Table Of Contents For “The Uber Effect”

One of my goals before the year ends tonight (and surge pricing kicks in) was to (mostly) complete the Table Of Contents for my upcoming book on Uber, The Uber Effect. Well, here it is, see below. I’m sure it will change a bit, but this finally gives me a clear roadmap to research and write from. To set expectations, I want to write a shorter book (a quick read) and have it be the type of book that anyone can read over 2-3 days. All of the items below are subtopics I’m generally interested in, so it should be a fun project for 2015.

Earlier today, I read an article from The Economist which discussed Uber, saying that “[Uber] has profound implications for everything from the organisation of work to the nature of the social contract.” Wow, that is a big statement, but I believe it is true. That’s what’s motivating me to write this. Thanks for reading and for everyone who has helped and shared ideas along the way!

Preface (link)

Introduction

Chapter I: An Age Of Urbanization

Restoration of The City-State
Urban Politics and Transportation Infrastructure
Fragmented Monopolies, Unified Mobile Operating Systems

Chapter II: Changing Consumer Behaviors

Major Behavioral Economics Shift
Shift from Consumption to Collaborative Consumption
The End Of Ownership & Scheduling
Online Behavior and Monitoring/Scoring
Employee Preferences Behavior

Chapter III: Mobile-Enabled Technologies

Satellites
Mapping and Navigation
Smartphones and GPS Proliferation
Cloud Computing and Machine Learning
Payment Technologies
Engaged Networks Versus Government and Laws

Chapter IV: The Rise of Uber

Remote Control For Life
Fighting Gloves: Cab Commissions, Airports, Governments
Founders’ Profiles
Founder Psychology
City Launcher Strategy (Sun Tzu & Military Strategy)
Internationalization: Distributed Logistics Platform
Millennials and Theory Call Avoidance
Mobile On-Demand Economies
New Rider Credits & Referral Systems
The Competition and Ruthless Execution
Mobile API & Partnerships (ex: Google Maps, United Airlines)
Platform Rake and Rate of Free Cash Flows (Amazon)
Creating An End-To-End Retail Experience
Private Financing History
UberKittens, Uber Ice Cream, Surge Pricing, and Controversies
[Rider and Passenger Interviews]
Competition: Google, Amazon, and Various Startups

Chapter V: The Uber Effect

Car Ownership and Parking
Major Shift In Labor Markets
Effects on Peer-to-Peer Commerce and Interactions
Changes In City Politics and Urban Transportation
Changes In Logistics Management (Freight, First Mile, Last Mile)
Verticalized or Horizontal Platforms and Services?
Platform Currencies and Exchange Rates
Location-Based Networks
On-Demand Economies and Mobile Commerce
Driverless Cars and Autonomous Navigation

Closing

Sources and Appendix