# Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-11-29
- Length: 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit

## Summary

John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft, discusses the company's fierce competition with Uber, explaining how they survived as underdogs by focusing on values and treating drivers well rather than engaging in a 'blood sport' of disruption. He details Lyft's evolution from a simple ride-sharing app to a broader transportation-as-a-service platform involving bikes, scooters, and autonomous vehicles, while addressing the unintended consequence of increased urban traffic. Zimmer emphasizes that Lyft's mission to replace car ownership and improve equity has driven their strategic decisions, including advocating for congestion pricing and public transit investment, despite the challenges of scaling from a small team to a large enterprise.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=0) Introduction: John Zimmer and Lyft's Scale
- [2:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=124) The Origin: 'Your Friend with a Car' and Utilization
- [4:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=245) Competition with Uber: The Underdog Strategy
- [8:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=481) How Competition Improved Lyft's Product
- [10:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=600) Future Vision: Transportation as a Service
- [12:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=753) Scaling and Unintended Traffic Consequences
- [15:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-11-29-lyfts-john-zimmer-at-the-hibt-summit#t=915) The Importance of 'Why' Over 'What'

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Lyft (company)
- Uber (company)
- Uber X (product)
- Rent the Runway (company)
- Airbnb (company)

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