Getting a Lyft#RossiInSiliconValley

The simplicity of being able to press a button on your phone and have a car come meet you at the curb is something we have all become accustomed to in the past year. Whether it be a 4am run to the airport or a 4am run back to your house after throwing down in all your Friday night glory; the friendly text confirming your cars arrival is something that we rely on.

Enter Lyft. The pink mustache on the dash that signifies this is not just your normal car service. This is a company with soul. For them, it isn’t enough to simply provide someone with a ride or a driver with a bit of extra cash. It is, if you want it to be, about the experience. Being able to relate to the people who travel the same route as you and to use technology as a way to fill the social gap that technology created in the first place. Whether it be through a similar taste in music, a thought provoking podcast, or just the general ability to get to know someone, Lyft inspires an environment for conversation.

Take for example the Lyft that I ordered in downtown San Francisco. The van that came was ordinary enough on the outside, but step inside and you get transported to a scene from Willy Wonka. Candy strung on the roof and pre packaged snacks were available at the ready. Everyone that was with me was loving it and before we knew it, we were at our destination — thoughts of midday traffic escaping us. This was just one of the many “themed” vehicles that are on rotation and could be making their way to your door.

Sitting down with one of the marketing team it was clear that they were inspired by the creative. Not only was the elevator lined with pink fur (references to ‘Get Him To The Greek’ were a dime a dozen), but there was a rooftop terrace overlooking downtown used to create new ideas. It’s clearly worked, as their ability to make content go viral has been their identity. It is one of the biggest challenges that a start up company will face — finding a unique selling point and creating a campaign to introduce this to the public. Lyft has not only done this but are constantly searching for new ways to engage their audience in a way that benefits the user directly. And frankly, that’s exactly what we all want.

So as the meeting finished I quickly reached out my phone and ordered a Lyft. A couple minutes later, the same van, decked out with snacks, pulled around the corner. With a sense of familiarity I jumped in, gave him a fist bump, and we rolled on to the next stop.

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