Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber, shares his incredible journey from politics to Silicon Valley. He reveals the nuances of Uber's rapid growth, including raising $3BN from Saudi investors in just 60 days. Additionally, Emil offers insights on pivotal negotiations, including how he convinced Microsoft to triple their offer for TellMe. He discusses lessons learned from Uber's M&A challenges and emphasizes the emotional intelligence needed in high-stakes deals, making for a captivating conversation on the intricacies of venture capital and leadership.

In this episode, we talked to Emil Michael, who is Silicon Valley's best dealmaker. This was a masterclass in negotiation, art of making deals, when to walk away from them, his story, working with Travis Kalanick at Uber, and so much more. Emil Michael is an investor and strategic advisor to many high growth tech startups. He was the Chief Business Officer at Uber, during it’s period of expoential growth where it was the most valuable startup in the world. He’s also held leadership roles at Tellme Networks which was acquired by Microsoft, and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense under the Obama administration. Today he advices founders on fundraising, M&A, corporate strategy and culture, global expansion and building exec teams. Born in Egypt, with degress from Harvard and Stanford, to us, Emil is the embodiment of the American Dream, and how an outside can truly make it and become an insider.Follow Sriram: https://www.instagram.com/sriramk/ https://twitter.com/sriramk Follow Aarthi: https://www.instagram.com/aarthir/ https://twitter.com/aarthir Follow the podcast: https://www.instagram.com/aarthiandsriramshow/ https://twitter.com/aarthisrirampod

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.

Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber, shares stories of Uber's global dominance, including the challenges faced in Italy and the mafia's threats. They discuss the impact of the gig economy and AI and reflect on the importance of talent in building successful companies. The speaker expresses optimism for the future of America and the potential of AI, but highlights the need for responsible regulation and concerns about the Chinese government's role.

In this engaging conversation, Emil Michael, former chief business officer at Uber, reveals insider perspectives on the company's cultural upheavals and changes in leadership. He discusses Uber's struggle during the pandemic as car ownership rises, and the implications for ride-hailing services. The challenges of self-driving technology and ethical concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles are explored, alongside the emerging startup landscape created by former Uber employees. Michael emphasizes the need for collaboration in navigating the future of transportation.