Uber’s mission statement is “We reimagine the way the world moves for the better.” On their website, they go into even more detail:
We are Uber. The go-getters. The kind of people who are relentless about our mission to help people go anywhere and get anything and earn their way. Movement is what we power. It’s our lifeblood. It runs through our veins. It’s what gets us out of bed each morning. It pushes us to constantly reimagine how we can move better. For you. For all the places you want to go. For all the things you want to get. For all the ways you want to earn. Across the entire world. In real time. At the incredible speed of now.
We are a tech company that connects the physical and digital worlds to help make movement happen at the tap of a button. Because we believe in a world where movement should be accessible. So you can move and earn safely. In a way that’s sustainable for our planet. And regardless of your gender, race, religion, abilities, or sexual orientation, we champion your right to move and earn freely and without fear. Of course, we haven’t always gotten it right. But we’re not afraid of failure, because it makes us better, wiser, and stronger. And it makes us even more committed to do the right thing by our customers, local communities and cities, and our incredibly diverse set of international partners.
The idea for Uber was born on a snowy night in Paris in 2008, and ever since then our DNA of reimagination and reinvention carries on. We’ve grown into a global platform powering flexible earnings and the movement of people and things in ever expanding ways. We’ve gone from connecting rides on 4 wheels to 2 wheels to 18-wheel freight deliveries. From takeout meals to daily essentials to prescription drugs to just about anything you need at any time and earning your way. From drivers with background checks to real-time verification, safety is a top priority every single day. At Uber, the pursuit of reimagination is never finished, never stops, and is always just beginning.
Uber’s mission statement is all about movement. More than just a cab company, they’re intent on continually reënvisioning how people and things get around. This mission has no end point: if Uber completely transformed how people get around, following this mission statement would mean transforming movement all over again.
Alongside movement, Uber is also deeply interested in enabling people to make money. Their full mission statement uses the word ‘earn’ six times, promising that Uber will help you “move and earn safely”, “freely”, and “without fear.” As one of the central companies to the newfound gig economy, Uber is changing not just how people get around, but also how they get paid.
Previous Uber Mission Statements
Uber’s mission statement has shifted twice over the years. Originally, it was to “Make transportation as reliable as running water, everywhere, for everyone.”
In some ways, this is technically more of a vision statement; where a vision offers an audacious but achievable goal, a mission statement is ongoing and doesn’t have a set ‘win’ condition. As Uber’s full mission statement notes, “the pursuit of reimagination is never finished, never stops, and is always beginning.”
Uber’s decision to replace its original mission statement, then, might indicate that they accomplished or abandoned this original vision – more on that in a minute.
In any case, Uber first changed its mission statement in 2018, to “We ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion.” Ultimately, they didn’t stick with this mission statement for very long. In 2021, they switched their mission statement again, to their current one: “We reimagine the way the world moves for the better.”
Uber Vision Statement
Uber does not currently have a public-facing vision statement. Their original mission, however, could be considered one: “Make transportation as reliable as running water, everywhere, for everyone.” This is the kind of ambitious but achievable long-term goal that makes for a great vision statement.
So have they accomplished it?
Not quite. They’ve succeeded in making Uber’s ride service accessible and ubiquitous across the many countries they operate in. But you can’t get an Uber anywhere. Some countries, such as Germany and Italy, have banned Uber in most cities. In other places, most notably China, Uber has sold their operations and withdrawn.
Still, Uber’s achievements are very impressive. So where do they go from here?
Lately, they’ve been less focused on entering new international markets than in broadening the types of movement they provide. That includes their expansion efforts in food delivery, electric scooters, and, most recently, freight.
Their mission statement gives them even more room to grow. At its broadest definition, movement can include anything from exercise to social change. Although Uber has yet to develop a fresh dance move, doing so would technically fit within the scope of their current mission statement.
Uber Company Values
Uber’s values are as follows:
- Go get it: Bring the mindset of a champion
- Trip obsessed: Make magic in the marketplace
- Build with heart: We care
- Stand for safety: Safety never stops
- See the forest and the trees: Know the details that matter
- One Uber: Bet on something bigger
- Great minds don’t think alike: Diversity makes us stronger
- Do the right thing: Period
Uber has often defined its culture in terms of ambition – sometimes to the point of aggression. In its early days, Uber was even a confrontational place to work; the New York Times characterized it as “a Hobbesian environment, in which workers are sometimes pitted against one another and where a blind eye is turned to infractions from top performers.”
This culture reached a reckoning point after whistleblower and former Uber employee Susan Fowler published a blog post detailing sexual harassment and discrimination at the company. In the ensuing scandal, Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick stepped down as CEO, and the company hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation of the company’s culture.
One of that law firm’s recommendations was to “Reformulate Uber’s 14 Cultural Values.” Among other things, the firm recommended Uber “eliminate those values which have been identified as redundant or as having been used to justify poor behavior, including Let Builders Build, Always Be Hustlin’, Meritocracy and Toe-Stepping, and Principled Confrontation.” The firm urged Uber adopt new values in their place, specifically “values that are more inclusive and contribute to a collaborative environment, including emphasizing teamwork and mutual respect, and incorporating diversity and inclusiveness as a key cultural value, not just as an end in itself, but as a fundamental aspect of doing good business.”
You can view Uber’s current values here, including a more detailed description of what each one means to the company. You can see their original values – alongside those that briefly replaced them, from 2019 to 2021 – in this blog article.