Author: Max Chafkin
Source: Fast Company
The machine produced by compile heart (Member: Zhang Qianyu, Meng Ting, CC, light stone, mud mud Liu, sunshore, Xiao Dan, low fat, Qi Qi, Ma Yingjun, bark, light stone)
25 Kretchmer was an idea a lot of College dropouts, and Kalanick are indisputable. 30-something Kalanick is an engineer, talks like salespeople, smart enough to burst and full of passion for life. He was played by Harvey Keitel in pulp fiction, cold-blooded, calm the gangland characters, wearing a cowboy hat, and said he was a wolf. He worked tirelessly, and eager to learn.
Travis Kalanick,Uber CEO
1
In 2009, two at the South by Southwest (SXSW) (translator's Note: every spring in the United States organized by the Texas State capital Austin Music Festival) met in an all night jam sessions to discuss the future of the Internet. In Austin the night like a miniature--Kalanick Kalanick salons around the clock regularly in his three-bedroom house in San Francisco from a salon. Participation of these parties are young people like Kretchmer, who from the first Internet bubble retreats, work in technology like free t-shirt at the press conference prior to the free throw, and venture capitalists like the talking beast talking about startups before. They will rise ahead of entrepreneurs, can be found even in desperate economic trouble opportunities, to seize the opportunity. It is this Mazer, and Kalanick gather them together.
Kalanick started in high school, but he is a grinder, not tycoons. From his previous venture company RedSwoosh (peer to peer file-sharing company), he earned his money makes him enough to buy a House and do some angel investing. Uber, he and Garrett Camp in 2009 to create an on-demand service traffic APP, then like a toy, its founders and friends in San Francisco offers private Luxury Limousine service. Had just bought StumbleUpon company he founded (translator's Note: a network of content search and recommendation engine) Camp, recommended that Kalanick Uber as a full-time project, but he refused. In July this year, when I first had the opportunity to interview him, Kalanick said: "Uber Super pervert small at that time, I wasn't ready to join in the game, 100% or 150% to pay. 」
In those days if Kalanick from StumbleUpon items found and fell in love with you, he will invest in your company. And if he thinks your idea is old enough, he would come into your Office two or three times a week, and is free to work for you. That night in Austin, Kretchmer didn't have the courage to recommend their Kanlanick project, but later in the year when it encounters a Kanlanick, he recommended your ideas to Kanlanick. Among them, to excite him most is Tweetbios, whose basic function is to provide Twitter users with an extension of the home page.
Kalanick Kretchmer said, "the idea is small, really small, friends! "Kretchmer put it down. But he later said: "I'm really pissed. I already have users, and is still growing. And I built the damn thing. 」
Kretchmer at Kalanick Kalanick called Jam Pad and all of its employees home, there are sometimes up to 15 entrepreneurs to discuss their business ideas, and drink beer, eat, and play Nintendo Wii games consoles, and may even stay the night. Kretchmer spent three hours discussing with Kalanick, until he proposed Travis think big ideas. Kretchmer then set about developing his products – one for publishers and major brands social media software, almost as Kalanick considered progress when, in one week he introduced this product to the 45 other angel investors, agreed to invest myself. The startup is now known as the Livefyre, whose clients include News Corp and Coca Cola, and have raised $ 72 million of the funds. "Each point value without relationship with Kalanick," Kretchmer said.
Co-founder Ade Olonoh Kalanick portfolios have told me similar stories. He told me: "I sent email to Travis asked him:" How does the recruitment notice? "His reply to one or two pages, rewrote the entire announcement. I knew he was a smart and motivated, and willing to learn and generous man. 」
2
I was very surprised when I first heard the story, as it relates to 2010 Uber release becomes a man after Travis Kalanick gave the impression that he is inconsistent. Silicon Valley investor Peter Thiel Uber is "most ethical challenges in the Silicon Valley company. "The journalist and entrepreneur John Battelle points out that everyone in the circles of science and technology" Company presents a straightforward capitalism expressed great concern ". And it turns out these criticisms were overly cautious. Uber CEO has always been described as ruthless capitalists, such people would take advantage of natural disasters to raise prices, and he was never tired in this tidal wave of comments, like the late (United States a talk-show program) host Seth Meyers joked: "are you people? Still, they can't feel suits the perfume? 」
When it comes to the old, Kretchmer said, "you can see a description of Travis is real, he is a very aggressive person. "But it seems that in order to eliminate the discrepancy between the description and I, he added:" he is one of the most important companies established by. 」
On this last point is beyond doubt. Uber, this scheduling drivers independently operated low prices of taxi and limousine companies in the next five years could become the fastest-growing entrepreneurial companies. (As of mid-August) it is operating in 330 cities, with more than 1 million active drivers (in the past week, at least a single), valued at $ 51 billion, roughly equivalent to the market value of General Motors. It reshaped the city residents ' relationship with the world around them, make smart phones become the control panels of people's busy lives, it has become a global phenomenon. Its service is so popular that the word Uber is not only used as a noun or as a verb--it is the first company after Google. It has created a whole is called "touch of economic (One-Tap Economy)" business category: millions of people now often open an app, to recruit a distributed workforce to meet their food, hot meals, laundry and other needs.
But there is no one "touch economy" companies like Uber changed society. This kind of cheap and reliable way to travel stimulate San Francisco real estate boom and downtown Los Angeles night life, while also reducing drinking and driving (at least some). Uber classifying drivers as independent contractors, has sparked a national debate about the nature of employment changes and make Uber 2016 presidential litmus test for candidates for employment. In the United States in addition to Uber has been seen as the excesses of global capitalism's substitute, sparked violent protests in Paris and Mexico City.
Kalanick reputations pay a price for these effects. The 39 age of talent was rendering for cartoon image, or is Ayn Rand of Superman (Translator Note: Russian ethnic United States writer Ayn Rand novel in the description of for its capacity and independent character and and social produced conflict, and but is still struggle tireless towards he of ideal towards of hero), or is Alice up small beard of Snidely Whiplash (Translator Note: United States a document anime characters, has logo sex of two pinch beard) as of villain, or both both. Kalanick has however attracted almost is the world's most feared financiers of his promises. Some core members of the top organizations in the world to come to work for him, including Facebook's Director of security, President Obama's campaign manager, and unmanned vehicle research at Carnegie Mellon University a group of members of the Department.
I spent five months interviewing dozens of Kalanick, current and former colleagues, including investors, employees, colleagues, and friends--including his own, wanted to know whether their eyes Kalanick is the embodiment of subversion of the Silicon Valley. Uber and Kalanick next amazing plan food for thought: the conquest of China and India two of the world's largest and most difficult to enter the market; to be Uber "your own drivers" into car-sharing services; further cannibalism after introducing automatic driving vehicle fleet--which will also run the subversion of cities around the world. If you mind want to keep up with the Uber savage growth, and the potential for even more brutal, you had to see it with savage ambition, CEO of the insatiable.
30,000
30,000 is the number of New York weekly register as a Uber user. Kalanick says: "If you can predict the demand and provide matching supply, that's a very niubi big business. 」
3
If Uber is the current model of the technology boom, its roots can be traced back to when the first Internet boom. When Kalanick were computer Engineering Department of the University of California, Los Angeles, a 21-year old aspiring students. In 1998, he dropped out a few months before graduation, joined the Scour (a multimedia search engine on Napster) founding team. Kalanick is responsible for the product, because he also is a team in the least "geek" members, so his friends that he was responsible for business development and marketing.
During high school summer vacation home selling tool Kalanick, is a born salesman, he pulled from artistic talent agency CAA founder Michael Ovitz and supermarket magnate Ron Burkle's investment. Ovitz was one of the most feared men in Hollywood, he gave Kalanick had a tough crash course in business strategy. He not only insisted on using him and Burkle's $ 4 million investment in Exchange for 51% shares of the company, still Scour company initiate prosecution when seeking other investors to gain a negotiating advantage. Kalanick says: "on the one hand, and respect for young people trying to make a career in Los Angeles, and on the other hand, they look down on this. "Kalanick grew up in a middle-class family in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, from Ovitz such a person enough, that he wanted what they had, and also because they have to hate them.
"Kalanick has always been regarded as a child prodigy," said Angelo Sotira. Sotira is another company (named DMusic) sold to Ovitz's young entrepreneur, he has a good friendship and Kalanick. But under the wings of Ovitz, Kalanick lags on contact management concept in the late 90. Ovitz's executives are routinely some of the art or the like to train their staff. According to Sotira memories, if employees have difficulties in their personal life or work, they will be told that "this is not because of you are Peter Howard"-that is to say, you are a weak-willed Methodist, like Ayn Rand's novel the fountainhead of that bide·jiding, rather than the heroism in leading huohuade·luoke. "You can imagine, this is a bad thing, when you're young, you will think of this as the truth. "Sotira says.
Scour the company began with thousands of users, a big reason is that it's not just movies and music, even including Gladiator and Pirates of the then-current films such as the perfect storm. Companies inevitably face from almost every major record label and film company sued. US $ 100,000 as compensation for each case, a total of as much as $ 250 billion. Kalanick said, a figure roughly equivalent to Sweden's GDP.
Tried to use legal tools to eliminate other corporate investors, the prosecution let Ovitz in a very awkward. He refused to continue to invest in Scour. Companies that sued Scour also told would-be investors that if they help Kalanick and his friends, they will face prosecution. Then Scour to file for bankruptcy protection. Kalanick in 2011, recalled in an interview, that he had no intention of leaving, Ovitz was a partner in a public event in close and warn Kalanick says, if you Scour any prejudicial to the reputation of Ovitz, the consequences will be very serious. Kalanick see this as a threat to him, he later reported, said: "as" is a dark alley behind you if you blow this thing, you don't want to go out. "" Ovitz denied making such a threat, and now both sides are tight-lipped about the details of this matter.
These old wounds haven't healed. Kalanick told me a few years time, the movie begins with letters you see those movies the company's logo, he shuddered. He said: "in this industry experience lets you quickly learn things success or failure of the rule, you will grow up quickly. 」
Paige Lewis, driver
1 million
1 million is Uber total number of active drivers in the world. "I'll drive in the morning, then go to a lunch party, then go to carry passengers. "Lewis said-she is a singer-songwriter, also an Uber drivers in Los Angeles.
4
Kalanick with his "revenge" comeback. His FailCon (a founder of the past failures of the General Assembly) is for use on a shared Conference these four words. "I pulled into the 33 plaintiffs who looked at me. This help me guys, they're going to pay me. "Kalanick wants to Scour the personal file-sharing technology into an enterprise software product--RedSwoosh, which can greatly reduce the cost of media companies offer video files over a network.
As with many revenge plan, it sounds easy, but hard to do. After 2000 years, bandwidth prices drop quickly, the Internet bubble brought investors interest in investing on the huge video industry plunged. RedSwoosh Kalanick is left and the other an engineer. Stands on the brink of bankruptcy Kalanick moved to his parents ' home, but he is still trying to prove he was right. In 2005, when he was about to sign a form, a website called FuckedCompany claimed he only an engineer walked out on him. Dan Rodrigues (Scour's former CEO, had just won the $ 55 million financing Kareo medical software company founder and CEO) said: "we felt that his insistence is a crazy behavior. However, we also believe that if anyone can do it, not belong to Travis. " In the absence of all cases, Kalanick leaning on his character's appeal to get Mark Cuban's investments, he rebuilt the team, won a real user-satellite TV operator EchoStar, his company was eventually sold in 2007 for $ 23 million price to its huge volume of competitor Akamai.
That six years is really not easy. "When you are in darkness, seeing all around lens is" is this useful for companies? "Your so called friends to get the cheap--it doesn't matter. But when you have cheap to give and when encountered again and again failed, you're in a lonely position "Kalanick said. ("This of course does not mean get the girl--that's for sure," he once described at a business conference in Chicago. ）
"Why don't you give it up? "I asked him.
"You can't control who you will fall in love with. She (his company) is a sadistic love object, "Kalanick said.
Kalanick emerged from this experience feeling deeply release and discontent with the authorities. One night, he and a nightclub bouncer had an argument--because the bodyguard called Kalanick out of the night away. Kalanick is to do so in the beginning, but then refused and told him the sidewalks are public spaces; he was being arrested. On another occasion, led RedSwoosh Kalanick all 7 employees to Mexico Tulum vacation, he suspected drivers and the taxi driver, in a dispute. Disputes developed into the driver threatened to lock the doors, and Kalanick from rolling out of the moving car. (When Kalanick in 2010 a net article describing this incident, Kalanick in a philosophical style tone claimed that his behavior is "when someone tries to pass personal limits to scrape the car takes, for every person who value personal freedom is reasonable. ") Then RedSwoosh Engineer Tom Jacobs said," in retrospect, it really is amazing. This man is about to subvert the taxi industry. 」
"We're going to Travis's home. 」
This is Austin Geidt in Ubercab the first day of the micro-entrepreneurial company. In 2010, she had just graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, won the job when the company housed in a 3-square-meter compartments, 4 employees. Geidt is a nervous little girl with long blonde hair and powerful voice. Her post is a marketing intern at that time, but most of her first day of work is in handling customer service requests. Ubercab App is Kalanick and Camp looking for outsourced programmers developed in a very short time and this App is full of holes, sometimes in San Francisco all Uber cars sent to the same place. About 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Ubercab CEO Ryan Graves (he sent a Twitter message to Kalanick got the job) announced that all the horses are going to Jam Pad.
Geidt said, "who is Travis? 」
Graves said: "he is an important figure that we need to know. 」
After a few minutes, they came with several frequent Jam Pad Kalanick living room. This meeting needs only one thing: the micro-entrepreneurial company in the future.
"We want to be and what brand? "Kalannick asks.
Controversy Conference, did not end until midnight. One of them claims, Uber luxury should focus on experience. "We will provide the planes and helicopters. A luxury services. "Someone suggested that Uber can service advertisements before the introduction of clubs in the image of a beautiful girl.
Austin Geidt, head of global business expansion
59
Number 59 is Uber settled in the country. Geidt remembers suspect Uber said this: "well, here it doesn't work. "Our response was," well, we had worked harder. 』」
5
Kalanick were outraged. He began as an Uber "Super pervert small" value-added product, but a mathematical experiment-wild wild once in a large meeting "I really love digital" and refers to itself as "analyst" rain man, "" people are excited for it. Initially, the Camp and Kalanick envisaged, they may use a App provides delivery service to high-end luxury car business of subversion. They initially did not realize that low prices will have on the service impact. When the Uber when there are three cars ran in the streets of San Francisco, passengers had to wait 20 minutes to get into the car but on weekend nights, the streets when there are 15 to 20 cars, drop in the wait time. In other words, more Uber busy, better business. Drivers ' income higher passenger satisfaction. He said: "I began to observe how mathematical touch pointer, my mind about is how its size will expand. 」
Kalanick argued that they had to do was put this service into a cheap and accessible luxury. He explained: "If the Uber price lower, is in need of many more. If more people want to use it, use it, then you have more cars on the road. More cars on the road, the wait time is shorter, your credibility, the better. Low-priced products in the end more than the high-end luxury. "Although Kalanick has repeatedly refused to do CEO's Camp suggested that he recommended, but he's really excited about this prospect is not easy: Uber can become great.
First business brought about by the struggles and frustrations almost Kalanick perfectly for things after preparation. "If you know all that he did, I don't think anybody could be a better he has the potential to create more Uber. Do P2P network, experienced rapid growth business, face a big case, "said Angelo Sotira.
First fight took place at the end of 2010 Uber Board formally appointed him as the CEO of the day. After the meeting, Uber head of global operations Graves sent his message to Kalanick Geidt: "FYI: you people are holding posted photos of the Clipboard looking for you everywhere. 」
Visitors are "summons" reach: Ubercab San Francisco, was ordered to stop operations, accusing the startup operates an unlicensed taxi company. If open, Uber executives face every 5000 dollar fine and 90 days in jail. These may add up to less than Sweden's GDP, but certainly enough to kill the company.
Kalanick this Wolf, did not back down. He continues to make these moves, the "cab (taxi)" removed from the name, and arranged a meeting with the municipal traffic Bureau, explained to them my point of view: Uber is not a taxi company but a technical services company for independent drivers.
When news of the embargo from some anonymous taxi industry officials leaked out, tech blogs (TechCrunch) fry pan, screaming "Ubercab is the old crash, rollover? "And these officials are clearly trying to put pressure on Kalanick, trying to force him to make further concessions, even forcing him to close the door. However, what's going on, on the contrary, because engineers of San Francisco liberalism became the company's strong backing. Graves said: "we registered users more up all of a sudden, these debates have attracted a lot of people. 」
Kalanick Uber new responded, full of State of the debate, he was more high profile. He attended President Obama's inauguration – for the first time previously he had been a public supporter of obamacare – to support the growth of the Uber, who carry the banner of liberal activists. He changed his Twitter avatar for the RAND the fountainhead cover. In a report in the Washington Post, he not only praises the fountainhead are his "favorite books", also referred to the Atlas Shrugged, that Rand regulation envisaged heavy "hell vision" and the environment faced by Uber "striking similarities". Uber critics attack the so-called surge of pricing policy, which is similar to airlines and hotels when the demand raised the price of pricing systems. And this used to be keen on price's CEO openly mocked customers who complained. He said in an interview: "I like to irritate people. "When asked about competitors, he said:" If you're sleeping, so don't blame me for you. 」
Kalanick for many people outside the company, like an incorrigible bastard, and he is big news for the financial media, the media described as "final transformation" (like Fortune magazine said, "the rebel heroes of Silicon Valley"). VCs Kalanick also highly rated. Google ventures Managing Director Bill Maris said: "at all times, when you are subverting one industry, people are always trying to beat you. "Maris said he started trying to invest in Uber early in 2011, but not successful until the summer of 2013. He Kalanick agreement on investment is just a piece of white paper, and let him make a price. He asked: "how much money you are willing to deal with me right now? 」
Kalanick wants more than $ 250 million in financing, valued at just under $ 4 billion, for a company that was founded three years ago, is a huge number. However, Maris had agreed on the spot.
6
Uber four-building headquarters in San Francisco, has a two-foot-wide walkway around is mesh San Francisco city map, walkway around the open Office is Uber. This is a article about 1/4 miles (about 400 meters) aisle, and Kalanick activate the brain, he appears in this aisle, almost every time. In a week, he will go 40 miles, or 160 laps. "I just thought that," he said while forced to tighten and loosen with a bottle of drink bottle half an hour ago.
Borrow a Kalanick mantra, he seems to be still "fierce", but recently did some of the things that he was a bit frightened. Perhaps his gray beard, perhaps sitting down on the shoulder, or his conversation seemed to be shaking hands. Was known as the war room of Uber the main meeting room and when I met, he seemed to be smiling at me very hard. Kalanick hesitate to talk to me, he seems hurt and angry. His friend told me that this is due to the barrage of negative news wrote a vicious Uber. "For us to be seen as what I think is OK, but I'm not sure what people have written. "He was almost gently said. "We just want to help people from point a to point b, but when the company started from a city, or even the whole world started after the success of a country, you begin to get involved in a growing number of political debate. 」
Kalanick talked about five Uber "brand pillars", and take this to start a dialogue. The five brand pillars are: ground, popular, inspiring, highly evolved, and discerning. However, before changing the subject, he said only two of them. Until 90 minutes after the interview when I reminded him, he said all five. When I heard that my high school with him when he was a track and field athlete, he seems to be very excited. He asked me how long can the fastest mile run, and felt "very strong." When I asked questions about Ayn Rand, he strongly denied that special love in those books. He said: "I don't even know what Liberals look like, but seems to be repeated many times it becomes true. 」
The new, gentle Travis Kalanick claimed to have never heard of a Liberal, but in my opinion, which over the years he played the tough compared to the anti-Government fighters, some go too far. From itself can also be seen, which also happened to be an aspect of his true character. Kalanick is not that adhere to certain beliefs, or feeling stuck in their kind of guy. "He has he can open up the core circle of friends, but he has to show character and image were violent subversives", says one of his old friends. This dual personality, his friends said, "was one reason for his success. 」
According to his friends and colleagues say, Kalanick only respected way of thinking is backward thinking, "when he was able to subvert the conventional time, he can be vital. "A friend who knew him for more than 10 years. Another colleague told me, Kalanick like "see through the conventional wisdom. "In fact, Kalanick debate is the norm. When the Uber's CTO, then Vice President of VMware Thuan Pham at the end of 2012 when you come in for an interview, Kalanick calling him every day for two weeks, to test how he recruited or optimal management of engineers. Eventually, they carried out a total of 30 hours of talk. "We are testing each other," Pham said. Pham in 1980 as a Viet Nam refugee boat people who came to the United States, and later entered College at MIT and eventually to Silicon Valley. Pham enthusiastically said Kalanick encourages his staff to put forward different views. He said: "Travis to imbue the staff of the company philosophy is" the best ideas to win (The best idea WINS). "You have to stand on tiptoe to get your idea can be heard, you have to do is loyal to the idea, to the facts. 」
Thuan Pham,Uber CTO
30
Number 30 is the Uber weekly recruitment of engineers, in order to complete its 2015 goal to recruit 1000 people. Pham said: "if our growth slow by half, like they were on vacation. 」
7
When Kalanick and I talk about China, I witnessed this. Now he's hooked on China, his ideological flexibility are a valuable asset. When it comes to Uber's recent expansion in China, he said: "this place is different from anywhere else. Therefore, you cannot put you in other parts of the model or models to China. It doesn't work. You got a way. "Kalanick made numerous trips to China, the oddity of trying to understand China's transport system, and its iconic government bureaucracy.
Some Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to take pride in your vision, and Kalanick is its own data comprehension, self checking and the ability to adapt, his Uber compared to operating a drive without clear objectives. He said: "you go straight down the road, and a little bit of fog, you must see road, behind the wheel. Although you can only see so far, but if you continue to solve interesting problems, you will arrive at an unexpected place. "He's such a refreshing, because most of the CEO to show absolute certainty. Throughout the interview, this may is the most heartfelt words Kalanick, is also the only time he truly be yourself (broke character).
Such dynamic thinking Kalanick permeates Uber enters each market, price adjustment, change products, sometimes adorn their personalities to fit a city or a business opportunity. When the Uber landed in New York in early 2011, and Kalanick wrote notices with the serious tone: "Uber people time, they enjoy the luxury of good things, they loathe inefficiency. "After a few months in the free air, geek air of Seattle, Kalanick tried to describe this service as useful as possible:" I am in Seattle one of the big questions is, how do we overcome the "well, you sit in the Lincoln car? "This kind of problem, this is not your father's black sedan. "In December 2011, in Washington, DC, he advocates is in the service tunnel of populism. "These lobbyists, politicians and Government officials can have their own private driver, they may not need the Uber, but ordinary workers cannot afford such expenditures," he said.
Ryan Graves this work around is interpreted as "to establish a service to millions of people, not a slave to the brand" a desire, traffic can become extremely personal traits, this alternative is very significant. Taxis in each city has its own color scheme (New York's yellow, beige in Berlin), their pricing structure, as well as their cultural norms. For years, Moscow used a modified hitch system instead of a taxi, it is strange, senior neighborhood in Oakland and Berkeley have developed such systems.
This is why Uber in each market are actually run as a separate venture. General Manager for Washington Uber (now responsible for East Coast operations), Rachel Holt said: "Travis really wants is the urban fabric of talent. "Holt was a product manager for Clorox (she was responsible for the company's Hidden Valley oil and vinegar), she stated in the letter of appointment of the $ 7 million in annual revenue target, she was given permission to take any measure it deems appropriate to appeal to Washington for drivers and passengers. She to make sales calls to local Limousine Company, on the company's holiday party Uber worth 10 dollars credit card payment, and organized a series of marketing gimmick, Ubercade activities include President's day. In this event, several lucky passengers enjoyed a surprise three-car motorcades treatment there actor in intelligence service uniform in the car. And she was completed in only 6 months revenue objectives. "Most of the time, we are independent," she said.
Kalanick will micro-manage the business – such as pricing and recruit, but the company's Managing Director, is his own image to hire competent people, they are given a wide range of permissions, you can decide how best to attract drivers and passengers using the Uber service. "But the thing I had been told in every possible way, and I never make decisions," Kalanick said.
He expects everyone else to follow. Local staff have the right to access any data, which means that Jakarta's Marketing Manager, immediately called to get London's first turnover of the night, or when companies distribute free ice cream, he immediately called the inquiry in Chicago. Holt said: "I always said the new General Manager, you are the entrepreneur, but you have 300 a/b tests conducted in various cities around the world available for reference. Are you able to say: "Hey, we find a way to make work better, and let us promote it. 』」
Of course, this shuaishouzhanggui also has a negative effect. France Lyon, October 2014, a regional General Manager, launched a promotion similar to the Ubercade, but has a tendency to gender discrimination. Uber PO Lyon company blog an article entitled who says women don't know how to drive? Making fun of the article (although the article was deleted). Next month, in a surface on an informal dinner with media power brokers, the leader of the company's Business Development Department proposed: the company should investigate the private lives of those who criticized the company for those unscrupulous media hit back. The news spread immediately went viral.
Kalanick is not the mastermind behind these errors, however, he had already set the tone for these errors before GQ magazine article describes his company as "women's breasts (Boob-er)", referring to the success of the company by promoting ladies and Kalanick professed Uber critics face to "throwing mud".
These mistakes are regarded as corruption evidence, however, it's more like aggressive growth, signs of the company. In 2014, the city expanded four times times the company's business, have completely opponent Lyft. (According to a report by September 2014, Uber revenue is former opponent 12 times. ) Kalanick is probably a data freak, but when you succeed, and nothing can accurately measure the success of the ruler. However, his own company was not keeping pace with the view: he is no longer the top cowboy hats, young talent to make it all happen; he and Uber awesome. Crowd Flower was born in Kalanick Jam Pad company, its founder, Lukas Biewald said: "Travis started the concept of once upon a time and time again is when someone is kicking ass. He did not realize that he is no longer the loser. 」
Joe Sullivan, Chief Security Officer
4.81
4.81 is Uber drivers average rating (out of 5), and beginning in July 2012, that figure is 4.75. He said: "I don't think we're in the taxi industry and competition. Our competitors are people who choose to drive their own cars. 」
8
Alliance for Kalanick, dinner and he apologized on Twitter, represents a turning point. This is Uber not tit-for-tat in the attack for the first time. Uber Board Member Bill Gurley: "Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have experienced similar things, they were all young entrepreneurs, was also able to freely say almost anything, do almost anything, and all of a sudden their companies have worldwide impact. This responsibility was quickly thrown on you. "Obama's former Chief Strategy Officer of staff David Plouffe now as Uber, the same for Kalanick advice. His reaction and Kalanick 2008 Obama duel with Hillary Clinton compared to rally after losing New Hampshire. Plouffe said: "it seems to be is the worst thing you can imagine, and the result is that we as it becomes more powerful than in the past. Everyone understood that we were a fun big company in the spotlight. 」
Boob-er it has become the past, Travis Kalanick, and today his violinist girlfriend Gabi Holzwarth, and they live with Golden strings of Yobu. Plouffe transformation of his first public appearance was at a company 5 anniversary in June this year. The celebration was like organized Obama campaign: a series of close supporters to warm up; a bunch of ready for the Uber-driver was invited to photograph, one of them fights Kalanick introduced exit; on either side of the stage decorated with lots of balloons. Everything was impeccable except Kalanick imitation come Obama's rhetoric. He relies on a teleprompter when speaking, sometimes inarticulate, and he is a little too close to the podium. Kalanick says, "I realized that I can act like a Uber fans (Advocate), I realized that some people use words that begin with a, another (translator's Note: the Asshole (bastard)) to describe me. "In his speech, he made no mention of the taxi industry, and adopting a more ambitious narrative to describe the Uber. "Uber is not only the driver, passengers and commuters have a better choice, it is the right choice of the city as well as all members of the public. "The presentation was great, although speakers seem very painful.
Kalanick told me: "write the script, not my most natural state. If you are an entrepreneur, you need simple and sloppy. But when you are seen as a big company, you can't do this sloppy. 」
He chose "to be regarded as" the Word makes me think whether Kalanick Uber as a big company (although it has 2 million orders a day). I asked: "you are the loser? 」
Kalanick hesitated, as if he knows the answer is "no", but I hope to be "Yes". He said: "I mean, we have in China is a failure, right? Question is, how can you build a company that makes you feel that it's a small company, even though it was larger. 」
Riadh Cherifi: a taxi driver in San Francisco in 2010, Uber
2 million
2 million is Uber every odd number. He said: "Uber has completely changed the way we do business. "Uber app offers a" user. "
Kalanick bold attempt is the answer to this question. These attempts include the main promotion in new markets such as China, as well as investments in core services (these services will eventually make the Uber further and further from luxury cars). Last year, he put a lot of money UberPool, this is a new service aimed at driving the same route the passenger car, at a reduced price. To begin with, I think a complete stranger on the same car felt very strange, but this service has 50% train in San Francisco. Because of big discounts the passenger can go downtown anywhere up to $ 7, regardless of the Uber really spend much money.
Pay for 3 months captured in Lijiang
Kalanick 5 anniversary UberPool as central elements of the speech, jokingly think about a "permanent passenger" of the future, when all drivers will always have at least one of the passengers on the bus. He said: "2 now take the same route in the same car, instead of the two cars. Not only is cheaper than buying a car and catch a taxi, it might even be as affordable as a subway, bus and other public transportation. We believe that this will really change the game. "Kalanick said, Uber could one day expand UberPool services will encompass a bus and became what he called the" ultimate car machine. "
9
Uber Pool--Kalanick in 2013 to begin exploring product--the most surprising is that Kalanick went into action after the decision, this product rapidly. (Uber CTO) Pham tells me that company in just two weeks to publish the service. Uber is now expanding the carpool service to New York, Paris, Los Angeles and Boston, also this one is big subsidies to encourage drivers to use the service. Kalanick acknowledged that it takes a very long time and huge expense, but he wants to invest in this great concept, this idea is extended to those who are not as receptive to community spirit as San Francisco City. He said: "at the beginning you have to lure people to do so. 」
This is just beginning of the company's efforts to rebuild public transportation. Earlier this year, it was reported that the Uber recruited dozens of Department of Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University who tried to study their own drone technology with a view to a more effective it services are cheaper. However, in the short term, this means a huge cost. Uber to researchers ' salaries doubled, to move personnel and pay bonuses for 6 digits. It also caused some drivers to revolt, and Kalanick are making every effort to assure they will provide a flexible and reliable work. Kalanick on autopilot so that "we need to make sure we are a part of the future, if you are against technical progress, you can't claim to technology companies. 」
A few months later, Kalanick again found an opportunity to plan with "rebellion", he announced that Uber will expand in the China market, currently ruled by the drop in the market – the application is on the local market's two biggest rivals before amalgamated to form, by the Asian giant Tencent and Alibaba and SOFTBANK technology joint venture. This summer, Uber has been with users in 15 cities in China, and next year plans to achieve 50 cities. Everything so far is shocking: in just 9 months of time, the 3 cities in China (Chengdu, Guangzhou and Hangzhou), every city has to have more users than New York.
Disclosed in June in a letter to the financial times in a letter detailing the Uber in Chinese growth, Kalanick told investors that he was "personal supervision" Uber local expansion, and his own "Uber China CEO" title. Later, next month, and Kalanick says that Uber will be in India to invest $ 1 billion to develop its business.
These very risky, and Kalanick big gambling impulse is expensive. Uber so far has raised more than $ 8 billion, but it needs more. Recent financial disclosure reports showed that every $ 1 in revenue, lost more than $ 1. Uber claimed that there is profit in dozens of markets, if Kalanick would focus on the company's revenue in the most sophisticated cities would make up for the loss. Jeff Bezos and Bill Gurley Kalanick (translator's Note: Amazon founder) made a comparative look Uber likely will become an Amazon road, expanding relentlessly promoting lower-priced services--at the expense of short-term profitability.
All this would probably scare Kalanick, but he seems to pour very welcome, he told me that he sometimes fantasized about moving to China. He said, "China is our action. Always there are certain things in life are you life--just for the pure love of adventure, to develop their potential. As an entrepreneur, you need to do against the traditional concept of work. When you win, you have won, don't you? 」
Gelannadashan high school, was a teenager, Kalanick is good at long jump and the 400-meter race. That he is not the fastest on the team, but he is 4x400 meter relay last great best player, because when he is behind Chase, and he is the one that runs the best. He told me: "I will do my best, no regrets was running. "There is a photograph in his Yearbook, class is only a photo of Kalanick, is he sprints forward, he stepped in front of the kicking leg far out in front of his tall body, his face twisted into a hard look.
He's always like that. Kalanick must learn to lead when running now.
