What do you do when you're handed a $0 marketing budget… and you're launching a credit-card-based app in a country where only 2% of people have credit cards?

Oh — and no one trusts your company?

If you're Akshay BD, you figure it out.

Follow Akshay on X: https://x.com/akshaybd

This week, I’m joined by Akshay — one of Uber India’s earliest employees — who shares the chaos of launching Uber in a cash-based, low-tech, regulation-light market. A country that couldn’t be further from the original Uber model.

From handing out iPhones to suspicious drivers… to fending off police raids, political bans, and near deportations — this is a masterclass in scrappy execution under pressure.

We talk about recruiting the “unhireables,” building policy from scratch, and what it was really like working alongside Travis Kalanick during Uber’s most explosive years.

One of the funniest, sharpest, and most insightful convos we’ve had yet. Let’s go!!

🎯 Topics Covered:

00:00 – The wild way Uber hired in new cities

02:00 – Growing up in Bangalore, debating on Orkut

04:00 – Standup comedy to Uber India

08:30 – Launching Uber in a market with 2% credit cards

11:00 – Convincing drivers Uber wasn’t a scam

14:00 – Making $0 marketing feel like magic

19:00 – The 2014 assault incident and national crisis

24:00 – Becoming “interim head of public policy” overnight

28:00 – Travis gets detained at the airport before meeting India’s Prime Minister

33:00 – Teaching startup culture at scale

41:00 – Why Uber taught you to make lemonade out of thin air

44:00 – Post-Uber lessons, crypto, and what’s next

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🎧 Listen to the full episode:

🔹 Spotify: https://earlypod.com/spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts: https://earlypod.com/apple

🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Let’s build this together.

👉 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment — I want to hear from you!!

📩 Thoughts or guest ideas? Email me: max@earlypod.com

📱 Follow for daily updates:

• 🐦 X (Twitter): https://earlypod.com/x

• ✨ TikTok: https://www.earlypod/tt

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• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.earlypod/li

• 📩 Newsletter: https://earlypod.com/subscribe

What would you do if someone offered you $1.8 million to sabotage Uber?

That’s exactly what happened to Eric Wimer, one of the early operators at Uber, who helped launch and scale the Philly and Vegas markets from scratch. In this episode of The Early Pod, Eric reveals the untold story of the bribe, the chaos of the early days, and the wild tactics Uber used to win — including creating a fake limo company to outsmart corrupt regulators.

This is one of the most entertaining behind-the-scenes startup stories you’ll hear — filled with lessons on grit, leadership, managing through uncertainty, and betting on yourself.

We cover:

• Why Philly’s taxi industry offered Eric $1.8M to take Uber down

• How Uber secretly launched a shell company to flood supply

• What it felt like operating in legal gray zones at age 23

• The power of Travis Kalanick’s leadership and internal culture

• How Eric turned around the Vegas market and brokered deals with top hotel groups

• His biggest management mistakes — and how he got better

• What he’s building now with Sway, a returns and delivery startup

• Why trusting your gut is one of the most underrated founder skills

If you love war stories from the frontlines of iconic startups — this one’s for you.

🎙 Hosted by Max Crowley, early Uber employee and founder of The Early Pod.

Timestamps:

00:00 – The $1.8M bribe offer

04:00 – Cold emailing Ryan Graves to land the Uber job

08:00 – Launching Uber Philly with zero cars

12:00 – Creating a fake limo company (Gaggen LLC)

16:00 – Outmaneuvering the Philadelphia Parking Authority

20:00 – Workation, Travis speeches, and the Uber culture

28:00 – Transitioning from IC to manager

34:00 – Fixing Vegas: From Uber Chopper to hotel deals

41:00 – Being true to your gut & reversing big life decisions

48:00 – Life coaching, inner work, and building Sway

52:00 – Advice for aspiring founders

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🎧 Listen to the full episode:

🔹 Spotify: https://earlypod.com/spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts: https://earlypod.com/apple

🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Let’s build this together.

👉 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment — I want to hear from you!!

📩 Thoughts or guest ideas? Email me: max@earlypod.com

📱 Follow for daily updates:

• 🐦 X (Twitter): https://earlypod.com/x

• ✨ TikTok: https://www.earlypod/tt

• 📸 Instagram: https://www.earlypod/ig

• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.earlypod/li

• 📩 Newsletter: https://earlypod.com/subscribe

My most important guest on The Early Podcast: MY MOM :).

In honor of Mother's Day... and happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!!

Meet Jay Crowley — she left home at 17, got spotted by CBS Records without a college degree, lost nearly everything on a Quiznos franchise, then reinvented herself in her 40s and built a thriving real estate business from scratch.

This episode is about resilience, reinvention, and refusing to quit—even when the odds are stacked against you.

We cover:

• What it was like growing up with an alcoholic & abusive father in the early Chicago suburbs

• Breaking into the music industry and winning sales rep of the year

• Betting the house (literally) on Quiznos — and losing

• Reinventing herself in real estate after getting fired from her first team

• The advice she gave me that helped me land my job at Uber

• And what she wants her legacy to be

It’s personal, emotional, and proof that failure isn’t fatal — and reinvention is ALWAYS possible.

If you’re into underdog stories, late-stage comebacks, or just want to hear where I got my drive and hustle... this one’s for you.

🔔 Subscribe for more real stories from early builders, unsung operators, and people who bet on themselves

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube

📸 Follow us on TikTok + IG → [@earlypod]

Follow Jay: https://www.instagram.com/jaycrowleysells/

#MothersDay #Podcast #RealEstate #StartupStories #Reinvention #WomenInSales #TheEarlyPodcast #earlypod

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🎧 Listen to the full episode:

🔹 Spotify: https://earlypod.com/spotify

🔹 Apple Podcasts: https://earlypod.com/apple

🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Let’s build this together.

👉 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment — I want to hear from you!!

📩 Thoughts or guest ideas? Email me: max@earlypod.com

📱 Follow for daily updates:

• 🐦 X (Twitter): https://earlypod.com/x

• ✨ TikTok: https://www.earlypod/tt

• 📸 Instagram: https://www.earlypod/ig

• 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.earlypod/li

• 📩 Newsletter: https://earlypod.com/subscribe