23 Feb 2026

1h 43m

Uber CEO: At Uber, If You Don’t Perform, You’re Out! Uber Was Losing $3b A Year

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, discusses his personal history and approach to company building. Khosrowshahi recounts his family's flight from Iran and how losing everything instilled in him a drive to build and a constant sense of insecurity. He emphasizes the importance of hard work, transparency, and continuous improvement, recounting his experiences turning around Expedia by being honest about its technological shortcomings. Khosrowshahi also touches on Uber's culture, which values relentless effort and agency, and addresses the potential impact of AI on employment, acknowledging the significant disruption it may cause while advocating for leaning into technological advancements and retraining initiatives.

Outlines

Part 1: Origins, Loss, and Resilience

Part 2: Early Influences and Engineering Mindset

Part 3: Leadership Lessons and Career Growth

Part 4: Business Strategy and Market Expansion

Part 5: Operational Excellence and Transparency

Part 6: Culture, Hard Work, and Values

Part 7: The AI Revolution and Future of Work

Part 8: Reflections and Advice for the Future

Continue

Preview

How to Get Rich: Every EpisodeNaval

Uber CEO: At Uber, If You Don’t Perform, You’re Out! Uber Was Losing $3b A Year

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

Part 1: Origins, Loss, and Resilience

00:00GoFundMe Success Story: Supporting an Autistic Child's Adoptive Mother

GoFundMe Success Story: Supporting an Autistic Child's Adoptive Mother

01:00Dara Khosrowshahi's Early Life: From Iran to American CEO

Dara Khosrowshahi's Early Life: From Iran to American CEO

02:36AI's Impact on Uber Drivers and Khosrowshahi's Iranian Roots

AI's Impact on Uber Drivers and Khosrowshahi's Iranian Roots

05:04The Impact of Loss: Khosrowshahi's Drive to Rebuild and Never Take Safety for Granted

The Impact of Loss: Khosrowshahi's Drive to Rebuild and Never Take Safety for Granted

07:43Family Sacrifices and Stoicism: Khosrowshahi's Upbringing in New York

Family Sacrifices and Stoicism: Khosrowshahi's Upbringing in New York

Part 2: Early Influences and Engineering Mindset

11:16Parenthood and the Importance of Time: Khosrowshahi's Advice

Parenthood and the Importance of Time: Khosrowshahi's Advice

13:41Early Influences: Khosrowshahi's Mother's Words and Father's Factory

Early Influences: Khosrowshahi's Mother's Words and Father's Factory

15:53Making Dad Proud: Khosrowshahi's Early Motivations and Engineering Studies

Making Dad Proud: Khosrowshahi's Early Motivations and Engineering Studies

17:51Engineering Mindset: Companies as Machines and Betting on People

Engineering Mindset: Companies as Machines and Betting on People

Part 3: Leadership Lessons and Career Growth

19:16Defining Great People: Success, Honor, Loyalty, and Working for Barry Diller

Defining Great People: Success, Honor, Loyalty, and Working for Barry Diller

21:16Learning from Loss: Barry Diller's "They Won, We Lost, Next" Mentality

Learning from Loss: Barry Diller's "They Won, We Lost, Next" Mentality

23:34Personal vs. Professional Rejection: Khosrowshahi's Conflict Avoidance

Personal vs. Professional Rejection: Khosrowshahi's Conflict Avoidance

25:11Overcoming Conflict Avoidance: Khosrowshahi's Journey to CEO

Overcoming Conflict Avoidance: Khosrowshahi's Journey to CEO

Part 4: Business Strategy and Market Expansion

27:46Identifying Online Commerce Opportunities: Ticketmaster, Match.com, and Expedia

Identifying Online Commerce Opportunities: Ticketmaster, Match.com, and Expedia

30:22Spotting Great Companies: Leadership in Transitions and Exponential Growth

Spotting Great Companies: Leadership in Transitions and Exponential Growth

33:32Jevons Paradox and Uber's Origin: From Black Car Service to Market Expansion

Jevons Paradox and Uber's Origin: From Black Car Service to Market Expansion

35:36The Mobile Revolution and Uber's Blitzscaling: Timing and Aggressiveness

The Mobile Revolution and Uber's Blitzscaling: Timing and Aggressiveness

Part 5: Operational Excellence and Transparency

38:01From Finance to Operations: Khosrowshahi's Transformation at Expedia

From Finance to Operations: Khosrowshahi's Transformation at Expedia

40:47Transparency and Turnarounds: Khosrowshahi's Early Days at Expedia

Transparency and Turnarounds: Khosrowshahi's Early Days at Expedia

42:42Transparency as a Self-Defense Mechanism: Getting the Real Truth

Transparency as a Self-Defense Mechanism: Getting the Real Truth

46:13Building Direct Channels: Connecting with Engineers and Truth-Tellers

Building Direct Channels: Connecting with Engineers and Truth-Tellers

Part 6: Culture, Hard Work, and Values

47:53Turning Around Company Culture: From Coasting to Hard Work at Expedia and Uber

Turning Around Company Culture: From Coasting to Hard Work at Expedia and Uber

50:34Honesty and Trade-offs: Uber's Culture of Hard Work and Flexibility

Honesty and Trade-offs: Uber's Culture of Hard Work and Flexibility

52:22The Skill of Hard Work: Discipline, Structure, and Relentlessness

The Skill of Hard Work: Discipline, Structure, and Relentlessness

53:55Flexibility and Trade-offs: The Cost of Hard Work and Embracing the Grind

Flexibility and Trade-offs: The Cost of Hard Work and Embracing the Grind

55:52Relentlessness and Continuous Improvement: The Key to Success

Relentlessness and Continuous Improvement: The Key to Success

58:16Overcoming Complacency: Uber's Culture of Hunger and Continuous Improvement

Overcoming Complacency: Uber's Culture of Hunger and Continuous Improvement

1:00:23Balancing Success and Risk: Celebrating Moments and Pushing the Envelope

Balancing Success and Risk: Celebrating Moments and Pushing the Envelope

1:02:54Goal Setting and Values: From Business Goals to Weaponized Values

Goal Setting and Values: From Business Goals to Weaponized Values

1:05:16Uber's Evolving Values: From Crowdsourced to Authentic

Uber's Evolving Values: From Crowdsourced to Authentic

1:08:11Embracing Change and Talent: The Importance of Culture and People

Embracing Change and Talent: The Importance of Culture and People

1:09:53A Great Bet: Integrating Taxis into Uber's Platform

A Great Bet: Integrating Taxis into Uber's Platform

Part 7: The AI Revolution and Future of Work

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1:14:53AI's Disruptive Potential: Khosrowshahi's Perspective

AI's Disruptive Potential: Khosrowshahi's Perspective

1:15:40Leaning into AI: Uber's Strategy and Societal Impact