Uber's leadership lessons, AI's disruption, and the power of solo founders with Josh Mohrer | E1911

Josh Mohrer joins Jason (00:00:00)

• Josh Mohrer expresses pride in his diverse skill set and believes in the feasibility of solopreneurship.
• He highlights the rarity of business-oriented individuals venturing into coding, suggesting that this trend could revolutionize startups.
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Early Uber NY days, Travis Kalanick's leadership, and Uber NY's regulatory challenges (00:01:17)

• Josh Mohrer was hired as the first General Manager of Uber in New York City in late 2011 after impressing Uber's co-founder and former CEO, Travis Kalanick, on an episode of This Week in Startups.
• Uber's distributed leadership architecture allowed for a lot of autonomy for individuals and General Managers (GMs) in each city, who acted as mini-CEOs.
• New York City presented unique challenges for Uber due to its existing black car system, which differed from the ride-sharing model that Uber operated in other cities.
• Uber faced a significant challenge when a proposed law in July 2015 threatened to limit the addition of new cars to their platform, which would have made the Uber system unreliable and undermined its core value proposition.
• Uber successfully introduced a "deasio view" feature in the app to demonstrate the potential consequences of the proposed law to the public and policymakers, leading to the withdrawal of the restriction.

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• Uber achieved profitability by optimizing pricing and achieving economies of scale, despite initial challenges from incentives and competition.
• Habit formation played a crucial role in Uber's success, as customers continued using the service despite price increases.
• Lyft's occasional missteps provided an advantage to Uber, emphasizing the impact of competitors' actions on a company's success.
• Surge pricing, initially a flashpoint for Uber, has become common in various industries, including airfare, hotels, and restaurants.
• Popular events like concerts often employ surge pricing, making it difficult to obtain tickets at face value.
• Josh Mohrer hosts the "Daddy Daughter Podcast" with his two 8-year-old daughters, discussing various topics.

Solo entrepreneurship in tech, enabled by AI advancements (00:19:59)

• Josh Mohrer, a former Uber employee, created an AI-powered note-taking app that summarizes audio recordings, phone calls, and podcasts.
• He used ChatGPT to assist him in learning to code and writing the code for his startup.
• The app gained traction when his father used it to record and summarize a doctor's appointment.
• Mohrer focused on building the app's features based on user feedback and demand, and its subscriber base is doubling every month.
• He enjoys the direct connection with consumers and the feeling of building something without intermediaries.

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Josh demos Wave App and delves into its development journey (00:27:10)

• Josh Mohrer, a former engineer turned marketer, has introduced a new app that can record, transcribe, summarize, and translate audio.
• The app is particularly useful for recording meetings, sermons, and phone calls, with a call redirect feature to ensure compliance with local laws.
• Despite its traction with 500 paid subscribers and an ARR of $130k, the phone call recording feature needs improvement in terms of user experience.
• Mohrer believes in the era of the solopreneur, where individuals can create their own products without the need for developers, thanks to advancements in AI.
• AI co-pilots have significantly improved over the past 10 months, integrating into various applications and becoming more accessible through tools like GitHub Co-pilot and OpenAI's language models.
• AI will enhance human lives by making tasks easier and more efficient, particularly in customer support where AI-powered assistance can provide better and faster help.
• Solo founders benefit from simpler operations and potentially higher quality outcomes due to their independence.
• The internet's improved tooling and resources make it easier for small teams to create and publish their work, fostering artisanship.
• AI models may have limited knowledge due to their training cutoff, but engaging with online engineering communities can provide valuable insights.
• Mohrer stays updated on technology trends primarily through Twitter and occasionally YouTube, comparing his experience to watching a TV show from season five where solutions to problems already exist.
• Starting a business today offers more resources and tools compared to the past, making entrepreneurship more accessible.
• Uber's success can be attributed to its strong leadership, particularly Travis Kalanick's vision and determination.
• Kalanick's leadership style was characterized by a relentless pursuit of growth and a willingness to take risks.
• Uber's early success was driven by its ability to disrupt the traditional taxi industry by offering a more convenient and affordable alternative.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming various industries, including transportation, healthcare, and finance.
• AI has the potential to revolutionize industries by automating tasks, improving decision-making, and creating new opportunities.
• However, there are also concerns about the potential negative impacts of AI, such as job displacement and privacy issues.
• Solo founders, or entrepreneurs who start businesses on their own, can achieve remarkable success.
• Solo founders have the advantage of being able to make decisions quickly and adapt to changing circumstances.
• They also have the freedom to pursue their own vision without having to compromise with others.
• However, solo founders also face challenges, such as the need to wear multiple hats and the lack of a support system.
• Aspiring entrepreneurs should have a clear vision for their business and be passionate about solving a real problem.
• They should also be prepared to work hard, take risks, and learn from their mistakes.
• Building a successful business takes time, so entrepreneurs should be patient and persistent.
• It's important to surround yourself with a network of mentors, advisors, and other entrepreneurs who can provide support and guidance.

Future of work, AI in daily life, and generational tech shifts (00:41:39)

• AI tools like Chat GPT are making learning easier and more accessible, allowing users to ask questions and receive synthesized information.
• The future of education will be heavily influenced by AI, with learning shifting to online platforms and a focus on practical skills.
• Solo founders can achieve great success by building products that solve specific problems for passionate communities, even if the market size is small.
• The internet provides opportunities for individuals to create and monetize their passions, such as starting a sourdough bread app with a subscription model.
• Automation and integration with productivity tools like Notion and Coda can enhance the functionality and usability of note-taking apps.
• Embracing solopreneurship allows individuals to enjoy the freedom and creativity of working independently.
• The host encourages listeners to leave reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube, and to give the podcast a thumbs up and subscribe.