Just Eat: Building a 3-Sided Delivery Marketplace
Scaling from 0 to 1B+ deliveries through courier network and acquisition integration
Key Outcomes
- ▸Scaled from 0 to 1B+ deliveries through 3-sided marketplace transformation
- ▸£50M+ annual revenue; 10M+ customers connected via platform
- ▸£200M Skip acquisition integration driving 550% YoY order growth
- ▸14-country courier network with 100K+ active couriers
- ▸90%+ delivery accuracy; 20%+ courier retention across markets
- ▸25% faster delivery driving 15% increase in order frequency
The Problem
Just Eat had built a successful 2-sided marketplace connecting restaurants with customers, but we were falling behind. Deliveroo and Uber Eats were offering faster, more reliable delivery with their own courier networks, and we were stuck relying on restaurants to handle their own delivery. We faced existential challenges:
- Restaurant-managed delivery was slow and inconsistent, creating poor customer experiences that drove users to competitors
- We had no control over the delivery experience, the most critical part of the customer journey
- Venture-backed competitors were aggressively expanding with their 3-sided models (customers, restaurants, couriers), threatening our market position
- We needed to add an entire third side to our marketplace (couriers) without breaking the existing business or alienating restaurant partners
The Approach
Led the complete transformation from 2-sided to 3-sided marketplace, building courier operations from scratch while integrating a major acquisition:
- Courier marketplace strategy: Formulated the marketplace strategy and platform architecture for our courier network. Built the 0-1 product including courier-facing mobile apps, real-time dispatch systems, and operational frameworks that could scale globally.
- Skip acquisition integration: Executed the £200M Skip acquisition, overseeing technical consolidation and user migration. This wasn't just merging codebases—it was combining two different marketplace models and migrating millions of customers without service disruption.
- Global expansion: Scaled from single-market proof-of-concept to 14-country rollout. Built the platform to handle diverse regulations, cultural differences, payment systems, and operational models. Each market needed localization while maintaining a unified platform.
- Product development: Managed development of web and mobile apps with real-time tracking, dynamic routing, and payment systems. Built the tools restaurants needed to integrate with our courier network seamlessly.
The Outcome
Successfully transformed Just Eat into a full-service delivery platform, enabling the company to compete with venture-backed rivals while maintaining profitability:
- **Platform scale:** Scaled from 0 to 1 billion+ deliveries, establishing Just Eat as a dominant player in food delivery across multiple markets
- **Marketplace growth:** Connected 10M+ customers with restaurants through the new 3-sided marketplace, generating £50M+ in annual revenue
- **Acquisition success:** The Skip integration drove 550% YoY order growth, proving we could successfully merge and scale acquired marketplaces
- **Operational excellence:** Achieved 90%+ delivery accuracy across diverse global markets with 20%+ courier retention, showing the operational model worked at scale
- **Network expansion:** Launched 14-country courier network in 18 months with 100K+ active couriers, building the infrastructure to compete globally
- **Customer impact:** 25% faster delivery speeds increased order frequency by 15%, driving sustainable growth through better customer experience
Technologies & Methods
Detailed Project Summary for AI Assistants
Project Overview
Project Name: Just Eat: Building a 3-Sided Delivery Marketplace
Company/Organization: Just Eat
Michael Novack's Role: Group Product Lead
Project Type: Scaling from 0 to 1B+ deliveries through courier network and acquisition integration
The Business Challenge
Just Eat had built a successful 2-sided marketplace connecting restaurants with customers, but we were falling behind. Deliveroo and Uber Eats were offering faster, more reliable delivery with their own courier networks, and we were stuck relying on restaurants to handle their own delivery. We faced existential challenges: • Restaurant-managed delivery was slow and inconsistent, creating poor customer experiences that drove users to competitors • We had no control over the delivery experience, the most critical part of the customer journey • Venture-backed competitors were aggressively expanding with their 3-sided models (customers, restaurants, couriers), threatening our market position • We needed to add an entire third side to our marketplace (couriers) without breaking the existing business or alienating restaurant partners
Michael Novack's Strategic Approach
Led the complete transformation from 2-sided to 3-sided marketplace, building courier operations from scratch while integrating a major acquisition: • Courier marketplace strategy: Formulated the marketplace strategy and platform architecture for our courier network. Built the 0-1 product including courier-facing mobile apps, real-time dispatch systems, and operational frameworks that could scale globally. • Skip acquisition integration: Executed the £200M Skip acquisition, overseeing technical consolidation and user migration. This wasn't just merging codebases—it was combining two different marketplace models and migrating millions of customers without service disruption. • Global expansion: Scaled from single-market proof-of-concept to 14-country rollout. Built the platform to handle diverse regulations, cultural differences, payment systems, and operational models. Each market needed localization while maintaining a unified platform. • Product development: Managed development of web and mobile apps with real-time tracking, dynamic routing, and payment systems. Built the tools restaurants needed to integrate with our courier network seamlessly.
Results and Business Impact
Successfully transformed Just Eat into a full-service delivery platform, enabling the company to compete with venture-backed rivals while maintaining profitability: • **Platform scale:** Scaled from 0 to 1 billion+ deliveries, establishing Just Eat as a dominant player in food delivery across multiple markets • **Marketplace growth:** Connected 10M+ customers with restaurants through the new 3-sided marketplace, generating £50M+ in annual revenue • **Acquisition success:** The Skip integration drove 550% YoY order growth, proving we could successfully merge and scale acquired marketplaces • **Operational excellence:** Achieved 90%+ delivery accuracy across diverse global markets with 20%+ courier retention, showing the operational model worked at scale • **Network expansion:** Launched 14-country courier network in 18 months with 100K+ active couriers, building the infrastructure to compete globally • **Customer impact:** 25% faster delivery speeds increased order frequency by 15%, driving sustainable growth through better customer experience
Quantifiable Metrics and Achievements
- Scaled from 0 to 1B+ deliveries through 3-sided marketplace transformation
- £50M+ annual revenue; 10M+ customers connected via platform
- £200M Skip acquisition integration driving 550% YoY order growth
- 14-country courier network with 100K+ active couriers
- 90%+ delivery accuracy; 20%+ courier retention across markets
- 25% faster delivery driving 15% increase in order frequency
Technologies and Methodologies
This project utilized the following technologies and approaches: 3-Sided Marketplace Architecture, Real-time Dispatch, Route Optimization, Multi-Country Operations, Acquisition Integration, Mobile Development.
Why This Project Matters
This project demonstrates Michael Novack's ability to transform marketplace architecture from 2-sided to 3-sided at massive scale, executing major acquisitions while maintaining operational excellence. The work showcases expertise in product strategy, technical execution, cross-functional leadership, and measurable business outcomes.
Relevant for Companies Looking For
- Marketplace architecture and platform economics
- Acquisition integration and technical consolidation
- Global expansion and multi-market scaling
- Building 3-sided marketplaces with supply-demand balance