Inside the Mind of Uber's CEO

It's not every day that you get to take a ride with the CEO of one of the world's largest ride-hailing companies. But for a lucky few passengers in San Francisco, that's exactly what happened when they caught an Uber ride with Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber.

Last September, Khosrowshahi decided to become an Uber driver temporarily and a food deliverer to get a firsthand experience of the company's services. This move was the latest attempt by Khosrowshahi to reinvent Uber since taking the helm of the company five years ago.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Uber's ride-hail and food delivery reporter, Preeti Karana, sheds light on Khosrowshahi's experience as a driver and deliverer. She reveals the reasons behind his decision to become a driver, his insights on the driver shortage issue, and how his experience has helped Uber to become a better employer for its drivers.

According to Karana, Khosrowshahi's decision to become a driver was primarily due to the year-long driver shortage that both Uber and Lyft were facing after the US reopened from pandemic lockdowns. Drivers were not returning to work, despite the company's attempts to attract them with bonuses and money.

Khosrowshahi realized that Uber needed to become a better employer and app for drivers to drive if they wanted them to come back. So, he decided to experience the driver's life firsthand and learn about the challenges they face on a daily basis.

As a driver, Khosrowshahi was no different from any other driver. He was anxious the night before he had to drive, worried that any small thing could mean that his rating could dip just the next day. He kept charging cables for both Apple and Android users and tried to entertain his riders with music. His playlist included Taylor Swift and a DJ called Flume, which he found could humanize the driving experience.

However, Khosrowshahi also experienced some of the driver's biggest complaints, such as the inability to see expected earnings and where the ride is going to take them beforehand. He found it difficult to understand why drivers couldn't see the destinations up front, which led to them rejecting trips and being punished by the app.

This experience led him to realize that Uber needed to create a better sign-up process for drivers who wanted to ferry people versus those who wanted to deliver food. This way, workers could toggle between both more seamlessly. He also understood the problem of "tip-baiting," where customers attract drivers by putting in big tips, only to lower them once the food gets there. Uber is still trying to figure out a solution to this problem, but they have started taking away the customer's ability to lower tips after their food gets to them in some markets.

Khosrowshahi's experience as a food deliverer was no different. He found the sign-up process for food delivery pretty clunky and realized that Uber had a food delivery business that could be leveraged better. By creating a single sign-up process, workers could more easily toggle between both.

In conclusion, Khosrowshahi's experience as a driver and food deliverer has given him valuable insights into the challenges that Uber's workers face every day. His experience has helped Uber to become a better employer for its drivers, and the company is continuously looking for ways to improve its services. As a passenger, it's fascinating to get a glimpse into the mind of Uber's CEO and understand the efforts that the company is making to create a better experience for both drivers and riders.