Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber

by Mike Isaac

For instance, often when people called for a traditional taxi, they didn’t know whether it’d be there in a matter of minutes or if it wouldn’t show up at all. When a user ordered an UberCab, she could watch the car’s journey, pixel by pixel, across the map on the screen of their iPhone. San Francisco’s aging taxicabs were grimy, their seats sticky and torn. UberCab’s private black cars would show up spotless, with slick black leather interiors and comfortable air conditioning, replete with wintergreen breath mints and chilled bottles of Aquafina. One of the most important parts of the UberCab experience was paying for the ride. Kalanick was insistent that payment was something people shouldn’t even have to think about. With UberCab, the ride would simply be charged to a credit card stored on your account. Ending the trip was as simple as opening the door and stepping out onto the curb. No tips, no change, no hassles.

Uber in two paragraphs