Inner Drive: A Review & Cinematic Journey To Unpacking inDrive’s “People Driven” Identity
inDrive recently unveiled a powerful new documentary film that takes viewers on an intimate journey on the origins, driving philosophies, and human-centric ethos behind the innovative mobility brand. Titled “Inner Drive”, this cinematic feature provides insight into how inDrive’s “People Driven” tagline represents far more than just a marketing slogan. In this piece, Brand Communicator’s Deputy Editor Jeremiah Agada does a review and explores how the “Inner Drive” documentary vividly brings inDrive’s people-first principles to life through a set of inspiring personal narratives and footage.
From Yakutsk To Lagos, Mexico To Bogo, Newyork & Beyond
Every great brand has a defining tagline or payoff line that effectively captures its core identity, operational philosophy, vision and values, among others. Some of the most effective slogans are short, memorable phrases that immediately bring the essence of a company to mind. “Just Do It” for Nike. “Life’s Good” for LG. In Nigeria, “We Keep Our Word” for Fidelity Bank. MTN transitioned from “Everywhere You Go” to the punchier and way shorter “Y’ello.”
Indeed, beyond just marketing – they capture an organization’s entire raison d’être. This is the case with the mobility platform inDrive, formerly known as inDriver, and their slogan “People Driven.” It’s a simple yet profoundly meaningful phrase that gets to the heart of inDrive’s people-centric philosophy and commitment to empowering communities.
The company’s newly released feature documentary titled “Inner Drive” offers a deep dive into how inDrive lives up to its “People Driven” mantra. Through powerful personal narratives and never-before-seen footage, the film pulls back the curtain to provide an intimate glimpse into the core vision and human-focused operational principles that transformed inDrive from humble grassroots beginnings into a global mobility titan.
From Russia’s frozen Yakutsk region where the company’s origins were sparked by people banding together against an unethical taxi cartel, to the lives being transformed today through inDrive’s community empowerment initiatives spanning 46 countries, “Inner Drive” illustrates how this innovative platform has created reverberating positive impacts by keeping people’s needs at the forefront as well as spotlighting the company’s uniquely direct human interaction which truly makes it a “people driven” enterprise.
Indeed, one of the many heartwarming stories highlighted in the documentary comes straight from inDrive’s Founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky himself, recounting the early fledgling days when inDrive was just a social media platform. He shares the story of a young asthmatic woman who realized late one night that her asthma inhaler was empty. In desperation, she called emergency services who regrettably informed her they had no vehicles available at that moment. Frantic, she then tried calling traditional taxi companies, but they too couldn’t be of help. It was only when she turned to the inDrive social group and posted her dire predicament that one of the participants quickly stepped up and delivered her a new inhaler in an extraordinarily short time period – literally saving her life.
Far from being a run-of-the-mill corporate branding piece, this powerful narrative feature delves deep into the concept of the “butterfly effect” of positive societal impact, deftly illustrating how inDrive’s various grassroots initiatives over the years have created reverberating waves of transformative change that extend far beyond their initial humble touchpoints and transactions; as captured in the inspiring journey of Obadiah, a young boy living in the economically depressed downtown area of Nigeria’s Lagos Island. Once enveloped in a miasma of despair brought on by the harsh realities of his impoverished surroundings, Obadiah’s future has been utterly transformed by inDrive’s “Beginit” community empowerment and upliftment initiative which is paving the way for him to dream big and break out of the cycle of generational poverty. And Obadiah represents just one example among the multitudes of individual lives that inDrive is striving to positively impact as part of their massively ambitious goal to create real, lasting change for at least one billion people by the year 2030. The company actively pursues this aspiration not only through its core mobility business model which emphasizes fairness and bolsters local communities, but also via the wide-ranging efforts of its non-profit philanthropic “InVision” arm focused on achieving breakthroughs and advancing Education, Sports, Arts & Sciences, Gender Equality, and many other vital social initiatives.
The film also brings to light the deeply personal story of 32-year-old Lizeth Guadalupe, a former police officer turned part-time firefighter trainee and divorced mother of two young boys from Mexico who has become part of the rapidly expanding network of women drivers steadily joining the inDrive platform’s global network.
Lizeth’s story shows how her initial passion for helping and protecting others in her community was the driving force that led her to first pursue a career in law enforcement. However, the rigidly structured demands of police life ultimately proved too incompatible with her myriad responsibilities as a single parent, prompting her to resign. Joining inDrive’s service has allowed Lizeth to find the sort of flexibility required to successfully juggle the multiple vital roles she plays as a mother, public servant, and importantly, as a beacon of safety and reassurance for female passengers who may feel wary accepting rides from male drivers – especially at night or if they’ve been drinking.
Another of the many inspiring stories featured in “Inner Drive” follows the story of Itam, a father, husband and resident of Bogo City in the Philippines whose true passion has always been the art of haircutting. Itam has an enduring desire to be able to provide his skillful barber services completely free of charge to as many children and individuals as possible in his local community who may not otherwise have access to professional haircuts. However, the sobering realities of needing to provide for his own family made it impossible for Itam to simply indulge his charitable aspiration without some way of earning a stable income. That is, until inDrive’s innovative mobility platform and its equitable distribution model offered Itam the opportunity to sign up as a delivery rider while still having the flexibility to periodically cut hair free of charge. Thanks to inDrive’s fair labour compensation model – which allocates a higher percentage of each transaction to drivers and service providers than any other ride-hailing platform, as well as the ability for both parties to mutually negotiate and agree on pricing up front – Itam is now able to both earn a dignified living while also pursuing his philanthropic passion.
Reflecting on the deeply inspiring documentary and profound personal stories showcased in “Inner Drive”, company founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky shared these words of simple yet powerful wisdom: “We should focus on the path, on the journey. And if you do something important for you, that is very meaningful for you, and you develop an external environment during that journey, you are getting more and more with each step. And that is something which nobody can take from you. Even if you don’t reach a peak, you will have something available to you.”
Offering corroborating perspectives and insights into the inDrive’s journey are key members of the company’s global executive leadership team including Ego Fedorov – Chief of Staff; Alexander Pavlovs, SVP of Breakthrough Growth; Prokopii Fedorov; Tatiana Terentieva, General Counsel; Dmitry Sedov, Chief Financial Officer; Mark Loughran, President; and Yuri Kostenko, Chief Product Officer, among others.
The documentary feature “Inner Drive” is a powerful collaboration brought to life through the combined creative talents of acclaimed director Dan McCain – a Lagos/Nairobi-based, Emmy Award-winning Pan African filmmaker who specializes in locally relevant and impactful storytelling, and Theo Papadoulakis – an accomplished Greek producer and editor with over 70 international accolades to his name for his masterful ability to showcase the resilience of the human spirit.
“In making this film with inDrive, we hope to honour the resilience and determination of individuals whose dreams lead to something profound,” shared director Dan McCain. “It’s a privilege to be part of a multi-country international production, collaborating with other talented directors, where we weave together inspiring narratives that add to the epic tale of human potential.”
Critical Review
With the feature documentary InDrive has created something that is beyond the typical corporate branding piece. What we have here is a uniquely cinematic experience that takes viewers on a journey around the globe, sharing personal narratives of everyday people showing how the mobility brand accomplishes its mission of bringing the brand’s “People Driven” philosophy to vivid life.
The film bristles with an authenticity and emotional resonance rarely seen in the often staid world of corporate storytelling. The raw, intimate footage and deeply personal interviews throughout feel entirely unvarnished – a refreshing counterpoint to the overproduced sheen and carefully manicured veneers we’ve grown accustomed to from legacy brands.
“Inner Drive” doesn’t shy away from difficult truths or pull punches when spotlighting societal injustices and inequities that originally catalyzed InDrive’s disruptive mobility platform. We witness firsthand the dehumanizing plight of everyday citizens being mercilessly gouged and stranded by unethical taxi monopolies price-gouging in brutal conditions. It’s a stark, unflinching look at the sort of systemic disadvantages that far too many underserved populations around the world continue grappling with.
However, rather than framing the film through a lens of what can be described as misery-porn or poverty exploitation so common with surface-level narratives, “Inner Drive” flips the script by channeling the inherent resilience, determination and entrepreneurial spirit of people pushed to their limits. These are not your hapless victims portrayed as charity cases, but heroes forging their own paths to self-empowerment, independence and collective upliftment.
From the journey of our own Obadiah to Philippines’ Itam and Mexico’s Lizeth, “Inner Drive” reminds us that even the most marginalized individuals possess the boundless potential to reshape their own stories and destinies.
In many ways, the documentary almost feels like a spiritual rally cry – a celebration of humanity’s drive to persevere and create meaningful change against all odds. It’s an ethos brought full circle through the reflections of inDrive founder and CEO Arsen Tomsky, whose stirring words remind us that “We should focus on the path, on the journey…you are getting more and more with each step. And that is something which nobody can take from you.”