Grit

#201 CEO Lyft, David Risher: The Ride

Jul 29, 2024

David Risher, the CEO of Lyft and founder of nonprofit Worldreader, shares fascinating insights about his unique career journey. He discusses the transition from board member to CEO during a challenging time for Lyft, emphasizing the importance of customer obsession. The conversation touches on his experiences with tech giants like Amazon, and his vision for the future of transportation, including the rise of electric bikes and driverless cars. Risher also reflects on personal growth, family dynamics, and the power of resilience in both personal and professional realms.

01:16:25

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David Risher

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Quick takeaways

David Risher emphasizes the importance of focusing on future opportunities and maintaining a proactive mindset to overcome challenges.

Cycling plays a vital role in Risher's life, providing fitness benefits and practical transportation in urban settings like San Francisco.

Customer obsession is highlighted as essential for Lyft's growth, as prioritizing user needs fosters brand loyalty and competitive advantage.

Deep dives

Embracing Change and Looking Ahead

The importance of focusing on future opportunities instead of dwelling on the past is emphasized throughout the discussion. The speaker shares a valuable lesson learned from their mother, stressing that excessive contemplation about what one leaves behind can hinder progress and action. This mindset encourages individuals to look forward and consider what lies ahead, instead of getting trapped in regrets or nostalgia. By adopting this proactive attitude, one can overcome personal and professional challenges, paving the way for new accomplishments.

Maximize Rides, Mind Profitability

01:39

Data Drives Opportunity and Insight

01:28

Relentless Inquiry Reveals True Insights

01:43

Intro

4min

Exploring Lyft's Bike-Sharing Success and Market Potential

4min

From Boardroom to CEO: Navigating Change

10min

Reflections on Tech Giants: From Microsoft to Amazon

11min

Love Against All Odds: A Journey of Resilience

2min

Navigating Family Dynamics and Career Transitions

30min

Lyft's Growth and Future Challenges

16min

Guest: David Risher, CEO of Lyft

David Risher can measure his career in phone calls, from the one that introduced him to Jeff Bezos in 1995, to the call from the Lyft board in 2023, asking him to vie for the CEO job. But initially, he believed his life’s legacy might be the nonprofit Worldreader, which has brought books to more than 22 million readers around the globe; he had to convince himself that turning Lyft around during one of its most difficult eras was also a call worth answering.

In this episode, David and Joubin discuss reliable exercise, pickleball, Sean Aggarwal, John Zimmer and Logan Green, return to office, Women+ Connect, reference checks, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, Adam Bosworth, interracial marriages, children of divorce, powdered wigs, Barnes & Noble, the University of Washington, Barcelona, the Galapagos Islands, Amazon’s Kindle, Steve Kessel, expat talent, Bucky Moore, rideshare insurance, robo-taxis, Elon Musk, and data science.

Chapters:

(00:45) - Biking to work — and across the US
(03:44) - Lyft Bikes
(07:35) - How David became CEO
(12:18) - 14 months later...
(15:28) - Customer obsession
(17:40) - Jeff Bezos
(21:00) - Leaving Microsoft
(24:28) - Drive + empathy
(27:39) - David’s parents
(30:38) - Being straightforward
(36:20) - Loving the Work
(38:42) - Amazon’s early days
(40:49) - Bezos’ farewell easter egg
(43:44) - “What else is out there?”
(48:36) - Ariel Cohen
(49:56) - Living overseas
(53:06) - Starting Worldreader
(58:15) - The lifelong journey
(01:00:40) - Growing profitably
(01:04:09) - Waymo and driverless cars
(01:10:45) - Physical businesses at scale
(01:14:03) - Who Lyft is hiring
(01:15:19) - What “grit” means to David

Links:

Connect with David

Connect with Joubin

Learn more about Kleiner Perkins

This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

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