I believe that sharing your moments of failure is the most powerful thing in the world — and I am not afraid to share this with you.
In March 2011, I applied for a job at Uber, and I created a presentation with my application to differentiate myself from every other candidate.
At that time, Uber had just 10 employees and was renting two desks at Rocketspace, a shared office in San Francisco.
I was working on my own startup idea at Rocketspace, and I sat next to the Uber team every day.
I remember how much their work ethic impressed me. I knew their team would build one of the most important companies in the world.
Uber is now an $18 billion company and has 1000+ employees throughout the world.
I created this presentation when Uber was operating only in San Francisco and I imagined what a potential expansion to Los Angeles might look like.
I worked on the proposal for two weeks and worked up the courage to email the Uber founders directly.
I never heard back.
-------------
A week after failing to secure a position at Uber, I accepted a job at Zaarly, and embarked on the most incredible adventure of my life.
I met the most amazing people in the world, lived in 10 apartments in 2 years, and traveled the country.
The company is not yet worth $18 billion dollars, but I loved every single minute — and I would trade that experience for anything in the world.
-------------
What have you failed at in your life?
Share those moments with the world and be proud that you are now a better version of yourself.
Failure is a beautiful thing — and you should never hide from it.
No regrets. Never ever.
-Jeff Morris Jr.
-------------
Note: This author is still a loyal Uber customer and is great friends with several members of their team.
He is also working building his own startup and promises to share his failures along the way. Hopefully he can share a few victories too ☺
"Subclassing and Composition – A Pythonic Tour of Trade-Offs", Hynek Schlawack
Uber Los Angeles - My Job Application from March 10, 2011
1. Los Angeles Expansion Brainstorm
9th March 2011
By – Jeffrey Morris"
Jeffreymorrisjr@gmail.com
2. Los Angeles – Taxi Industry Overview
2
Fare Revenues
LA Taxi franchises are worth an estimated $180 million in annual fare revenue from the
2,303 licensed taxis operating in the City of Los Angeles. The City’s take is about $4.5
million a year in franchise and related fees
Taxi Market
9 companies control all of L.A.’s 2,303 cabs largely through a structure of cooperatives and
private corporations. Approximately 3,500 drivers make an estimated 7 million taxi trips
each year
Ownership
One-third of the drivers own their cabs; two-thirds lease cab time when the owners aren’t
behind the wheel. Each cab owner has a share in the company, which they pay for with an
annual fee for permits and access to company dispatchers
Wages
The average wage for taxi drivers is $11.75 an hour – usually without health benefits – and
they spend approximately 61 hours per week fighting L.A.’s notoriously congested streets
Drivers
The median driver is a 47-year-old man who is a legal immigrant and a father of school age
children, who sometimes works 18 to 20 hour days
Cars
The driver’s workplace is typically a used police car worth about $4,000, now painted
yellow and equipped with a leased radio and taxi meter
3. 3
Cab Fare Averages – Los Angeles Ranked no. 6
3
Fares for Typical Trips
Area Costs . . .
City
DC suburbs**
San Diego**
Orlando
Denver
New Orleans
Cleveland
Phoenix
Honolulu**
Miami*
San Francisco**
Boston**
Los Angeles**
Seattle*
Las Vegas
St. Louis
Philadelphia*
Atlanta
Minneapolis
New York**
Houston
Chicago**
Dalllas
Detroit
Baltimore
Avg. US
Trip ($)
$12.08
$16.17
$13.38
$13.23
$11.80
$10.78
$12.87
$19.75
$16.10
$15.90
$15.45
$15.00
$14.80
$14.75
$14.30
$14.17
$14.00
$13.37
$13.10
$12.85
$12.70
$12.55
$11.65
$11.60
Short
Trip ($)
$8.35
$10.59
$8.89
$8.74
$8.21
$7.21
$8.83
$13.04
$10.73
$10.85
$10.08
$10.07
$10.29
$10.27
$9.81
$9.47
$9.52
$9.11
$8.65
$8.81
$8.66
$8.52
$8.07
$7.99
Long
Trip ($)
$23.70
$33.67
$27.38
$27.23
$23.00
$21.98
$27.10
$40.75
$32.90
$31.65
$32.25
$30.40
$28.80
$28.75
$28.30
$28.87
$28.00
$26.67
$27.10
$25.45
$25.30
$25.15
$22.85
$22.80
Initial
Charge
2.25
2.00
1.60
2.50
1.80
2.50
3.00
2.50
2.85
1.75
2.20
2.50
3.20
2.50
2.30
2.50
2.50
2.50
2.50
2.25
2.25
2.50
1.80
Initial
Distance
1/10
1/4
1/8
1/8
1/6
1/6
1/4
1/6
1/5
1/8
1/11
1/10
1/8
1/10
1/7
1/8
1/5
1/5
1/6
1/9
1/9
1/8
1/8
Mileage
Charge
0.25
0.25
0.25
0.20
0.40
0.30
0.75
0.40
0.45
0.30
0.20
0.20
0.25
0.20
0.30
0.25
0.38
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.20
0.20
0.20
Mileage
Distance
1/10
1/8
1/8
1/8
1/4
1/6
1/4
1/6
1/5
1/8
1/11
1/10
1/8
1/10
1/7
1/8
1/5
1/5
1/6
1/9
1/9
1/8
1/8
Wait Time
Per Hour
20.00
22.50
22.50
18.00
15.00
20.00
30.00
24.00
27.00
24.00
24.00
30.00
22.00
24.00
20.00
21.00
21.00
12.00
20.00
20.00
18.00
16.00
24.00
Last
Change
Nov-05
Oct-05
Sep-03
Sep-02
Nov-05
Apr-05
Apr-05
Jul-03
Jul-05
Oct-05
Sep-05
May-04
Aug-05
May-05
Nov-05
Aug-01
Jul-05
Components of the Fare
Boston and NYC also prime markets
4. Los Angeles – Taxi Operators
4
United Independent Taxi Drivers
(United Taxi of San Fernando Valley)
San Gabriel Transit (City Cab)
LA Taxi Co-operative (Yellow Cab
Company and Fiesta Taxi)
Beverly Hills Transit Cooperative
(Beverly Hills Cab Company)
Independent Taxi Owners’
Association (Independent Taxi)
United Independent Taxi Drivers
(United Independent Taxi)
Los Angeles Checker Cab Company
(Checker Cab)
Bell Cab Company (Bell Cab)
South Bay Co-operative (United
Checker Cab Company)
Company
Zone A – San Fernando Valley
Zone A – San Fernando Valley
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone D – South Central
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone D – South Central
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone D – South Central
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone D – South Central
Zone B – Western
Zone C – Central and Eastern
Zone D – South Central
Zone E – Southern
Service Area
100
96
70
160
370
209
93
70
72
110
64
88
130
71
67
134
68
70
126
65
70
No. of
Taxis
100
166
739
163
246
289
269
261
70
Total
Taxis
6. Los Angeles Taxi Passenger Complaints
6
296
2007 – Nos.
and % of Total
3 - 1.0%
22 - 7.4%
26 - 8.8%
80 - 27.0%
8 - 2.7%
34 - 11.5%
61 - 20.6%
43 - 14.5%
12 - 4.1%
1 - 0.3%
0 - 0.0%
6 - 2.0%
Total
Company Type
1. Company Service Refusal
2. Driver Service Refusal
3. Service Time Response
4. Driver Discourtesy
5. Driver Service
6. Driver Safety and Ability
7. Overcharge
8. Payment Acceptance (CC)
9. Vehicle Condition
10. Dispatch Service
11. Insurance
12. Other Operator Problems
235
2008 – Nos.
and % of Total
1 - 0.4%
17 - 7.2%
12 - 5.1%
63 - 26.8%
19 - 8.1%
23 - 9.8%
58 - 24.7%
34 - 14.4%
4 - 1.7%
1 - 0.4%
0 - 0.0%
3 - 1.3%
214
0 - 0.0%
25 - 11.7%
11 - 5.1%
32 - 15.0%
24 - 11.2%
27 - 12.6%
33 - 15.4%
27 - 12.6%
9 - 4.2%
0 - 0.0%
1 - 0.5%
4 - 1.9%
2009 – Nos.
and % of Total
The total number of complaints received for overcharges (sub-item 7) has
decreased, but it remains the no. 1 ranked complaint, followed by driver discourtesy,
driver safety and ability, and payment acceptance.
7. Taxi Service – Growth in Los Angeles
7
1,347
1,432
2,143
2,303
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
2,200
2,400
1990
Jan-92
Jan-93
Jan-94
Jan-95
Jan-96
Jan-97
Jan-98
Jan-99
Jan-00
Dec-00
Jul-01
Jul-02
Jul-03
Jul-04
Jul-05
Jul-06
Jul-07
Jul-08
Jul-09
Chart 2A Taxicab Vehicle History – City of Los Angeles Vehicle Authority and PC&N History Since 1990"
Number of taxicabs authorized and actual numbers decaled
Vehicles authorized
Vehicles decaled (operating)
8. 8
Los Angeles: Rate Optimization
8
Pricing
Uber pricing must be adjusted to account for the urban sprawl – consider new prices for
distance and idle time. Los Angeles has 6,499.5 miles of public streets in an area of
approximately 470 square miles.
Flat Rates
Event Pricing
Offer “Event” pricing for all major sports teams, events, and venues. Examples include:
• Beverly Hills Staples Center for Lakers/Clippers/Concerts.
• Westwood Pasadena for UCLA football games.
Time of Day
“Time of day” pricing should be a consideration due to traffic (see slide #10).
• In Los Angeles: On Thursday at 5:30 p.m., the average trip takes 71 percent longer than normal.
• In San Francisco: On Thursday at 5:30 p.m., the average trip takes 63 percent longer than normal.
Flat Rates should be offered for many destinations, in addition to major airports. The City
has limited pedestrian traffic and citizens rarely “hail” cabs on the streets.
9. Los Angeles Traffic 2010: Worst in the World
9
Travel Time Tax in Los Angeles: 34.7% average
• Time tax is additional cost of travel above the uncongested conditions
10. Uber vs. Taxi – Los Angeles Airport
10
Destination
Staples Center – Downtown
3rd St.Promenade – Santa Monica
Rodeo Drive – Beverly Hills
Sunset Plaza – Hollywood
Origin
Los Angeles Airport
Los Angeles Airport
Los Angeles Airport
Los Angeles Airport
Uber Fare
$106.00
$92.14
$83.05
$108.24
Uber Cost
Multiple
1.62x
1.64x
1.62x
1.64x
Trip Statistics
16.94 miles
26 minutes total
12 minutes idle
14.11 miles
25 minutes total
12 minutes idle
13.02 miles
27 minutes total
9 minutes idle
17.65 miles
32 minutes total
11 minutes idle
All fares estimated for 6:00 pm trips
Taxi fares include 15% tip
Uber fares = $8.00 base + $4.90 per mile + $1.25/idle minute (no tip)
$65.19
$56.24
$51.13
$65.81
Taxi Fare"
$
11. Uber vs. Taxi – West Hollywood
11
Destination
Origin
Taxi Fare"
$
Uber Fare
Uber Cost
Multiple
Trip Statistics
Staples Center
West Hollywood
(Fairfax Ave/Santa Monica Blvd.)
$38.78
$67.69
1.75x
9.63 miles
22 minutes total
10 minutes idle
Los Angeles Airport
West Hollywood
(Fairfax Ave/Santa Monica Blvd.)
$51.01
$89.28
1.75x
12.25 miles
37 minutes total
17 minutes idle
Dodgers Stadium
West Hollywood
(Fairfax Ave/Santa Monica Blvd.)
$36.54
$64.40
1.76x
8.96 miles
21 minutes total
10 minutes idle
Malibu Country Mart
West Hollywood
(Fairfax Ave/Santa Monica Blvd.)
$88.41
$152.34
1.72x
24.1 miles
44 minutes total
21 minutes idle
All fares estimated for 6:00 pm trips
Taxi fares include 15% tip
Uber fares = $8.00 base + $4.90 per mile + $1.25/idle minute (no tip)
12. Largest Private Car Fleets in Los Angeles
12
Company Name
Name of CEO
City, State
Total
5
Music Express
Cheryl Berkman, CEO
Los Angeles
30
197
44
24
0
11
0
0
306
6
Diva Limousine
BijanZoughi, CEO
Los Angeles
45
109
52
16
0
4
0
0
226
35
VIP Limousines & Coaches Inc.
Roger Webb, CEO
Santa Ana
5
32
4
2
1
16
4
5
69
54
Best Chauffeured Worldwide
Robert Vaughan,CEO
Huntington Beach
3
22
5
6
1
14
0
0
51
Limo
Sedan
SUV
Van
Limobus
Shuttle
Motor-
Coach
Other
USA
Ranking
Action – identify highest-rated private fleets in Los Angeles submarkets. Account for
revenue, employee size, fleet size, car models, location, and price.
13. Customer Acquisition Strategy
13
Sub-markets
Corporate
Accounts
Focus on Entertainment, VC, Technology, and Finance.
Entertainment – Century City, Beverly Hills, Studio City, Santa Monica
Venture Capital – Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Downtown, Westwood
Technology – Santa Monica
Finance – Century City, Downtown
Prioritize locations based on demographics and revenue potential. Acquire
Uber customers who evangelize the product
14. Demographics: Most Expensive Zip Codes in LA
14
City, Zip Code
Median
Home Price"
$
Median
Household
Income"
$
Beverly Hills, 90210
6
$3,684,150
$112,572
Malibu, 90265
24
$2,730,577
$100,857
Beverly Hills, 90077
33
$2,347,030
$141,527
Santa Monica, 90402
35
$2,338,049
$118,553
Pacific Palisades, 90272
46
$2,133,148
$122,877
Manhattan Beach, 90266
87
$1,641,666
$100,761
Santa Monica, 90401
104
$1,491,117
$48,317
West Hollywood, 90069
130
$1,368,998
$51,215
Hermosa Beach, 90254
138
$1,333,731
$81,352
Century City, 90067
155
$1,237,576
$74,830
Venice, 90291
157
$1,229,241
$45,769
Beverly Hills, 90212
161
$1,224,020
$61,039
Los Feliz, 90027
223
$1,006,491
$31,820
Hollywood, 90068
232
$993,523
$52,890
Brentwood, 90049
75
$1,693,033
$84,342
Beverly Hills, 90211
164
$1,209,132
$57,746
Pasadena, 91105
219
$1,018,709
$83,737
National
Rank
Action – perform detailed analysis of every listed zip code (age, gender, education, public/private transportation, social
habits, profession) and prioritize locations for launch.
15. Corporate Accounts – Fortune 1000 Companies in
Southern California
15
60
67
69
98
126
165
168
184
241
298
319
329
376
398
415
433
458
464
495
517
524
545
551
580
673
675
682
705
745
769
800
878
902
927
932
986
993
Rank
Walt Disney
Ingram Micro
Northrop Grumman
Occidental Petroleum
Direc TV Group
Health Net
Amgen
Edison International
Jacobs Engineering Group
Reliance Steel & Aluminum
Western Digital
Dole Food
Avery Dennsion
First American Corp.
Mattel
DaVita
AECOM Technology
CB Richard Ellis Group
Broadcom
Allergan
Live Nation
Unified Grocers
Pacific Life
Stater Bros. Holdings
Molina Healthcare
Beckman Coulter
KB Home
Activision Blizzard
Quiksilver
Watson Pharmaceuticals
Mercury General
Guess
Ryland Group
Teledyne Technologies
Sun Healthcare Group
Public Storage
Fleetwood Enterprises
Name
$37,843.0
$34,362.2
$33,940.0
$24,480.0
$19,693.0
$15,366.6
$15,003.0
$14,112.0
$11,252.2
$8,718.8
$8,074.0
$7,732.4
$6,710.4
$6,213.8
$5,918.0
$5,660.2
$5,216.2
$5,130.1
$4,658.1
$4,403.4
$4,327.1
$4,104.8
$4,023.0
$3,741.3
$3,112.4
$3,098.9
$3,033.9
$2,898.1
$2,638.8
$2,535.5
$2,414.2
$2,093.4
$1,976.1
$1,893.0
$1,883.7
$1,745.6
$1,736.6
Revenues"
$ millions
Burbank
Santa Ana
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
El Segundo
Woodland Hills
Thousand Oaks
Rosemead
Pasadena
Los Angeles
Lake Forest
Westlake Village
Pasadena
Santa Ana
El Segundo
El Segundo
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Irvine
Irvine
Beverly Hills
Commerce
Newport Beach
San Bernadino
Long Beach
Fullerton
Los Angeles
Santa Monica
Huntington Beach
Corona
Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Calabasas
Thousand Oaks
Irvine
Glendale
Riverside
Location
16. Los Angeles Visitors: Bay Area Ranked No. 1
16
LA’s Top 5 Domestic Feeder Markets"
Percent of all domestic overnight visitors to LA
Seattle-Tacoma
New York
Phoenix
Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto
San Diego
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-SLO
Philadelphia
Fresno-Visalia
Las Vegas
17. San Francisco and Uber Cities
17
Travel Accounts
During initial expansion, San Francisco Uber passengers should be served in their most traveled
destinations. “On the road” support from early adopters will be critical.
San Francisco Departures
Los Angeles ranks no. 4 among cities that San Francisco travelers are looking to visit
1. New York
2. Washington, DC
3. Boston, MA
4. Los Angeles, CA
5. Chicago, IL
6. Seattle, WA
7. Dallas, TX
8. Newark, NJ
9. San Diego, CA
10. London, United Kingdom
Substitute for Car Rentals
Allow travelers to book Uber rides in advance – important for airport rides at LAX.
18. College Campus Reps
18
New Freshmen
New First-time Freshmen, by Home Location
USC Fall 2010
911
571
1,074
313
Nos.
2,869
31.8%
19.9%
37.4%
10.9%
%
100.0%
UCLA Fall 2010
2,078
2,123
176
45
Nos.
4,422
47%
48%
4%
1%
%
100.0%
Other California
Out of State, but in US
Outside US
Total
Los Angeles/Orange County
At a Glance – Student Characteristics
31.4% of USC students are from Los Angeles/Orange County
47% of UCLA students are from Los Angeles/Orange County
Uber will target the local college student demographic, as they are
likely to promote the service to friends and family in the area
Los Angeles college students are more mobile than Stanford or
Berkeley and leave campus frequently
Action: Hire campus representatives and interns to promote Uber
19. Strategic Partnerships
19
REITs
Apartment and office REITs that house
employees at home and at the workplace.
Become preferred provider and create
revenue share agreement with groups that
have millions of productive employees
underneath their rooftops
Hotels
Joie de vivre (recently partnered with
Virgin), W Hotels, Kimpton Hotels, SLS,"
Hyatt, Marriot, Ritz Carlton
Sports Teams
Entertainment Industry
20. Los Angeles – Marketing Targets
20
Publications
Technology (With Offices in LA)
Events
Venues
21. 21
Uber Ideas for all Locations
21
Free Wifi
Install free wifi in Uber cars. Connectivity remains an issue for travelers on the move.
In Tokyo, 820 black sedans operated by DoCoMo will offer free wifi in March 2011.
Establish partnerships to subsidize wifi costs – like Google on Virgin America flights.
iPhone Chargers
Every Uber vehicle will be equipped with a complimentary iPhone charger for passenger
use. Uber riders should never run out of battery!
Sponsored Rides
On weekend nights: “sponsored rides” awarded to limited number of customers. Partner
with brands and local businesses to pay for sponsorship opportunity.
Ex: In SF, Tipsy Pig offers bar patrons with $200 bar tab a free local ride after 1:45am.
Uber Safe
Partner with colleges/safe ride programs to promote Uber Safe. Offer discounted fares to
students at college bars. Allow advertisers to pay for student “Uber Safe” trips at night.
Allow students to pay with pre-loaded accounts like University ID (ex. Bruincard at UCLA).
Uber Social
Connect with 3rd party APIs for linking passengers to information they care about on sites
like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare. Passengers can be alerted when friends are close
by and determine the best way to meet up.
Uber Nascar
Buy a Nascar team. Hire Danica Patrick to drive. Just kidding… don’t do that