The Sachin and Adam Show
Uber's 1st Head of Product: Untold Stories, Working w/ Travis & Surviving Her $25M Startup Collapse...
May 7, 2025
Mina Radhakrishnan, Uber's first Head of Product and co-founder of Different, shares insights from her tech journey. She discusses the intensity of working with Travis Kalanick and the lessons learned from her startup's collapse. Mina offers her take on how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship and coding, emphasizing the need for a collaborative environment. She also highlights the challenges faced by startups and the importance of resilience, urging Australian startups to cultivate a pay-it-forward culture.
45:51
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Quick takeaways
- Mina Radhakrishnan emphasizes the importance of a proactive mindset in tech, inspiring teams to focus on solutions rather than limitations.
- Reflecting on her startup's failure, Radhakrishnan highlights the significance of resilience and learning from setbacks for future success.
Deep dives
The Journey with Travis Kalanick
Working as the first head of product at Uber, Mina Radhakrishnan shares insights from her experiences with Travis Kalanick. She emphasizes the importance of a proactive mindset, encouraging teams to first ask how something can be done rather than if it can be done at all. This approach fostered an environment where innovative ideas, such as surge pricing and the 'golden ticket' marketing concept, could thrive. Radhakrishnan attributes her growth and resilience to the intensity and charisma of Kalanick, highlighting the learning experiences gained during challenging situations.
