The Upstarts
How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World
By Brad Stone
About the book
Brad Stone's account of the new Silicon Valley centers on Uber and Airbnb, two companies that made riding in a stranger's car or staying in a stranger's home an everyday act. The journalist chronicles their founding and the rise of founders such as Uber's Travis Kalanick and Airbnb's Brian Chesky, whom he places in the tradition of earlier renegades like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Stone shows how these companies redefined neighborhoods, changed travel and challenged the way governments regulate business, often sidestepping ethical and legal obstacles as they grew. He also traces how Silicon Valley itself evolved alongside them, in a book published in 2017.
Ee Ling Lim, CEO of SmarterMe, suggested it as light reading for anyone considering entrepreneurship, since it covers the back-stories of Uber and Airbnb, their missteps and what it means to challenge the status quo. Craig Pearce of Kid Genius also listed it in an interview among startup stories that mix entertainment with lessons.
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This book has 2 recommendations
Recommended by Craig Pearce (Co-Founder/Kid Genius)
Source: Interview with Craig Pearce
Ee Ling Lim (CEO/SmarterMe)
It's really hard to pinpoint, but for someone who is thinking about venturing into entrepreneurship but looking for something light, I personally like The Upstarts by Brad Stone. It tells the back-stories of Uber, Airbnb - what they went through to get the business off the ground, challenges and missteps, and what it means to be building something that really challenges the status quo.
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