Business · Book club
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber book club questions
Here are 12 book club questions for Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. Copy them, print them, or bring them up one at a time.
Super Pumped is New York Times technology reporter Mike Isaac's account of Uber's rise from a San Francisco startup to a $70 billion company — and of the internal chaos, ethical failures, and leadership battles that nearly destroyed it.
Mike Isaac · 2019 · 6h 0m
Full summary and key takeaways →The 12 questions
- 1.
Isaac portrays Kalanick as someone whose strengths and failures were inseparable. Is there a version of Uber that succeeds without his particular brand of aggression?
- 2.
At what point should Uber's board have intervened, and what made it difficult for them to do so earlier?
- 3.
Susan Fowler published her account as a personal blog post rather than going through institutional channels. What does it mean that this was more effective?
- 4.
Uber's surge pricing created consistent controversy but also demonstrably improved driver supply. How should companies handle economically rational policies that feel unfair to customers?
- 5.
How much of Uber's culture was a product of Kalanick's personality versus a product of the incentive structures that venture capital creates?
- 6.
The 'move fast and break things' ethos is celebrated during the growth phase. Who pays the cost when things break?
- 7.
Uber's expansion playbook involved deliberately operating in jurisdictions where ride-sharing was illegal. Is that defensible, or is it simply regulatory capture dressed as disruption?
- 8.
How did Uber's employees rationalize participating in a culture they individually might have found troubling? What makes that kind of rationalization easier?
- 9.
What accountability did Uber's early investors bear for the culture they helped fund?
- 10.
The Waymo case over stolen autonomous vehicle technology illustrated how talent mobility creates legal and competitive risk. How should companies manage this?
- 11.
Isaac seems to view Kalanick with some sympathy despite cataloging his failures. Do you share that reading?
- 12.
What has changed at Uber since Kalanick's removal, and what does the company's subsequent trajectory suggest about how much culture can change after a leadership transition?
How to run the discussion
- Pick six to eight, not all of them. An hour of real discussion covers fewer questions than anyone expects, and racing the list is what makes a book club feel like homework.
- Open with what people noticed, not what they concluded. Asking for a verdict first hardens opinions before anyone has heard each other.
- Let the disagreement run. The questions below that split a room are the ones worth the time; the ones everyone answers the same way can be skipped.
- Ask the quiet person a specific question. A direct, narrow question is far easier to answer than an open invitation to contribute.
Themes worth steering toward
If the conversation stalls, these are the threads that usually restart it.
Common questions
What are good book club questions for Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber?
Here are 12 book club questions for Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber by Mike Isaac, ordered to open easily and end somewhere worth arguing about. The strongest openers ask what each reader noticed rather than what they concluded, and the discussion usually turns on startup culture, leadership failure, silicon valley.
How long should a book club discussion of Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber last?
Most groups run 60 to 90 minutes of actual discussion. That is roughly six to eight questions, not all of them, so pick the ones that suit your group rather than working down the list in order.
What are the main themes in Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber?
Startup culture, Leadership failure, Silicon Valley, Corporate governance, Disruption. Those are the threads most likely to divide a room, which makes them the useful places to steer a discussion that has gone quiet.
Picking the next one? See books like Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber or questions for other book club picks.
