Super Pumped: La batalla por Uber

I worked for several Silicon Valley start ups 25 to 30 years ago when the Valley was in its hey day. It's the reason I started my own company - I could no longer stand to work for domineering egotistical management. Super Pumped is a bit over the top in some ways but also an accurate depiction of today's tech start ups. People need to understand the mentality of these 'disruptive' genius's. Guys like Larry Ellison (founder of Oracle) was very much like the Uber founder - a ton of hype and in the end very successful but he did many under-handed things to get there (like shipping blank installation disks in the 90's because the product wasn't ready for prime time despite Ellison saying it was, plus Oracle's misleading and deceptive sales and ads).

Travis Kalanick is what Silicon Valley is today what Larry Ellison was 30 years ago. I do remember Uber going through terrible growing pains and they had to deal with hypocrites and corruption in local governments. I also vividly remember when NYC banned Uber for a short time until locals and businesses fought back against DiBlasio. I did a lot of business in NYC and can verify that the cabs at that time (10 years ago) were God awful. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, had sympathy for them and their broken down beat up unsafe cars and bad attitude cabbies. They overcharged and cabbies were blatantly dishonest. I started using Uber the moment it was available. Uber was a breath of fresh air at the time. However, today Uber has lost its luster imo due to inconsistent rates, unhappy drivers and surge pricing that customers despise. This limited Showtime series accurately depicts Uber's fight for relevancy. I specifically remember their 'Grayball' tactics on the West coast. Everyone was rooting for them at that time and they were very creative in getting around the rules until city after city finally accepted them. I have 2 beefs with this series: 1. Kyle Chandler plays the same role he plays in everything he does. He's ok in this series but not great imo.

2. I enjoy JGL as the Uber CEO/founder but it is highly dramatized and does have that Billions feel to it. He's good though in the role he's playing.

Overall it's a good watch and a *relatively* accurate depiction of Uber's struggle (and continued struggle) for profitability. It's stock price today is about half of the $45 IPO when it went public in 2019. It's been a terrible investment for shareholders. It's a business that burns through tons cash due to the high variable costs of scaling the business to meet demand. This series accurately depicts Uber's struggles and the ego's that get in the way of success.

Billions reformatted. Same writers. Same quote laden dialogue in a way that no one actually talks. It gets old. I'm sick of billions and hesitant on this one. I'll watch because I drove for Uber for 5 years, but not sure how long I can take it.

I see a lot of people comparing this to The Social Network & Wolf of Wall Street...you know, 2 of the best movies of the 21st century, directed by one of the best directors (Fincher/Scorsese) alive, written by one of the most accomplished screenwriters of our time (Sorkin/Winter), with one of the best scores/soundtracks (Reznor & Ross/standard Scorsese), and great actors in pretty much every role in the movie. Besides maybe Succession & Better Call Saul, what else currently on TV can even be mentioned in the same sentence as The Social Network or Wolf of Wall Street? I guess maybe Atlanta but even that isn't to the same level.

Super Pumped is a fun show about the pretty crazy story of Uber's genesis. I thought they were taking a lot of liberties with the story but besides JGL's portrayal of Travis, it shocked me how much of this actually happened, even scene for scene recreations of certain events. Unlike The Dropout & WeCrashed, which are slightly better shows, this one seems to be sticking to the facts a little more closely when it comes to plot.

I can see why this show isn't for everyone, it's not supposed to be some serious meditation on Kalanick or some cinematic masterpiece like TSN or an Oscar winner packed drama-comedy like WofWS...it's a very specific look at what things were like at Uber, testosterone fueled fast paced corrupt etc and the show reflects that. The pacing is excellent as is the analog synth score. There's a really great cast involved (JGL interestingly is probably the worst part since he's nothing like Kalanick but even he grew on me) and the show is undeniably fun. The show is narrated by an uncensored Quinten Tarantino which I think also tells you more than I could with further description. Those are actually some of my least fav parts of the show but they set the tone perfectly.

I would recommend this show for anyone who is interested in Uber's history and likes a fun fast paced show. This is by the "Billions" guys and the tone is exactly the same. Just like Billions once you get used to the style there's some great stuff in there. Who this isn't for is anyone looking for a more documentary take or even a serious dramatic take on Uber (although the irony is that this is more accurate than TSN or WofWS was by far) but rather a fun retelling of a wild story. I have pretty discerning taste when it comes to TV and I thoroughly enjoy watching this show so I would say at least give it a try...especially since the first episode was the least interesting imo.

This review will be in the minority here - and I get it. The characters in the show are over-the-top, one-dimensional and almost cartoon-like in the way they're portrayed.

So why the "10"? Because ... that's what it's really like with some founders and their corporate entourage / enablers. If you've lived through that experience, like many of us who've been involved in high-growth Silicon Valley startups, it's scary real.

There are brilliant founders out there with god-complexes and a reality-bubble surrounding them. It's like a distortion field. You get close enough and you start buying into the warped reality they have. The more successful company becomes - the stronger the bubble gets.

Anyway - while this won't be great viewing for everyone, to those who've lived through stuff like this, it can be captivating. To be on the outside and look into the crazy, fevered frenzy that sucks people in like a cult is quite an opportunity for reflection and learning.

So - that's why for me, it has to be a "10".

"Super Pumped" (S01, 7 eps, 1-hr, Showtime) is an engaging docudrama of the rise and fall of Travis Kalanick and his Uber empire. You get to see him at his best and worst where the distance between those two is ever so slight. Whatever you think of him, his story as told here is pretty riveting. BTW, this story wraps with the season finale. I don't see how there's a second season unless it tells another's rise/fall.