Today, we’re breaking down Uber. Despite a corporate history that spans just over a decade, the ink spilled on Uber could have its own wing in a library. So rather than record with our typical Breakdown format, we decided to host two portfolio managers and familiar guests on the podcast, Mario Cibelli, and Ram Parameswaran, to walk through their bull cases on Uber stock.   Uber is the case study for network effects in two-sided marketplaces but a controversial corporate culture, ongoing regulatory battles, and a debate over unit economics has made it a battleground stock since going public in 2019. During our wide-ranging conversation, we cover the opportunity for Uber’s business segments, what deteriorating service means for the product, and what COVID may have revealed regarding Ubers’ financials.   While Mario and Ram are clearly Uber bulls, it’s particularly fun to hear where their views align and differ. It’s a great reminder that we can all take very different paths to arrive at the same conclusion. Please enjoy this great breakdown of Uber.   For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss   Show Notes [00:03:16] - [First question] - What they find most interesting about Uber [00:04:40] - Major aspects of the business today in regards to bookings and revenue [00:07:47] - The importance of multiple use cases and what happens by exploring verticals [00:10:47] - History of getting drivers to join the company and what matters on the supply side [00:15:01] - Impact of higher wait times and ride prices and emerging trends in a post-covid era [00:17:48] - Thinking about Uber as a busted but booming model [00:22:31] - The unit economics and journey of $100 flowing into Uber [00:29:32] - Possible concerns and needs for capital Uber may have in the future [00:37:13] - The role that DoorDash plays in this ecosystem and where it’s a potential threat [00:39:01] - Is Lift an equally worthy competitor compared to DoorDash [00:41:59] - What we can learn about labor and regulation when studying Uber [00:43:44] - Thoughts on current management and capital allocation [00:49:56] - Parallels between Amazon Prime and Uber’s membership program  [00:52:25] - Using the accumulated data to integrate an advertising model into their app [00:56:33] - The biggest potential threats to Uber’s growing success 

Today, we are breaking down the cloud and SaaS trailblazer, Salesforce. Founded by Marc Benioff in 1999, Salesforce has grown rapidly to become the global leader in the $100 billion CRM market. The business has 150,000 customers, including 90% of the Fortune 500, and is currently valued north of $270 billion. To break down Salesforce, Patrick O’Shaughnessy is joined by Matt Garratt, general partner at VC firm CRV and former head of Salesforce Ventures, where he led investments in companies like Snowflake, Twilio, and Zoom. In our conversation, we discuss the attributes that make Marc Benioff special, how he pushed against convention to usher in a new era of cloud-based businesses, and ways in which he has built a world around Salesforce’s product lines. We also cover decision-making in the company, why its culture derives from the beaches of Hawaii, and how it’s transitioning from builder to buyer. Please enjoy this breakdown of Salesforce. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here.   -----   Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, Inc. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes.   Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here.   Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @jspujji | @zbfuss   Show Notes [00:03:14] - [First question] - What Salesforce is and what it does [00:04:55] - The scale and revenue scope of the business today [00:06:13] - Driving variables of revenue growth and their current model [00:09:10] - The unique founding story and becoming the first SaaS company [00:11:06] - What about Marc Benioff made him so compelling and successful [00:14:20] - An experience in his time at Salesforce that changed and moved him [00:15:16] - The first buyer and what they were served as a product [00:17:07] - Overview of Salesforce as a software platform [00:19:58] - The core database that powers their infrastructure and user experience [00:21:26] - Transitioning from being mostly a builder to largely a buyer and acquirer [00:23:46] - Why building trust early on is so crucial when doing something new [00:25:45] - What is Dreamforce, and how it’s evolved over time [00:27:24] - The connection between Hawaiian culture and Salesforce [00:29:14] - How they continue to market and acquire customers and spend so much on marketing [00:30:44] - Their current addressable market and plans to expand into those areas [00:35:05] - How priorities are set, picked, and followed through on  [00:35:58] - What is V2MOM and the role it plays with the executive team  [00:38:08] - The philosophy behind Salesforce Ventures and the function it serves [00:40:27] - Potential risks the business faces going forward [00:44:24] - Key characteristics that separate Salesforce from other businesses out there [00:46:47] - Lessons for investors and builders when studying Salesforce’s story