The story is, by now, well known. Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg was job hunting and met with then Google boss Eric Schmidt. She isn't sure it makes sense to work there, thinking perhaps she could go elsewhere, where there's a better matched career opportunity. Schmidt tells her not to be stupid: "If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on."
In August of 2013, I'd been writing at Forbes for about a year and I used this space for a post about the "breathtaking" valuation of Uber's latest fundraising. The company had raised $360 million, mostly from Google, and was worth about $3.5 billion. What seemed like an unfathomable amount then seems like hardly anything now. The company has added billions more in capital, and the most recent funding has pushed the valuation to $40 billion. Perhaps someone should have mentioned that the rocket ship might look like a Toyota Prius with a little U behind the windshield?
But as that valuation has risen, Uber has gone from being a scrappy startup to a global company overnight. Every misstep now goes immediately under the magnifying glass and is tweeted around the world faster than the next passenger can be whisked from San Francisco's Mission District to North Beach. I haven't been absent from the chorus criticizing the company when it has overstepped. That said, I've often used this spot to look beyond the immediacy of the news and to suggest what ought to be, including hinting at where Uber might go as it looks ahead.
Soon after those posts ran, I had a chance to meet with Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick. We talked about the company and its challenges. Soon after, I met with other senior executives of the company and we continued the conversation. One thing led to another, and I was offered a seat on the next stage of the rocket ship.
Since beginning here at Forbes, I've written more than 400 posts. They've been read by 11.6 million visitors and generated many kind e-mails and tweets. Some led to fascinating conversations on the phone or meetings in person where I've had the pleasure to talk with people and companies doing truly fascinating work. It's been especially great for me because my career has been an odd blend of writing and entrepreneurship these many years and I've gotten to tell the stories of a lot of people who are trying to change their corner of the world. As I get read to blast off from here, I do so mostly because I get to participate in both of my passions directly again. You can find me on Twitter @maxrogo or on Facebook. Or look me up at Uber. T-minus 3... 2... 1....
