• THE DOCK
  • Posts
  • Before Uber was Uber... it was a black car and a big gamble

Before Uber was Uber... it was a black car and a big gamble

06 Jun

Brought to you by Founders Arm.

Founders Arm recruits virtual assistants trained on B2B sales, cold outreach, influencer management, and founder admin tasks.

They work with some of the fastest growing consumer apps and B2B AI startups in SF.

See if you need an assistant for under $2k/mo: FoundersArm.com

Hey there, let me tell you a story.

Before “Uber” became a verb, it was just a small black car service in San Francisco.

No TikToks.
No billboards.
No commercials.

Just a buggy app, a few founders, and one really smart idea:
Let people do the marketing for you.

Let’s break down how Uber got people talking, made their product impossible to ignore, and turned everyday riders into their best salespeople without spending millions on ads.

And more importantly:
How you can do the same thing, even if you’re just starting out.

Step 1: Make Your First Users Feel Like Insiders (Not Customers)

Uber didn’t launch to the whole city.
They picked one ZIP code 94105 and started small.

But more importantly, they picked who to launch to.

Not random people.

They chose:

  • Startup founders

  • Investors

  • Tech employees

  • Event organizers

Why them?
Because they talk. A lot.
And people listen to them.

Uber gave them early access, made them feel special, and let them be the first to try something new.

They even got:

  • VIP invites at events

  • One on one onboarding

  • Fancy launch parties

  • Messaging that made it feel exclusive (“black car access”)

The big idea: Start with people who love to talk.
Give them something that makes them feel ahead of the curve.

Ask yourself:

  • Who in your space loves to discover new things?

  • Who has a network that listens to them?

  • How can you make them feel like they're part of something private, even elite?

That’s your version of Uber’s “black car.”

Step 2: Make the Experience Worth Showing Off

Uber didn’t just give you a ride.

They gave you a black car. A driver in a suit. No cash, no hassle.

It felt premium.

But the real trick?
It looked impressive.

When someone pulled up to dinner in an Uber, everyone noticed.
It wasn’t just about how it felt. It was about how it looked to others.

They turned rides into free ads because people naturally shared the experience.

Here’s how you can do that:

  • Make your product visible in the real world or online

  • Add little moments that are fun to share (like a cool animation, a funny message, or a unique design)

  • Think: “Would someone show this to a friend?”

If it’s boring or invisible, it won’t spread.

But if it sparks curiosity or makes someone feel cool, you won’t need to beg for attention.

People want things that make them look good, not just feel good.

Step 3: Give People a Reason to Share (That Doesn’t Feel Like Selling)

Most referral programs are junk.

They give you a weird reward. Or they ask too soon. Or they make you do too much.

Uber made it stupid simple:

“Give a ride. Get a ride.”

$10 for you. $10 for your friend. No explanation needed.

But what really worked?

  • They asked after you had a good experience

  • The message came from you, not Uber

  • It looked like a personal gift, not a marketing pitch

“Ali just sent you a free ride.”

Want to copy that?

  • Wait until the person has gotten value before asking them to share

  • Make the reward directly tied to the product (free credits > merch)

  • Personalize it so it feels like a favor, not a coupon

The best referrals don’t look like referrals.
They look like doing a friend a solid.

Step 4: Go Where People Already Hang Out

Uber didn’t try to build a crowd from scratch.

They went where the crowd already was.

  • Tech conferences like TechCrunch

  • Parties during Fashion Week

  • SXSW in Austin

  • Big local events that needed transport

And every time, they added a little surprise:

  • Free rides

  • Celebrity drivers

  • Helicopter pickups

  • Ice cream trucks ordered through the app

These stunts weren’t random.
They made Uber part of the moment and the conversation.

Ask yourself:

  • Where is your audience already spending time?

  • What would it look like to show up there with something cool or helpful?

  • How can you become part of the event, not just a vendor?

You don’t need to go viral.

You just need to show up in the places that people are already talking and give them something worth remembering.

Step 5: Use Simple Data to Make Yourself Look Big

Uber gave early users access to live stats.
Not just personal data, real time numbers about the city.

Like:

  • How many rides were taken that day

  • Which areas had the most demand

  • How fast cars were arriving

It made Uber feel big like it wasn’t just a startup, but the future of transportation.

You can do the same thing.

  • Share milestones (“We just hit 1,000 projects”)

  • Show a live map of users or orders

  • Give people their own fun dashboard (Spotify Wrapped-style)

People believe numbers.
And numbers make your product feel real, useful, and growing.

TL;DR Uber’s Word of Mouth Playbook

You don’t need millions in ad spend. You just need to build for humans.

  • Launch to the loudest people, not everyone

  • Make the experience feel (and look) impressive

  • Let people share it without feeling like salespeople

  • Show up where conversations are already happening

  • Use simple data to feel real and trusted

If you’re building something new, ask yourself this:

“How would this product look if it was designed to spread on its own?”

Then work backward from that.

That’s not a hack.
That’s how people work.

And if you understand that, you’ll never need a billboard.

Until next time,
Omar Waseem