ACQ2 by Acquired Building Product & Ops at Uber (with Brian Tolkin)
May 5, 2019
Brian Tolkin, one of Uber’s first 100 employees, built the Product Ops organization and led the way for UberPOOL. He explains the importance of a decentralized operational structure, allowing cities to thrive independently. Tolkin shares insights on Uber's playbook culture, which celebrated local successes to drive growth and engagement. He also discusses dynamic pricing strategies to balance supply and demand, as well as his current role at Opendoor, where he focuses on simplifying real estate transactions for a better user experience.
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Decentralized Operations
- Early Uber operated with a decentralized model, treating each city as an independent unit.
- City teams, comprising operations, marketing, and general managers, controlled local strategies.
Decentralization Benefits
- Travis Kalanick, Uber's CEO, strongly believed in the decentralized city model.
- This model allowed for rapid experimentation and learning across different markets.
Playbooking Culture
- Uber fostered a culture of "playbooking," encouraging teams to document and share successful strategies.
- Despite the focus on sharing, organizing these playbooks proved challenging due to reliance on various scattered documents.