Did you read the article? He nearly didn't manage to grow RedSwoosh and then sell it.
No defense for him or Uber - I'm not a customer and have no plans to be one.
No defense for him or Uber - I'm not a customer and have no plans to be one.
My issue isn't with him specifically, more the sense of entitlement of the industry and the press.
> Kalanick came away from the experience with a profound sense of relief and also a bit of a problem with authority
...and a huge amount of money. For most people in the developed world, buying a home and having enough money left over to even think about angel investing (or other expensive pastimes) at a young age is an absolute dream.
Many people see personal wealth as a pre-requisite for being able to found a startup. A little more focus on this side of a founder's story would be welcome.
His second startup got somewhere.
His third one became Uber.
Still for the first decade for his working life, he was less wealthy than the typical software engineer. He had the advantage of having his parents house to live at and a middle class upbringing, but millions of kids have that in the USA today.
Also a 3 bedroom house was probably way more affordable when he purchased it. In the SFBA the unaffordability really only started several years ago, not counting the general real estate bubble.