Interview with Dave Vo, the CEO of Xpede [2023]

Hi, my name is Dave Vo.  I have been an entrepreneur for over 15 years in various industries – from e-commerce, jewelry to restaurant.  I always have a passion for innovation and technology but never really took the leap to explore my passion until now, which I hope Xpede will only be the beginning of my exploration.     

Ever since I was a child, I have always been fascinated and passionate about creating and inventing new and unconventional businesses but never had the opportunity to explore my passion until now. I came across the idea of Xpede almost 2 years ago when I left my house keys at a friend’s house after a party and didn’t want to bother my friends  to drop it off to me or drive to pick it up because my friends and I had some drinks. I ended up calling Uber to pick me up to drive to my friend’s house to pick up the keys and back to my house, which caused me unnecessary money and time when I was feeling quite tired that night.  At that moment, I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice if there was an on-demand delivery service where one can request the delivery or pick up of personal belongings like keys, cellphones, wallets, etc. (like Doordash or Grubhub when you want food to be delivered to you). Kind of like a personal helper when one needs help with the above task or other tasks like picking up dry cleaners or business items like briefcase or files when he/she does not have the time to do it.  From there, my mind expanded into the concept of delivery of other items like packages and envelopes – particularly during the holidays where a person can have an on-demand delivery or pick up of gifts, Christmas cards, and so forth. Since I have a few friends that are lawyers, I thought of the conveniency and affordability of on-demand delivery service of legal documents to the Court or various agencies, so I thought that it would be a good idea to have such service on the app as well. Hence, Xpede was born.  

Unlike most popular and well-known delivery service apps currently in the market that deliver foods and groceries, Xpede provides rapid on-demand delivery and pick up of personal belongings (like keys, cell phones, dry cleaners, apparels, office files, etc.), packages (60 lbs. & under), and envelopes (regular and legal) to local communities and businesses.  Xpede delivers a different category of items that are not seen much in the United States, if any, and provides the services that are often needed by the general public and businesses.

Yes, Xpede is currently only available in the US; however, Xpede does have plans to expand its services to other countries in the future.

Well, I think the key to balancing your work life with your personal life is self disciplined, determination, and good management of your schedule and stress.  First, you have to set an unambiguous schedule for work and personal events, and stick to it.  Next, you have to be able to leave your work at work, including your stress, when you are off work and with your family and friends.  Last, make sure to make some time for yourself (your lone time) because without caring for yourself, you cannot care for others. 

The CEO aspects that I admire the most are leadership and “rainmaker.” To be a good CEO, I believe one has to be a good leader that is not only a boss but also a mentor to his team and staff.  I believe that one must lead by being an example.  He must have great management skills because such skills are pivotal to the successful operation of a business. Moreover, as a CEO, one has to be a good “rainmaker” (money maker) for the company because, without capitalization, the company cannot survive or become successful.

I think the use of AI technology in handling certain segments of the customer service or marketing divisions, such as answering certain daily questions by Users and Drivers or creating certain advertisement campaigns on social media platforms, would be something that I am interested in utilizing in the future at the workplace.  Another technology tool would be the systematic operation of drones to make on-demand delivery service of personal and business items – kind of like what Amazon and Walmart are currently piloting with delivery of purchased items to their customers.

My advice would be 1) draw an outline of the on-demand delivery solution that you want to create (it’s always good to start with putting your ideas on paper), 2) performed a thorough research of that solution, including all legal aspects on it, 3) find the right and reliable mobile app developer that works well with you, and 4) make sure you have sufficient funding or strategize on how you can procure such funding because, without it, your creation might not come to fruition. 

The five-year goal for Xpede is to make its services well-known, to not only the consumers and businesses in California, but to most of the United States and possibly other countries.  To hopefully make it the next “Unicorn” for on-demand delivery services.