Uber is unquestionably among the most brilliant adoptions of Internet and App technology in the new economy. It changed the landscape of transit in almost every city. Thanks to Uber, New York City taxis are second choice to many on street corners, resulting in Medallions (what you need to drive a taxi) to plummet from $1.3 million in 2013 to $215,000 in 2016. In Sarasota FL, Uber dominates transit for vacationers. Yet, under the leadership of the company’s founder Travis Kalanick, there have been egregious missteps after egregious missteps, leading to Uber losing ground to emerging competitors, recovery of New York’s yellow taxis.
It’s still a force to be contended with, but alas, it will not achieve its full Amazon-like potential. The lesson? It’s all about leadership. Alas, Kalanick is no Bezos.
