Emil Michael, Fmr Uber CBO: Ridesharing and Picking VCs
Jan 30, 2024
37:29
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Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber and current CEO of DPCM Capital, discusses the delay in tech IPOs, profitability of ridesharing companies, Uber's relationship with Benchmark Capital, and advice for founders on choosing VCs and keeping execs and the board in alignment.
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Quick takeaways
Tech companies faced challenges in going public due to the pressures of quarterly analyst expectations, but as the market recovers, we can expect to see backlogged IPOs from companies like Canva, Revolut, Stripe, and Instacart.
Uber's stock performed exceptionally well in 2023, showcasing its position as a world leader in ride sharing and solidifying its profitability and success.
Deep dives
The Impact of Private Markets on Tech IPOs
During a period of zero interest rates, tech companies chose to stay private and avoid the pressures of quarterly analyst expectations. However, when the markets closed, these companies faced difficulty going public and receiving the same multiples they had when they were private. As the market recovers, we can expect to see backlogged IPOs from companies like Canva, Revolut, Stripe, and Instacart.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Going Public
Going public offers benefits such as liquidity for employees and investors and easier access to capital markets for acquisitions. Additionally, being a public company can enhance the trust and credibility of the company. However, going public also comes with downsides, including increased scrutiny, potential lawsuits, and pressure for consistent performance. Timing and having a solid product-market fit are crucial factors to consider before making the decision to go public.
Uber's Success and Future Outlook
Uber's stock performed exceptionally well in 2023, showcasing its position as a world leader in ride sharing. Their success has been attributed to dominating the market share, showcasing a network effect that benefits both riders and drivers. While Uber Eats has seen growth, it lags behind competitors like DoorDash. However, Uber's strong foothold in the ride sharing market has solidified its profitability and positioned it for continued success.
The Changing Landscape of AI and Tech Startups
As AI becomes more prevalent, the gains generated by this technology are expected to benefit big tech companies such as OpenAI, DeepMind, and possibly anthropic. These companies are likely to capture the majority of the profits while startups focus on developing applications and adding value to existing AI systems. The challenge lies in finding a middle ground where startups can work alongside big tech to create a new ecosystem and avoid being overshadowed by larger players.
Emil Michael was the Chief Business Officer at $UBER during its hyperscale period from 2013 to 2017. He’s currently the CEO of DPCM Capital, and he’s also a strategic advisor to a number of amazing companies, including Codecademy, GroupMe and Taser.
On this episode of World of DaaS, Auren and Emil cover everything from tech IPOs and Uber's stock performance to the future of AI, the relationship between Uber and Benchmark, and more.
Emil shares insights into the reasons behind the delay in tech IPOs, the profitability of ridesharing companies, and the future for Uber and Lyft as they expand their food delivery businesses and explore new verticals. He also discusses the impact of higher interest rates on startups and the nuances of launching and operating marketplace businesses.
Emil and Auren also have a candid conversation about Uber’s relationship with Benchmark Capital and how it affected the trajectory of the company– Emil thinks Uber could have been 2 or 3 times as large as it is now. He offers key advice for founders on choosing your VCs and keeping execs and the board in alignment.
To close out, Emil also shares some counterintuitive management advice and insights from conducting over 3,000 interviews at Uber.