Dara Khosrowshahi, Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis on Uber's growth and future | E1878
This Week in Startups
Game Theory, Network Effects, and Profitability
Discussion on game theory, network effects, and the path to profitability for companies. Highlights misconceptions, interest rates, profitability, and the impact of high valuations on founders and CEOs.
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Today’s show:
Dara Khosrowshahi joins Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, and Jason Calacanis to discuss his initial reservations about joining Uber and how he overcame them (14:57), the early magic of Uber that captivated investors (22:36), a deep dive into Uber's future plans (45:50), and much more!
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Dara Khosrowshahi joins Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, & Jason Calacanis to discuss all things Uber
(2:41) Setting the stage for Uber entering 2024
(4:52) Untold parts of Uber's story
(09:38) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.Gusto.com/twist
(11:38) Bill Gurley discusses Dara's selection as CEO
(14:57) Dara's initial reservations about joining Uber and how he overcame them
(20:57) Dara’s discomfort in the free-money environment of ZIRP
(21:43) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes
(22:36) Exploring the early magic of Uber that captivated investors
(26:27) How valuations impact founder mindset
(30:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist
(32:17) Discussing the relevance of secondaries in the near future
(35:02) Breaking down some Uber myths and Dara’s focus on drivers
(45:50) A deep dive into Uber's future plans
(51:31) Uber’s strategy with upselling as AI enters the conversation
(58:04) Bill Gurley on joining Zillow’s board and how innovation is needed in the real estate industry
(1:05:27) Brad Gerstner on markets
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Check out Uber: https://www.uber.com
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LINKS:
Silicon Valley clip referenced:
https://twitter.com/StephNass/status/1745132141652877788
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Thanks to our partners:
(09:38) Gusto - Get three months free when you run your first payroll at http://www.Gusto.com/twist
*Gusto pricing shown in ad is based on pricing prior to March 2025
(21:43) Paintbrush - Visit http://www.getpaintbrush.com to see if you qualify for a $50K startup loan in less than 2 minutes
(30:49) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/twist
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X:
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
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Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
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Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
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Follow TWiST:
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
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