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an Uber move…

29 Jul

 

Today marks the beginning of the next chapter of my career. After 3 years of consulting and 1.5 years of private equity, working for large, brand-name, established companies, I’m taking the leap to start-up world and joining Uber. In my opinion, Uber is one of the most disruptive, beloved (just search Twitter for @Uber!), and exciting companies in the market right now and I am thrilled to be joining the team! I will be serving as the Chicago Operations Manager and helping to launch service here in the Windy City. With harsh winters, a rickety and nearly bankrupt public transit system, a near-universal cabbie allergy to credit cards, along with a hot foodie and nightlife scene, five major professional sports teams and two international airports, the need and value proposition for Uber Chicago is clear.

I’m super energized to dig in with Uber. I think the team is building a new and truly transformative local transportation solution and I’m fired up to help bring that to Chicago with the unique experience, data, and customer service that Uber has come to stand for. It’s game time!

Check-in to this T-Shirt: The Foursquare Store

6 Jul

Last week I unlocked the “Ten Hundred” badge on Foursquare.

Over 1000 check-ins!? Thank you 1000 times over! Treat yourself to 40% off some cool shirts at foursquarestore.com (use the code 4SQ40-4F365-F5B69). We’d give you 1000% off, but that don’t make no sense! It’s a super tiny gesture of our immense appreciation.

While I’m always excited to unlock a badge (yep, 2 years later, the badges still do it for me) the text associated with this badge really intrigued and impressed me with how Foursquare thinks about themselves as a brand and engages their most loyal users.

First of all, I didn’t even know that Foursquare had a store. While this is interesting in and of itself, the idea of promoting that store by offering your customers a loyalty discount is an even better idea. It should come as no surprise that a company as focused on the relationships between brands/businesses and customer actions would tie their own company brand to customer loyalty. Foursquare rightly assumed (as that shirt above is now in my tshirt drawer) that any user who used the service 1,000 times would be enough of an evangelist to consider buying a shirt – particularly with a discount. (There are also a couple other interesting things going on here – limited time shirts related to different badges, user voting to select the next tshirt design, etc). However, when I investigated further, I couldn’t find a similar store for Facebook, Twitter, or Apple. In fact, Google was the only company I searched for that had a store.

I think this is a brilliant move by Foursquare to (a) reward its most loyal users with a “hey, thanks!” (b) monetize those very same customers and (c) enlist its a portion of its 10 million strong army of users to become walking billboards. As hot as cool Ts continue to be as fashion items (particularly th0se ultra-comfortable American Apparel ones!), this is low-hanging fruit for companies with beloved products to both reward their most active users while generating some easy revenue.

This isn’t a new strategy – the best consumer brands have been employing this strategy for years (how many of you athletes had Gatorade tshirts in middle/high school?). However, it is really only in the recent “social media” era that tech brands have focused on cultivating empassioned users. So go on, cool start-up, print up a few tshirts or better yet, partner with someone like Threadless to allow your users to submit some awesome designs, and start rewarding your most loyal users (You do know who your most loyal users are, right?) with some sweet swag!

Talk back: Which companies do you love enough to rock a tshirt from?

[Update, apparently the Foursquare store has been open for business since August of 2010. Business Insider’s article indicates that some items may only be available to users who unlock certain badges, which is another great way to incent purchases through perceived scarcity]

An Exercise of Folly

8 Feb

Over the weekend, I saw via ESPN’s Twitter feed that Belgian runner Stefaan Engels set a Guinness World Record after crossing the finish line of his 365th consecutive marathon. That’s right, for one full year, Stefaan dedicated his life to running a marathon per day. From the ESPN article:

Engels, dubbed the “Marathon Man,” began the extreme physical challenge a year ago in Barcelona. He competed a race a day in seven countries: Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

Ok. Now, as an avid runner who has completed 5 marathons and thoroughly enjoys the training, race day atmosphere, and sense of accomplishment associated with an endurance event, I whole-heartedly embrace the idea of challenging ones’ self with difficult goals. I also firmly believe that a race, be it a local 5k, charity bike race, or marathon, is an excellent catalyst to develop a workout routine as a component of a healthy, balanced life. Further, the encouragement and excitement than accompanies a race can be a powerful draw to interest people in fitness and running, as are the sights of inspirational runners that range from combat veterans, to super-seniors, to public servants.

Yet, in my opinion, Stefaan’s words, and example, accomplish none of these goals. To quote Stefaan:

“Engels told The Associated Press that he did it as a personal challenge and to be an example for others. “After running 20 triathlons in one year, I was not ready to go back to normal life,” he said. “I also wanted to inspire people by showing that if I could run a marathon a day for an entire year, that anyone could run or bike a little each day or do something about their weight problem.”

Here is where my issue with Stefaan arises, when he starts talking about being “an example for others.” Let’s break this down.

First, “I was not ready to go back to normal life.” While it must be nice to just be able to flit away for a year, hop around 7 countries, and just run, its wholly unrealistic (and hopefully undesirable – more on this in a second) for nearly everyone on earth. This escapist mentality itself is divorced from reality and something most cannot identify with. To pretend that anything about this achievement sets an example for others is immature and self-centered.

Second, the “if I can [run 365 marathons in a year], than anyone can…do something about their weight problem” quote. Really, Stefaan? If I’m (a) overweight, or (b) very sedentary, you think that me seeing you run a marathon a day is going to inspire me? From personal experience, I know my friends (who are themselves in shape and fitness oriented) already think I’m nuts to have run 5 marathons over the past 6 years. The idea that this incredibly aggressive and outrageous fitness stunt is going to inspire someone to begin a daily exercise routine is ludicrous. All it does it make people even more intimidated to start by making it seem hard. Exercise is all about establishing a manageable routine within the confines of normal life and 26.2 x 365 ain’t it.

Third, as I tweeted yesterday, “moderation bro.” Yes, exercise is good for you. Is running four hours per day good for you? Sure isn’t. Nevermind the physical toil of that routine, focusing on any single aspect of life that thoroughly is unhealthy. While we all have our stretches where one aspect of life must dominate, fighting to return to a more balanced distribution is important. Stefaan’s example is decidedly unbalanced and not something to be emulated.

Look, as a runner, I have immense respect for the physical and mental toughness (nevermind the logistical coordination to simply line up that many races in a row) that Stefaan clearly possesses. I also think establishing and accomplishing a really difficult goal is a wonderful personal achievement. But, Stefaan, leave the rest of us out of this. If you wanted to help people, you could have raised money and/or awareness for any number of worthy causes. You did this for yourself and to pretend this is anything other than a self-centered quest for publicity and a Guinness World Record is disingenuous.

Planning a Getaway

16 Jan

Well, the holidays are over. Now what?

For much of the world, the holiday hangovers have passed and ushered in a new reality – winter, New Years resolutions (diets, newbies at the gym), and the prospect of several work holiday-less months. Its enough to drive a man to drink…if the reduction of that itself hadn’t been a New Year’s resolution. Fear not, Pursuits readers, a simple tonic exists for those doldrums – plan a trip.

For many of us, while our bank accounts may be depleted as the new year arrives, our vacation day stockpiles have just received a desperately needed infusion. Here’s how to start plotting them out:

Allow Yourself to Dream

While it may not truly be possible for you to actually head anywhere in the world, allowing yourself to brainstorm in this manner will highlight what your ambitions are for 2011 travel. Think about the places you’ve seen on TV and in films, read about in books or magazines, or heard friends talking about. The act of brainstorming all these new and exciting places will generate not only travel ideas but also excitement and make you more likely to follow through on planning a trip.

Still need help? Try these sites to help spark ideas:

Wanderfly – A personalized recommendation engine that helps you discover new and exciting experiences, based on your budget and interests.

Joobili – Offers time-sensitive travel inspiration specific to your travel dates and interests, with the idea that when you go is as important as where you go.

Make a Choice

This may sound simplistic, but the necessary act of actually committing to a destination is the largest hurdle for many people. I am often asked:

  • What made you decide to go to Turkey? (for one reason – see here)
  • Why would you choose Colombia? (its seriously safe – military helo notwithstanding)

The truth is, I rarely have an earthshaking reason.  My responses generally go something like this: “Well, for one, I’ve never been. Also, the flight was cheap.”  That’s it. Clearly we all have places we have dreamed of traveling to or experiences that occupy high real estate on our bucket lists and if its time for one of those trips, I envy you. But, don’t pressure yourself. Make a choice and start planning – that’s where the real fun begins. The only bad vacations are the ones talked about, but never taken.

Enjoy the Preparation

While the health benefits of vacation are well-documented, I strongly believe there are similar (at least mental) health benefits of having a vacation planned and preparing therefor. In between trips, my buddies and I always lament that “we need to get something on the calendar asap!” For me, the enjoyment and contentment I feel from anticipating, preparing and planning for a trip is equal to the travels themselves. Embrace the planning – buy a guidebook (I’m a huge Lonely Planet fan, myself), poll your Twitter and Facebook friends to see who’s been and what they recommend, and seek out online resources like Matador Travel and BootsnAll. Diving into trip planning will not only highlight awesome attractions at your destination and make your ultimate trip more organized, but also extend the “vacation” feeling and excitement.

Finally, enjoy the journey. Load up your pack, turn off those Blackberrys and embrace your long-awaiting (and well-planned) trip!