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Everything you need to know about The Fountainhead, a book that inspires Uber's billionaire CEO Travis Kalanick
Everything you need to know about The Fountainhead, a book that inspires Uber's billionaire CEO Travis Kalanick
Jul 26, 2021, 12:47 IST
Travis Kalanick is a fan of Rand — but especially "The Fountainhead."
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In an interview with the Washington Post, Kalanick referred to the Twitter avatar, and said: "It’s less of a political statement. It’s just personally one of my favorite books. I’m a fan of architecture."
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The Fountainhead's hero is a principled rebel who refuses to back down from his beliefs, even if it means violating society's rules and norms.
A common theme driving innovation in Silicon Valley is disruption.
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Kalanick also refuses to back down from doing what he thinks is right, even if society doesn't always agree.
One of the biggest themes of Rand's The Fountainhead is the importance of individuality and selfishness.
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Uber's very aggressive tactics against competitor Lyft could be seen as embodying this "winner-takes-all" approach.
The Fountainhead paints journalism and journalists in a negative light.
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Uber has suffered from its share of public relations mishaps when dealing with journalists.
The Fountainhead admires laborers because they're individuals, but thinks they're to be feared as a group.
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Uber does not consider its drivers to be full-time employees.