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juliaarciga's review against another edition
4.0
No, it’s not as good as Bad Blood, but it is an interesting enough read for people who already like reading about tech/Silicon Valley/etc. Other reviews claim that the writing of this story was very “bro”-y... but if Travis and the company were actually like that and were accurately portrayed then it’s not the writer’s fault.
I will fault the writer, however, for a lot of needless repetition of certain details throughout the book (at one time, in the same paragraph). Book could have probably been shorter and tighter just by trimming some of that.
I will fault the writer, however, for a lot of needless repetition of certain details throughout the book (at one time, in the same paragraph). Book could have probably been shorter and tighter just by trimming some of that.
crglasser's review against another edition
5.0
A truly fascinating read about the roller coaster of ups and downs in one of the fastest growing startups in Silicon Valley. Isaac takes us through the entire history of the company, starting with Kalanick's beginnings as an entrepreneur, in a way that makes the reader feel as if they were there every step of the way. It's a cautionary tale and a riveting story of a company tarnished by bad reputations. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in startup culture, venture capital, economics, and the Valley as a whole.
iceberg0's review against another edition
3.0
Incredibly compelling story poorly organized. Isaac struggles to create a coherent narrative thread.
akhilsukh01's review against another edition
3.75
Kalanick getting burned in his early ventures spawned a sense of paranoia towards VCs, investors, media, and any opposition. He also fed into the tech bro lifestyle which famously lacks a sense of self-awareness and humility. A lot of the Uber's early culture came from an "us vs them" mentality which was required, but also made it a difficult place to work. He'd constantly burn money to get what he wanted and back it up by raising more from investors, a skill he had perfected. His drive to kill his opponents was borderline perverse and to him no bounds were uncrossable. Ultimately, his being kicked out by his own board was a self fulfilling prophecy.
I see similarities between him and WeWork's Adam Neumann. Their confidence and bravado is inspiring for wide-eyed employees trying to be part of something bigger than themselves and optimistic investors fearful of missing out, but their arrogance also prevents them from seeing clearly.
The paragraphs are strangely short and the writing jumps around quite a bit to give context to topics like AWS, Google's self-driving car and side characters. Could be better edited.
I see similarities between him and WeWork's Adam Neumann. Their confidence and bravado is inspiring for wide-eyed employees trying to be part of something bigger than themselves and optimistic investors fearful of missing out, but their arrogance also prevents them from seeing clearly.
The paragraphs are strangely short and the writing jumps around quite a bit to give context to topics like AWS, Google's self-driving car and side characters. Could be better edited.
lizliu's review against another edition
5.0
So fascinating to read about the inner workings of Uber as someone who works at Facebook - so in the tech world - and remembers all the scandal and craziness from a few years ago
juliasilge's review against another edition
3.0
The second half of this book is quite a bit better than the first IMO, and is in fact quite a compelling read! It says a lot about the level of villainy involved that the venture capitalists look like the good guys by the end of it all.
eznark's review against another edition
2.0
This is a fascinating story poorly told. Isaac is so excited to tell salacious stories that he completely skips over the building of the company. The timeline jumps all over the place which muddles the narrative to an extreme level. It would have been great if this book were written by a journalist instead of by someone with a weird axe to grind (at least it sure feels that way).
susanhobbs's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Mike is a fantastic storyteller and that truly shines in this text. The subject matter is compelling enough to make it a quick read.