The Upstarts
by Brad Stone · first published 2017
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Narrative account of how Airbnb and Uber grew, covering their culture, growth tactics and business models. It offers a detailed look at both companies, suited to readers interested in startups and the gig economy.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Discusses the radical companies of the new Silicon Valley that are rewriting the rules of business and sidestepping ethical and legal obstacles in the process. --Publisher "Ten years ago, the idea of getting into a stranger's car, or walking into a stranger's home, would have seemed bizarre and dangerous, but today it's as common as ordering a book online. Uber and Airbnb have ushered in a new era: redefining neighborhoods, challenging the way governments regulate business, and changing the way we travel. In the spirit of iconic Silicon Valley renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, another
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…by Chris Voss - it might seem a bit gimmicky but negotiation always comes off gimmicky Motivational stories: 4. The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson 5. The Founders by Jimmy Soni 6. The Upstarts by Brad Stone 7. Hatching Twitter by Nick Bilton 8. That Will Never Work by Marc Randolph 9. Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's by Ray Kroc Can't skip: 10. Zero To One by Peter Thiel
on “Ask HN: What books helped you in your entrepreneurship journey?” ↗…they could raise so much money was that they showed as they reduced rates, they induced more demand. They also had data showing increasing lifetime customer value. I recommend reading Brad Stone's The Upstarts. If they can have higher profits/customer while having lower rates than other companies, then they actually have a moat. I don't think they got to the moat, though.
on “Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.” ↗…Obama's thought processes. Most people can relate to this and every "Leader" must read this. It really helps clear some of the fog on- what makes an effective leader. !Business & Management:! 1. The Upstarts (Brad Stone) -An amazing story about AirBnB and Uber. Culture is key and culture is defined by the Founders and the first few hires. The two companies are extremely similar in many ways (timing, shared…
on “Ask HN: Books you wish you had read earlier?” ↗…has known data points where it has worked extremely well for a large number of people working within the rules defined by the companies who created these services. I heavily recommend Brad Stone's The Upstarts[1] as proof of this idea. There are Uber drivers and Airbnb hosts who did all types of incredible things because of the freedom that was a direct consequence of the gig economy. Sure, Uber Eats may be…
on “I spent two weeks delivering for Uber Eats and made $4.40 per hour” ↗You should read Brad Stone's The Upstarts. The outcome in China is actually pretty favorable for Uber. One-line summary: Travis (not Uber, but Travis) probably owns as much of Didi as the current founder/CEO of Didi. Didi is currently valued…
on “Uber Says Sales Growth Outpaces Losses” ↗Read The Upstarts by Brad Stone. It's a fascinating book about the rise of Airbnb and Uber. Also check out the podcasts with Joe Gebbia and Brian Chesky on How I Built This and Masters of Scale respectively.
on “Sam Altman: ‘Too many’ Y Combinator companies raise money” ↗Brad Stone covers it in great detail in "The Upstarts". Great read.
on “Uber CEO Kalanick likely to take leave” ↗…by the same types of licensed chauffeurs who were behind the wheels of other Uber vehicles."[1] Also worth noting, black car drivers Uber used were licensed, just different from cab drivers. [1] The Upstarts by Brad Stone http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29905580-the-upstarts
on “Uber’s Complicit Board” ↗…sharing legal and only jumped on the bandwagon when it looked like Lyft was going to succeed and eat Uber for lunch. It's actually the other way around- Uber exists because of Lyft (source of all this - the Upstarts by Brad Stone which I'm currently reading). But everything else you said I agree with: Taxis were just plain awful.
on “The Fall of Travis Kalanick” ↗