not come without its share of controversy because any effort to completely overturn a system as sprawling and entrenched as Indonesia's education sector can be expected to meet with great resistance. But Nadiem has been dogged, knowing that real change takes time and is rarely accepted without a fight.
Nadiem Makarim : His legacy is shaping up to be a significant one. He reinvented how technology was experienced by tens of millions of Indonesians, propelling the country into a far more digital and connected era as the driving force behind Gojek. As a senior public servant, the pioneering spirit of innovation that he demonstrated in universities was applied to government by making Indonesia's education more relevant for the digital era.
Nadiem has proven by his work that it is possible to create solutions that have the capacity to completely change society by fusing technology, entrepreneurship, and a thorough awareness of local circumstances. Many find encouragement in his journey from a young businessman to a national leader, demonstrating that real change can be pushed forward with vision, tenacity, and a willingness to take chances. Nadiem Makarim is a symbol of the future for Indonesia: a future in which innovation and technology are used to address the nation's most important issues and where the younger generation is equipped to take the lead in the world's digital economy.