
Do you Uber?
Do you Über? If you don’t know what Über is it may be because of your birth date, or at least I thought so. New technology is often understandable to PhDs studying at Georgia Tech, or Cal Tech but when a technology fundamentally changes the way an old school business is run, someone is going to get rich. Welcome to Über, the new way to get a cab. How many times have you tried unsuccessfully to get a cab in the rain or on a busy Saturday evening? The inefficiencies of old business models typically lead to new industries. Today you need a cab ride, log into your Über account and through smart phone technology you can literally see where there are Über cars in your vicinity waiting to pick up a fare. Open an account at Über, put a credit card on file, download the app and have access to car service. Young people have embraced this technology in droves. Ask anyone under 30 in a market where Über exists on where to find a cab, the answer will be Über. But good technology is good technology and a good product is a good product for all ages. Recently at a client meeting I had a woman excitedly tell how she had just gone to a black tie fundraiser in Atlanta and had used Über. The client in her 60’s was a natural spokesperson for the success of the company. The two attributes she like most, speed of getting a car and the price of the ride. New technology applied to an old industry, that when priced right, will see a 60 year old woman in Atlanta embracing it.