Mairon Sandoval | Building the Credibility That Attracts Capital

The audio and video are in Spanish. These notes are a translation.

Today I spoke with Mairon Sandoval, founder and CEO of OneCarNow (OCN), a platform that offers an all-inclusive car subscription. Mairon launched OCN at 20 and today the company operates in more than 20 states in Mexico, with more than 25,000 active customers and 100,000 on the waitlist. They have been profitable since the third month and have raised more than $100M between equity and debt.

0:00 - The Origin of OCN and His Vision as an Entrepreneur

From a young age, Mairon had the drive to build a company. His first startup was sold before the pandemic, and together with his partner Manuel he founded OCN at 20.

What motivated him to jump into the entrepreneurial world so young?
How did his first venture influence the creation of OCN?

6:10 - The Car Subscription Model for Gig Workers

OCN aims to democratize access to cars for Uber and Didi drivers, removing barriers such as credit history or upfront payments. Its “all-inclusive” model covers the vehicle, maintenance, insurance, and taxes.

How does the subscription model with an option to buy work?
What makes it different from a traditional lease?

14:00 - How to Raise $100M Without Traditional Credentials

Mairon had no prior experience and no network of contacts in Silicon Valley. He built credibility from LinkedIn and raised capital from international funds.

How did he choose the right funds for his vision?
What did he learn from rejection while raising capital?

23:00 - Profitability from Month 3

OCN was profitable from its third month of operation. This was key in an environment where other startups grow by burning capital.

What decisions made it possible to reach profitability so fast?
What internal policies do they follow to keep that efficiency?

30:00 - Partnerships with Uber and Didi as a Competitive Advantage

Partnerships with mobility platforms allowed OCN to scale without investing in marketing. Their acquisition cost over three years was under $10,000.

How did they manage to close strategic partnerships as a new startup?
What impact did this have on their growth?

38:00 - Internal Culture and Leadership at OCN

OCN has a clear philosophy: solve problems with strategy, not with more people. They carefully evaluate when to scale the team.

What principles govern internal hiring decisions?
How do they test efficiency before expanding the team?

Episode Mentions

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