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smitchy's review
4.0
Airbnb and Uber are now such household names it is easy to forget that less than 10 years ago they were just struggling startups in the cutthroat world of Silicon Valley. Now they are ubiquitous around the world. They have reshaped markets, government policies, and the way we think. They have changed technology and the rules of business. Whether you agree with their philosophies and business practices or not the fact remains that in 10 short years they have become two of the fastest growing companies the world has ever seen, joining the likes of Google, Amazon and Facebook.
This is a book about who started the companies, the people who drove them, opposed them, built them and own them. I was torn between appreciation of their audacity and drive, and being appalled at the complete lack of concern for legalities or ethics.
Brad Stone's book is remarkably comprehensive: He has interviewed people at the top of each company along with workers, investors, customers, rivals, politicians, taxi drivers, house sharers, neighbours, lawyers and anyone else connect to either company. He even mentions the people he tried to interview but couldn't.
The stops and starts, failures and successes each business has had are explored. Above all these two companies are tech giants, made possible by the smartphone boom. Neither could have thrived the way it has before now. They are products of the time and an indication of things to come. The Upstarts is a fascinating look at how technology is changing business and how quickly other companies need to adapt if they want to complete.
Highly recommend for anyone in business, tech or interested in society.
This is a book about who started the companies, the people who drove them, opposed them, built them and own them. I was torn between appreciation of their audacity and drive, and being appalled at the complete lack of concern for legalities or ethics.
Brad Stone's book is remarkably comprehensive: He has interviewed people at the top of each company along with workers, investors, customers, rivals, politicians, taxi drivers, house sharers, neighbours, lawyers and anyone else connect to either company. He even mentions the people he tried to interview but couldn't.
The stops and starts, failures and successes each business has had are explored. Above all these two companies are tech giants, made possible by the smartphone boom. Neither could have thrived the way it has before now. They are products of the time and an indication of things to come. The Upstarts is a fascinating look at how technology is changing business and how quickly other companies need to adapt if they want to complete.
Highly recommend for anyone in business, tech or interested in society.
nickjagged's review against another edition
After the introductory chapter, this book starts off talking about criticism of Airbnb as "Some of them [housing activists] are looking to to score political points by vilifying a high-profile target." Oh, no, the horror, those dastardly *checks paper* activists fighting for *checks paper again* affordable housing. Not feeling like slogging through ten hours of fawning adoration for these chumps.
cheapasiandad's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating behind the scenes look at the rise of Uber and Airbnb
Really enjoyed this book. Lots of great insight into how these companies came to be and the conflict that arose between the old establishment and the new upstarts.
Really enjoyed this book. Lots of great insight into how these companies came to be and the conflict that arose between the old establishment and the new upstarts.
jordan_e's review against another edition
5.0
This book takes a very close look at the two "Gig Economy" startups, Uber and AirBnB, two services I have used in increasing frequency over the last couple years. It's really cool hearing about all the behind-the-scenes politics. I couldn't believe how much raw struggle the founders went through to just get their idea heard and validated...no one even thought they'd amount to anything (in the beginning). Just like superhero stories, this is a true rags-to-riches tale, with alot of interesting twists and turns that kept me interested the whole way through.
The author sometimes switches between telling the Uber side of the story and then switches to AirBnB's side. They don't really intertwine until much later into the companies' success years. So this book is really two stories told as one, simply done this way because they have similarities in timelines and equal degree of political struggles.
A strong recommend for anyone who wants to peek behind the veil of what will become the new normal in our day to day life.
Story: 4/5
Re-readability: No
The author sometimes switches between telling the Uber side of the story and then switches to AirBnB's side. They don't really intertwine until much later into the companies' success years. So this book is really two stories told as one, simply done this way because they have similarities in timelines and equal degree of political struggles.
A strong recommend for anyone who wants to peek behind the veil of what will become the new normal in our day to day life.
Story: 4/5
Re-readability: No
shawnwhy's review
4.0
pretty detailed chronicle of the rise of internet-sharing based coporations such as Uber, and Air Bnb, their Struggle with Government regulation, International and domestic competitors, and Internal Conflicts, especially with hothead CEOs and stuff.