The Upstarts
by Brad Stone
Uber and Airbnb from founding to dominance, by The Everything Store's author: the near-identical founders who nearly did not start, the regulatory wars, the culture problems. Balanced reporting.
Read it if…
you want the real story of the two defining 2010s startups.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want a hero narrative.
Try instead: Barbarians at the Gate →
Three things you will actually use
- Both companies almost did not happen.
- Regulation is a competitor.
- Culture scales, good or bad.
Do this first
Read the Airbnb early chapters.
Our verdict
Uber and Airbnb, reported.
See the book →
Compare with other Entrepreneurship books
Barbarians at the Gate
Bryan Burrough and John Helyar · Entrepreneurship
The definitive deal story.
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