Why Uber is Not Really in The Transportation Business

In this episode of the Future in 5, I talk about why Uber is not really in the transportation business. I’m a very frequent Uber user. Every time I go to a conference or speak at an event — which is fairly often — I take the UberBlack car. Every time I get into an Uber, I always have a conversation with my driver and ask a couple of questions: Do you like your job? How long have you been an Uber driver? How are things going in general? Most tell me they do like their job. The most frequent feedback I hear from Uber drivers is that they feel they are getting cannibalized with uberX. There is a lot of discussion going on around about what is Uber doing in transportation? But guess what? Uber is not really a transportation company. Most people assume it is, but if you look at the long-term picture of where Uber is going, Uber is actually much more than transportation. In this episode of the Future in 5, I take a closer look at what Uber is doing. I look at how they are penetrating the market in different cities and countries around the world, then move on to offering other products and services. Overall, I think Uber is just interested in getting as many cars and as many drivers in as many cities and countries around the world as possible right now. And, they are doing that by offering people a revenue stream by driving cars. Transportation is only a part of Uber’s direction. So, I think it’s going to be really interesting to see the evolution of Uber in the next couple of years as markets are penetrated, and it extends and goes far beyond just transportation moving much more into the logistics of everything business. I’m curious to hear what your thoughts are around Uber and other car and sharing services. So tune in and tell me where you stand on this subject!