Monthly Archives: August 2014

Do you Uber?

UBERDo 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.

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