In the startup world, we often conflate “activity” with “growth.” We think that if we splash cash on visibility, customers will automatically flow in.
In this episode of Founders Raw Talk, I sat down with Ibrahim Tunmise, the COO and Co-founder of Gasfeel. They are tackling a logistics nightmare: delivering cooking gas and petrol in 10 minutes.
Ibrahim didn’t hold back. He shared the story of a marketing campaign that burned millions, the operational hell of managing riders, and why data will always beat “vibes” in the African market.
Here are the hard-won lessons from our conversation.
1. The “Billboard Fallacy” (How to Burn ₦2.5 Million)
Gasfeel wanted to make a quantum leap. They aimed to jump from 200 monthly orders to 10,000 in a single month. Their strategy? A massive ₦2.5 million billboard and user-generated content campaign.
The result? 100 signups.
The lesson here is brutal but necessary: Distribution beats creative. Ibrahim admitted they realized too late that billboards are just “touchpoints.” They build familiarity, but they don’t drive immediate conversion for an on-demand service. As Ibrahim put it, “Marketing tactics must match the current stage of the business.” You cannot skip the groundwork.
2. Operations: The “Unsexy” Reality of 10-Minute Delivery
How do you actually deliver petrol in 10 minutes in Nigeria? It is not just about an app; it is about the trenches.
- Rider Incentives: Gasfeel moved to a flat-rate model (₦1,000 per trip for gas, ₦500 for petrol). This simplified the economics for riders and ensured availability.
- The Bottleneck: The biggest challenge isn’t the traffic; it is the petrol station attendants. Ibrahim detailed the constant battle of getting attendants to properly record transactions during rush hour—a human behavior problem that tech hasn’t fully solved yet.
- No “Big Boys”: Ibrahim still runs deliveries himself to test the system. If you are too big to carry a keg, you are too big to run a logistics startup.
3. Data Over Assumptions
The most painful lesson from the failed campaign was that you cannot make decisions based on assumptions. Gasfeel pivoted to a data-first approach. They track everything: order initiation time, station wait time, and delivery travel time. By obsessing over these metrics, they improved their profit margins and realized that excellent service is the best marketing tool.
In a market where trust is low, delivering on a 10-minute promise is worth more than any billboard.
Watch the Full Conversation
We dive deep into how they manage fuel margins, handle customer refunds, and the transition from writing poetry to building logistics infrastructure.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/N79DKxmu6kY?si=XREkILX1UX726QHd
Check out Gasfeel: https://gasfeel.com/
