The Rise and Fall of Uber and Travis KalanickFrom hard-charging rapid growth to constant damage control. What will the company's next chapter look like?

ByNina Zipkin

Spencer Platt | Getty Images

Over the pastseven years, as Uber gained in popularity and recognition, it seemed like you couldn't go anywhere without hearing about a new company that was being touted as the"Uber of X."If there was a startup with an on-demand element to its business model, comparisons to the ride-hailing startup would not be far behind.

But lately, it seems that the questions that follow Uber around are more along the lines of "What happened now?" or "What did it do this time?"

Now that Travis Kalanick has stepped down as its CEO, Uber seems poised to rebuild. Though he is not completely gone. The co-founder remains a member of the board of directors, and it seems that some employees aren't quite ready to let go of the past. According toRecode, apetitionis currently going around the Uber offices urging the board to reconsider and reinstate Kalanick in some leadership capacity.

Related:Uber Needs to Recreate its Company Culture. Here's What You Can Learn From Its Mistakes.

Whether the company will be persistently dogged by the baggage of the past few years, and particularly the fever pitch of the past few months, will in part be dictated by how Uber handles the hiring of Kalanick's successor. And who is chosen to fill the open COO, CMO and CFO positions.

But how exactly did the company get here?

According to reports inThe Wall Street Journal, this part of the saga came to an end because two investors took it upon themselves to track down and issue their demands to Kalanick at a Chicago hotel -- while he was there on company business to interview aCOO candidate. There have even beenrumblingsthat Uber wants Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, long known as essentially Facebook's ChiefGrown UpOfficer, to step into the vacated position.

So as Uber approaches its next chapter, here is a look back at the rollercoaster ride that is the fortunes of Uber and Travis Kalanick.

Will Salter | Getty Images

2008

The concept of Uber was first formed in 2008, when Kalanick and co-founder Garrett Camp were apparently frustrated trying to hail a cab in Paris.

Ted Soqui | Corbis | Getty Images

July 2010

Uber goes live on July 5, 2010, in San Francisco.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

October 2013

Uber reaches a milestone as it gains a presence in 50 cities around the world.

Aletter当时兰格尼派他的员工of a company celebration was leaked in June of 2017. Kalanick wrote about what the rules of conduct, such as they were, would be at the party, including this passage:

"Do not have sex with another employee UNLESS a) you have asked that person for that privilege and they have responded with an emphatic "YES! I will have sex with you" AND b) the two (or more) of you do not work in the same chain of command. Yes, that means that Travis will be celibate on this trip. #CEOLife #FML"

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

January 2014

Uber's competitive streak comes to light, when it is reported that Uber employees ordered andcanceledmore than 100 Gett rides in an effort torecruitdrivers. That same month, the first wrongful death suit isfiledagainst the company.

October 2014

Awareness starts to grow about the company's surge pricing practices, thanks to stories such as one about a man who got charged$539for a trip home on Halloween. A few months later, it will come out that on holidays such asValentine's Day,those price hikes are customary.
NELSON ALMEIDA | AFP | Getty Images

December 2014

Legal woes begin mounting, thanks to tangles overregulationswith city governments across thecountryfrom Massachusetts to Arkansas to Los Angeles. And it isn't just happening at home -- the company is hitting brick walls all over the world in Brazil, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

Ramesh Sharma | India Today Group | Getty Images

March 2015

After female passengers are assaulted by drivers in Boston, Chicago and New Delhi, the company makes a pledge to hire 1 million女司机around the world by 2020. At that time, 14 percent of the 160,000 employed in the United States are women.

Martin Ollman | Getty Images

October 2015

Uber is valued at$70 billion. It is a figure that it has largely maintained since then, hovering around $68 billion, making it themost valuableprivately owned startup in the world.

Marlene Awaad | Bloomberg | Getty Images

December 2015

Uber hits a significant milestone --1 billionrides on the platform.

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

August 2016

In spite of the rapid growth and sizable valuation, Uber has yet to to turn a profit.Bloombergreports that the company loses more than$1.2 billionduring the first half of 2016.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

December 2016

Uber's expansion of its self-driving car pilot program in San Francisco hits a roadblock after it isforcedto shut everything down because it did not have sufficient permits and moved the operation to Arizona. In March of 2017, Uber applied and got apermitto operate the program in San Francisco.
AUL J. RICHARDS | AFP | Getty Images

January 2017

Uber is compelled to pay$20 millionin a settlement with the FTC, after a suit was brought by the agency alleging that the company misled drivers about how much they could earn working with the company.

Kholood Eid | Bloomberg | Getty Images

February 2017

On Jan. 28, there was a protest of the executive order issued by President Donald Trump that banned citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from traveling to the U.S at New York's JFK Airport.

Uber suspended surge pricing to and from the airport during the protest, but the move wascriticizedbecause at the same time, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance were striking in solidarity. It was then that#DeleteUberbegan trending online.

On Feb. 2, Kalanickresignedfrom his position on the president's economic advisory council. In an email to his employees, he wrote, "joining the group was not meant to be an endorsement of the President or his agenda but unfortunately it has been misinterpreted to be exactly that. I spent a lot of time thinking about this and mapping it to our values."

But those values were called into question very shortly after for a different reason.

On Feb. 19, former engineer Susan Fowler publisheda blog posttitled "Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber," in which she detailed instances of systemic discrimination and sexual harassment. This post led to aninvestigationoverseen by former attorney general Eric Holder that resulted in the firing of more than 20 people and a complete overhaul of the company's culture.

Yu Lei | VCG | Getty Images

March 2017

A videosurfacesof Kalanick berating an Uber driver, which yields an apology from the then-CEO in which he says he "must fundamentally change as a leader and grow up. This is the first time I've been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it."

A week later, Kalanick says that he is looking for aCOOto help him run the company. A few weeks after that announcement is made, company President Jeff JonesleavesUber after less than a year in his position. At the end of the month, Uber releases its firstdiversity report,这表明员工demographics trend heavily white and male.

DANIEL SORABJI | AFP | Getty Images

April 2017

The number of ways that Uber hastrackedcompetitors and regulators come to light, with the reveal of software such as the one called Hell, which was used to track and recruit Lyft drivers, and a technique called "greyballing" that had been used to evade law enforcement.

GEOFF ROBINS | AFP | Getty Images

May 2017

A judge overseeing the legal battle between Alphabet self-driving car initiative Waymo and Uber -- Google's parent company is alleging that Uber stole its technology -- asked that the Department of Justiceinvestigatethe matter.

Horacio Villalobos | Corbis | Getty Images

June 2017

On June 13, Board member David Bonderman resigns from his position after making a sexist remark to fellow board member Arianna Huffington during a meeting to discuss the findings of Holder's investigation. The same day, Kalanick says that he will be taking an indefiniteleave of absence. On June 20, Kalanickresigns.
Wavy Line
Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Leadership

These Outdated Habits Are Leading to Workplace Inefficiencies And Taking a Toll on Your Productivity

No wonder companies are having trouble collaborating effectively digitally.

Business News

'This Is My Life Now': Man Hysterically Documents Elon Musk's 'X' Sign Blaring Flashing Lights Into His Bedroom Window

The sign, reportedly put up without a permit, is shining bright at X HQ in San Francisco.

Business News

'Awful Advice': Barbara Corcoran Slammed For 'Tone Deaf' Business Advice to Interns

The "Shark Tank" star shared tips on social media about how interns can increase their chances of getting hired full-time, but the public reaction didn't go as planned.

Money & Finance

Want to Become a Millionaire? Follow Warren Buffett's 4 Rules.

Too many entrepreneurs are counting too heavily on a company exit for their eventual 'win.' Do this instead.

Leadership

How Tech Leaders Should Approach Layoffs — and How to Build Trust With Remaining Employees

How tech managers deal with team and workplace trauma amid layoffs will define how companies bounce back.

Growing a Business

3 Ways Leaders Can Use Data to Grow in Shrinking Economies

商业领袖们需要找到一种方法,是有意义的of this dynamic environment and use it to their advantage — and they can do so with data. Here's how.