There's a misconception that Lyft is just a better version of the taxi. You know, I think that's just scratching the surface of what we're doing.
I really admire Airbnb as a pioneer of the sharing economy and for building community. They've found an elegant way to help hosts make more money and for guests to have authentic experiences. It brings those people together in a unique way.
I think we've built a bit of a culture and a market around people who are open and seek out that social interaction.
Every mom in a minivan, every person commuting - anytime they are on the road, they should be able to go into driver mode and give a ride to a neighbor. That's how we achieve scale.
To get to the office every day, I either take a Lyft or have my wife drop me off. It's about a 15-minute drive from my house to the office.
We're building the ultimate experience for fun, flexibility, and empowerment where you can rent a car, fill it with discounted gas, meet new people, stop for a Starbucks coffee, and have your earnings deposited into your bank account all in the same day.
When people want transportation, they want it now.
A lot of the other companies in the space have really left a bad taste in regulators' mouths. It's actually been a huge advantage when we come in and we take the time to sit down and get to know them, explain the business, explain what we do.
People crave community, more efficient living, and easier access to the places they want to go.
I grew up in L.A., and it's one of those cities designed around cars instead of the people that live there. I spent hours every day stuck in traffic, having the experience of looking around and seeing one person in every car.
I've always been fascinated with how transportation systems work and how cities are designed.
We're learning a lot from large international competitors... As we go international, we're looking to add something unique to the market. And so when we do go international, it won't just be as a taxi service.
If we want every car on the road to be a Lyft, we need to make it incredibly convenient for drivers.
In March 2005, I was appointed to the board of the Santa Barbara metro transit district. I was incredibly optimistic about how public transportation can be the solution to help people live in the city and not need a car.
We refer to Lyft as a 'mullet app.' Simple up front, a lot going on in the back.
When I went to the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2002, I decided I wanted to leave my car at home and create an experiment with my own life. I'd only be able to find creative solutions to transportation if I felt the pain of trying to get to downtown at 10 o'clock at night.
The Millennial Generation - the biggest American generation in history - is reversing the migration into rural areas and moving back to city centers.
I typically work out 20-30 minutes every morning to get the day started.
I start every day reviewing priorities, prepping for meetings, and getting updated on key projects.
I try to block a couple of hours of unscheduled time every day so that I can work on the day's most important projects.
