We are building out a franchise garage network and need a founding leader for this function. This person will own everything from identifying the right garage partners, convincing them about the GoMechanic business model, and executing the onboarding and operational setup in a structured manner. This is a zero-to-one role - the playbook does not fully exist yet and this person will help build it.

THE PROFILE WE'RE LOOKING FOR

CORE ARCHETYPE

Hunter + Builder

Someone who can open doors with skeptical small business owners, close partnership deals, and then stay accountable for making those partnerships succeed on the ground. Both traits must coexist.

LEVEL, EXPERIENCE & PEDIGREE

DESIGNATION

PM / Senior PM

Individual contributor. No direct reports initially - this person executes, not manages.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

6 - 10 Years

Senior enough to operate independently; hands-on enough to do ground-level work without hesitation.

EDUCATIONAL PEDIGREE

Track Record > Degree

No hard requirement on institute or MBA. Proven ability to build partner ecosystems or expand markets is the real filter.

WHERE TO SOURCE FROM

Urban CompanySwiggy / Zomato (City Expansion) Castrol / Gulf Oil Mahindra / Maruti (Dealer Network)QSR Franchise ChainsJio / Airtel (Channel Expansion) OYO (Erstwhile)Treebo / FabHotelsLenskartWow Momo / Chaayos

MUST-HAVE COMPETENCIES

- Can explain a business model simply and handle ROI pushback from SMB owners

- Tracks partner pipeline with discipline - not just gut and memory

- Stays engaged post-signing; owns onboarding outcomes

- Can quickly assess a garage's potential - location, owner quality, infrastructure

- Has worked across multiple geographies, not just one metro

- Comfortable operating without a fully built playbook

SCREEN OUT IF

- Only enterprise / large B2B background - won't survive SMB ambiguity

- Strong closer but poor relationship manager - franchise models break post-signing

- Needs a fully built system before they can operate

- No experience managing or influencing small business owners directly

- Single-city or single-market exposure only

KEY SIGNALS TO PROBE IN INTERVIEWS

1. Partner Conviction: Ask them to pitch the franchise model to a skeptical garage owner on the spot. Look for simplicity, confidence, and how they handle objections.

2. Market Expansion Walk-through: Get them to walk through a geography or channel they personally expanded. Probe for their process, what broke, and what they fixed.

3. Post-Onboarding Accountability: Ask what happened to the partners they signed 12 months after onboarding. Weak candidates lose track. Strong ones have stories of interventions and outcomes.