In this episode, Harry interviews Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft, about Lyft's recent global expansion and the strategic acquisition of Free Now. Bird discusses Lyft's growth into international markets, beginning with Canada and Puerto Rico, and highlights the benefits of partnering with Free Now, a prominent taxi app operating in nine European countries. They delve into the regulatory differences between the US and European markets, the similarities in driver ethos between Lyft and Free Now, and the potential synergies from combining their technologies and experiences. The conversation also covers the significance of Lyft's operations in Canada and its micro-mobility solutions, such as bike and scooter sharing, and how these ventures align with Lyft's overall strategy, including the future integration of autonomous vehicles.

• 00:00 Introduction to Jeremy Bird and Lyft's expansion
• 01:05 How has Lyft's expansion into Canada and Puerto Rico been?
• 02:33 What is Lyft’s strategic shift to global markets?
• 05:19 What is Free Now and what are its operations?
• 07:34 How do Europe and US taxi industries compare?
• 10:34 What are the synergies and future plans for Lyft and Free Now?
• 14:33 What is Lyft's global expansion strategy?
• 15:38 How is Lyft's market penetration in Europe?
• 15:52 What are the regulatory challenges and labor relations?
• 17:17 What are the opportunities in the European market?
• 21:15 How is Lyft's growth in Canada?
• 23:50 How has Lyft been integrating micro-mobility solutions?
• 27:32 What are Lyft’s plans for autonomous vehicles?
• 29:20 Conclusion and Future Prospects

Jeremy’s LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bird-6a03aa11

In this episode, Harry speaks with Will Coleman, CEO and Co-Founder of Alto, an innovative rideshare and delivery service emphasizing safety, hospitality, and consistency. Will discusses Alto’s operations in multiple U.S. cities, their unique business model involving employed drivers and owned vehicles, and their strategic focus on fleet management as a foundation for electric and autonomous mobility.

Most importantly, the conversation delves into Alto’s newest partnership with Uber, the complexities of fleet management, and the differentiation factors contributing to their success, such as lower insurance costs and high service quality. Will also touches on the benefits and challenges of scaling, and shares insights on the future of autonomous vehicles in the rideshare industry.

• 00:00 - Introduction to Will Coleman and Alto
• 01:09 - Will's alternate bio and podcast introduction
• 02:57 - Alto's unique business model
• 04:06 - Challenges of fleet management
• 08:54 - Partnership with Uber
• 16:18 - Benefits of Alto's model for Uber
• 21:56 - Unique experience in the rideshare industry
• 23:30 - Challenges and solutions in fleet management
• 27:14 - The Alto Fleet and electrification
• 29:25 - Potential Downsides of the Partnership
• 34:00 - Alto’s Place in the Autonomous Vehicle Market
• 38:25 - Alto’s reaction to the Waymo Business
• 40:46 - Future Plans and Closing Remarks

Alto: https://ridealto.com
Will Coleman’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-coleman
RSG179: Redefining Rideshare with Alto
RSG203: An Update on Alto
Harry’s Newsletter: The Driverless Digest

In this episode, Harry speaks with Jeremy Bird, the Executive Vice President of Driver Experience at Lyft. They discuss Jeremy's role and responsibilities, including his focus on autonomous vehicles (AV) and their integration into Lyft’s services. Jeremy emphasizes the importance of having an open and honest conversation about the impact of AVs on human drivers, highlighting the potential for a hybrid future where both AVs and human-driven cars coexist. He mentions Lyft's upcoming partnership with May Mobility to introduce AVs on the platform and stresses the need for economic mobility and support for drivers. The conversation also covers Lyft’s commitment to driver earnings, transparency, and new initiatives like an enhanced rewards program and opportunities for drivers to advance or transition in their careers. Jeremy asserts that while AVs may bring changes, the goal is to grow the overall market and improve the driver and rider experience.

• 00:30 Intros
• 2:13 What is Lyft’s main focus right now?
• 5:00 Should drivers be worried about AVs?
• 7:07 What has Waymo’s growth been like?
• 10:04 How will Lyft assist drivers with the rise of AVs?
• 13:15 Will humans be an option in the future?
• 17:40 Are humans in competition with AVs?
• 25:06 Will drivers earn less money because of AVs?
• 29:29 Will driving for Lyft get better or worse in the future?
• 31:20 What is causing Lyft’s success?
• 34:53 How does Lyft compare with Uber?
• 38:48 Where to find Jeremy

https://www.lyft.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bird-6a03aa11/

https://x.com/jeremybird