Travis Kalanick at Big Omaha 2011 – Friday, May 13, 2011
Today, we’re pleased to share with the you the thirteenth video in our Big Omaha 2011 Video Series, brought to you by CoSentry.
In the video above, Travis Kalanick, co-founder and CEO of Uber, shares his background and lessons learned from his experiences in startups, angel investing and mentoring. He walks us through his various phases, from the pirate phase, to the innovator, to the curator, to the driver and beyond. It’s fascinating to see what he’s accomplished in a short amount of time and how he continues to innovate.
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An example of that innovation is his latest startup, Uber, which is focused on providing high-quality, on-demand car service booked easily through a user’s iPhone or SMS. It’s currently only available in New York and San Francisco but it has plans to roll out elsewhere, such as Seattle, where there’s currently a soft launch.
One of my favorite points of Travis’ talk was the value of “jam sessions.” These sessions are where entrepreneurs come together to “jam” on ideas, concepts, barriers and the like – very similar to how musicians will come around to “jam” or innovate on music. Travis said entrepreneurs are like artists, and they need to jam on things the same way that musicians jam on music, providing a space for the the same kind of energy can take place when entrepreneurs and startup founders are convened.
To read a recap of Travis’ talk, see our post:
“Big Omaha – Travis Kalanick: ‘Whatever it is that you’re afraid of, go after it’ “
Thanks again to Travis for taking time out of building Uber to come in and share his story with the Big Omaha community. Please tell him “thanks” via Twitter, @travisk, for sharing his inspiration and vision!
Big Omaha is Silicon Prairie News’ premier annual event held each May to inspire, educate and connect entrepreneurs, especially those with an interest in the tech industry. Visit BigOmaha.com to learn more.
Next up: Thinc Iowa. If you enjoyed Big Omaha, then you’ll want to be the first to know about Thinc Iowa, an event aimed at exploring the common ground between startups and corporations. Sign up to be the first to learn more at thinciowa.com.
