Uber was founded in 2008 by Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick who came up with the idea while attending a conference in Paris. They started developing the UberCab mobile app to connect riders and drivers. Uber launched in 2010 in San Francisco and expanded to other cities. However, the company faced many crises due to its aggressive tactics and internal culture issues, which resulted in leadership changes. Today, Uber operates in many countries but faces challenges from regulators and competitors.

1. A Brief History of
By: Skylar Dann
Creative Founder: 2017

2. Lessons Of The Past

3. • Uber is much more than a ride hailing service, Uber is a logistics company,
offering services ranging from ice cream delivery, flower delivery and even
helicopters on demand.
• Proving you can do whatever you want once you have the right application for it
and once enough people are using it.
What Is Uber ?

4. What Is Uber ?
• Uber is much more than a ride hailing service, Uber is a logistics company,
offering services ranging from ice cream delivery, flower delivery and even
helicopters on demand.
• Proving you can do whatever you want once you have the right application for it
and once enough people are using it.

5. The Founder ‘s

6. The Founder ‘s
Travis Kalanick Garrett Camp

7. How Uber Started

8. How Uber Started

9. How Uber Started

10. How Uber Started

11. • Uber started in 2008 when the co-founders were attending LeWeb conference in
Paris. Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, came up with the idea while they were
complaining about the many things we all have to deal with in life on a daily basis,
including finding a cab.
How Uber Started Pt. 1

12. •
• Garrett who really came up with the idea took the lead and started playing around with a
couple of ideas, prototyping solutions and engineering a mobile app for the iOS.
• Two years later in January 2010, what was then know as UberCab, began to test out its
service in NYC. They originally only had three cars.
How Uber Started Pt. 2

13. • Uber initially found user’s by offering free rides to anyone attending venture capital
and tech conferences. Relaying on attendees sharing there experiences, within their
own circles.
• On July 5, 2010: Uber went live for the first time in San Francisco. Offering Rides on
demand.
• After 2 years: The firm made its first expansion launching in Palo Alto; its aim was to
to attract employees from Facebook and Google to see which company would use
the service most.
How Uber Started Pt. 3

14. Their Original Pitch
Original Statement: ”Today the UberCab team
is working to provide high-quality, on-demand
car service booked easily through your iPhone
or SMS. Our GPS-optimized dispatch platform
provides elite, efficient, and simple car service
using high-end sedans with reputable drivers
rather than traditional taxi cabs. We’re
starting in limited beta in San Francisco and
rolling out to other cities in mid 2010."
Source: When Uber was young: the early years. (2016, March 24). Retrieved
September 11, 2017, from http://vator.tv/news/2016-03-24-when-uber-was-
young-the-early-years#xqMC7t7gTiLpPx6D.99

15. Their Original Pitch
Original Statement: ”Today the UberCab team
is working to provide high-quality, on-demand
car service booked easily through your iPhone
or SMS. Our GPS-optimized dispatch platform
provides elite, efficient, and simple car service
using high-end sedans with reputable drivers
rather than traditional taxi cabs. We’re
starting in limited beta in San Francisco and
rolling out to other cities in mid 2010."
Source: When Uber was young: the early years. (2016, March 24). Retrieved
September 11, 2017, from http://vator.tv/news/2016-03-24-when-uber-was-
young-the-early-years#xqMC7t7gTiLpPx6D.99

16. First Funding
• The first seed investment into Uber came on Aug 2009 and was from
its two founders Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick. An amount totaling
$200k
Source: Arrington, M. (2010, October 15). UberCab Closes Uber Angel Round.
Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://web.archive.org/web/20150703095034/
http://techcrunch.com/2010/10/15/ubercab-closes-uber-angel-round/ (n.d.).

17. First Angel Investment
• On October 10th 2010 Uber received its
first round of angel investment which was
primarily from First Round Capital which
committed around half-a-million
dollars. Rob Hayes, a partner, as a result
joined what was then UberCab’s
board. Investors also included Lowercase
Capital and Founder Collective , as
did more than a dozen other individual
angel investors.
Source: Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://
www.crunchbase.com/organization/uber/funding-rounds

18. First Angel Investment
• On October 10th 2010 Uber received its
first round of angel investment which was
primarily from First Round Capital which
committed around half-a-million
dollars. Rob Hayes, a partner, as a result
joined what was then UberCab’s
board. Investors also included Lowercase
Capital and Founder Collective , as
did more than a dozen other individual
angel investors.
Source: Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://
www.crunchbase.com/organization/uber/funding-rounds

19. About The Early Investors
• Rob Hayes learned about Uber a few months earlier when he saw a tweet about it from Garrett
Camp. Hayes knew Camp from his first venture StumbleUpon which he eventually sold to Ebay.
• First Round Capital initially heard Uber’s pitch in the summer of 2010 at an event called Open
Angel Forum in San Francisco.
• After the event Jason Calacanis announced that he'd be investing in Uber; Chris Sacca's fund,
Lowercase Capital, invested too.
Source: Shontell, A. (2014, January 14). How A Curious VC Found Uber Before
Anyone Else, Back When It Was Only Worth $4 Million. Retrieved September 10,
2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/first-round-capital-ubers-first-
investor-2014-1

20. Ubers Investment Timeline

21. Everything was going great but then crisis struck …

22. The Crisis Of Uber pt.1
• FIRST CRISIS : Uber is sued by San Francisco Metro Transit Authority. Because of
the company's name advertising itself as a taxi service.
• THE SOLUTION: Uber drops the "Cab" portion of the name, officially becoming “Uber.”
Source: Alba, D. (2017, June 21). A short history of the many, many ways Uber
screwed up. Retrieved September 11, 2017, from https://www.wired.com/story/
timeline-uber-crises/

27. The Crises Of Uber pt.1
• SECOND CRISIS : January 2014, it’s confirmed NYC-based Uber employees
deliberately ordered thousands of rides from competitors, only to cancel them to
mess with their operations.
• THE SOLUTION : Public apology.
Source: Alba, D. (2017, June 21). A short history of the many, many ways Uber
screwed up. Retrieved September 11, 2017, from https://www.wired.com/story/
timeline-uber-crises/

28. The Crises Of Uber pt. 2
Source: Alba, D. (2017, June 21). A short history of the many, many ways Uber
screwed up. Retrieved September 11, 2017, from https://www.wired.com/story/
timeline-uber-crises/
• THIRD CRISIS: November 2014: Vice president Emil Michael suggests Uber hire a team
of opposition journalists, and give them a million-dollar budget, to dig up dirt on their
critics. BuzzFeed reports the incident, making national news.
• THE SOLUTION: Michael is forced to apologize.
• FORTH CRISIS: January 29, 2017: The #DeleteUber hashtag
goes viral after the company’s attempts to make a profit during
a taxi strike protesting Donald Trump’s immigration ban at New
York City’s JFK Airport.

29. The Crisis Of Uber pt.3
• SIXTH CRISIS: February 19 2017: Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler publishes
an explosive blog post in which she accuses Uber of fostering a misogynistic
corporate culture.
• SEVENTH CRISIS: March 3, 2017: The New York Times reports on an internal tool
called Greyball, which uses data collected from the Uber app to make it
impossible for law enforcement officers to hail rides.
• EIGHTH CRISIS: June 13–14, 2017: A report comes out recommending limiting
Kalanick's responsibilities at the company. SOLUTION 6: Travis Kalanick agrees to
take an indefinite leave of absence.
Source: When Uber was young: the early years. (2016, March 24). Retrieved
September 11, 2017, from http://vator.tv/news/2016-03-24-when-uber-was-
young-the-early-years#xqMC7t7gTiLpPx6D.99

30. The Crises Of Uber pt.4
• NINTH CRISIS: June 13–14, 2017: Board member David Bonderman, resigns after
making a joke about women at a meeting. Bonderman interrupted fellow board
member Ariana Huffington when she said it was a good thing that the ratio of women
on Uber’s board had increased from 14 to 25 percent. “Actually, what it shows is that
it’s much more likely to be more talking,” he said.
• THE SOLUTION: June 20, 2017: Uber launches “180 days of change,”
a PR campaign, Travis Kalanick resigns as CEO
Source: When Uber was young: the early years. (2016, March 24). Retrieved
September 11, 2017, from http://vator.tv/news/2016-03-24-when-uber-was-
young-the-early-years#xqMC7t7gTiLpPx6D.99

31. The Current State Of Uber
• This year the European Court of Justice, will vote on whether Uber is a transport
company or just a digital service; if Uber is seen as a transport company, It would
reacquire stricter licensing, insurance and safety rules, rising its costs significantly
in Europe.
• Uber’s huge evaluation depends on the firms ability to dominate the global market.
• Uber is competing against a strong competitor, Grab, in South-East Asia and was
spending billions to compete against its Chinese rival, Didi, until it struck a deal last
year to withdraw from the country in exchange for a 20% stake in the firm.

32. Ubers Current "molecule"
The People
The Problem
The Solution
Addresses
• People want services
instantly from the
comfort of their
phones
• People want a job
they can do when
they want
• Cab’s are hard to find.
• Take out places, require
awkward interactions.
• Jobs with flexible
schedules and low entry
points are hard to find.
• Create an on demand
service app, starting with
cars.
• Allow almost anyone one
to drive for your company.

33. Sources
• Source 1: When Uber was young: the early years. (2016, March 24). Retrieved September 11, 2017, from http://vator.tv/news/2016-03-24-when-uber-
was-young-the-early-years#xqMC7t7gTiLpPx6D.99
• Source 2: Alba, D. (2017, June 21). A short history of the many, many ways Uber screwed up. Retrieved September 11, 2017, from https://
www.wired.com/story/timeline-uber-crises/
• Source 3: Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/uber/funding-rounds
• Source 4: Shontell, A. (2014, January 14). How A Curious VC Found Uber Before Anyone Else, Back When It Was Only Worth $4 Million. Retrieved
September 10, 2017, from http://www.businessinsider.com/first-round-capital-ubers-first-investor-2014-1
• Source 4: Isaac, M. (2017, March 03). How Uber Deceives the Authorities Worldwide. Retrieved September 14, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/
2017/03/03/technology/uber-greyball-program-evade-authorities.html

34. Thank You