Inside
What Drives Uber The Founders’ Evolving Process That Led to Success
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W hen you want to look something up, you Google it. Google’s brand has become synonymous with retrieving answers through a catalog of experts on the internet, and it’s so ingrained in our culture that we have transformed Google into a verb. (Google it, if you don’t believe us.) Likewise, Uber is following a similar trajectory. When you need to get somewhere or want food delivered, but you don’t have a vehicle or can’t drive, you Uber it. Like Google, the ride-sharing company that launched in 2009 has since become synonymous with catching a ride and convenience. But the journey to this point hasn’t always been a smooth ride. For founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, Uber was an idea borne out of a snowstorm. These two entrepreneurs became relentless in their pursuit of growth despite any failures they may have experienced previously, and the result is that you can now get a convenient ride to most locations you want to visit. BEFORE UBER Kalanick was known in tech before he founded Uber. In 1998, he dropped out of the University of California Los Angeles to join Scour, a startup that focused on file-sharing. Despite having major investors, in October 2000, Scour filed for bankruptcy after being sued by entertainment companies over creative idea licensing issues. In an act of what Kalanick called revenge, he started Red Swoosh shortly after. Similar in its format, Red Swoosh was also a file-sharing software that Kalanick positioned as a lucrative option for use by the very same companies who had previously
evasion — but Kalanick eventually moved Red Swoosh into a selling position. The company was sold in 2007 for $23 million, positioning Kalanick to start Uber. THE FOUNDING OF UBER Uber lore claims that Kalanick and Camp found themselves in a precarious situation in December 2009, when a snowstorm derailed their attempts to get a cab. That launched the idea that would become Uber — previously UberCab — which was first only available in San Francisco in 2010. But as the popularity of the app spread, despite the added extra cost of an Uber ride compared to a cab, Uber began to expand to more cities. Investors took notice, and Kalanick’s determination ultimately persuaded investors to take notice and funnel money toward the startup, despite its shortcomings.
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Cab drivers in cities across the U.S. felt squeezed out by the app, while California courts concluded that drivers in their state had to be considered employees — not just contracted workers — to afford people certain protections that gig workers don’t have. Other reports found a culture of sexual harassment at Uber. (Kalanick would step down as CEO in the months after these allegations.) Still, as cities procured more Uber drivers, Uber expanded its services. UberX was launched as a lower-cost option, while UberPool offered carpooling options at a discount for riders on similar routes. Soon, Uber Eats offered fast delivery of local food that previously wasn’t deliverable. Plus, in the past, Uber has even dabbled with self-driving cars and flying technology! UBER TODAY In a world when ride-sharing isn’t common due to lockdowns, it’s hard to imagine that Uber could still be considered one of the top brands in the U.S. However, Uber has what Kalanick’s previous businesses lacked: a continued evolution that doesn’t let failures get in the way. During a pandemic in which meal deliveries were more lucrative than ever, Uber continued to thrive because it moved beyond the original founding idea. Despite the problems it continues to grapple with, Uber was created to grow, transforming it from a noun to a verb.
sued him. Red Swoosh wasn’t without its problems — like tax
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