Richard

Technology has had a significant impact on consumer behavior, especially post-pandemic, with the average share of digital customer interactions going from 25% to 65% in just three years (2017-2020). With most customers using several channels when they shop, an omnichannel approach is fast becoming the rule rather than a new approach.

Back-to-school shopping is a season once dominated by brick-and-mortar, but in 2024 ecommerce was expected to grow by 7.4% compared to just 1% growth for actual brick-and-mortar sales. This means if you’re not joining the thousands of businesses out there leaning into an omnichannel approach, you’re missing out. Implementing such a strategy can give your company a good shot at grabbing customers’ attention and keeping it through a sales funnel that can wind through multiple forms of technology.

Related: This Is the Simple Marketing Hack Your Business Needs to Drive Sales All Year Long

The benefits of omnichannel

This approach has proven results. A study done by the Harvard Business Review showed customers who engage through several channels spend more both at brick-and-mortar and online than single-channel customers. But using omnichannel has benefits that go beyond the bottom line.

• Present a cohesive brand identity: A seamless strategy across multiple channels lets you display your brand identity and messaging to customers regardless of how they choose to interact with you.
• Opportunities to increase revenue: A larger number of touchpoints means the ability to interact with more prospects, and consequently, more opportunities to turn them into customers. For example, as part of my marketing consulting with startups, I’ve helped make ad retargeting a part of their strategies. It reduced cart abandonment because it showed ads through a different channel after a user abandoned their shopping cart. Research has actually shown that 26% of users return to a website if retargeted.
• Data that drives decision-making: Instead of statistics from siloed, single-channel, one-off campaigns, omnichannel data helps you better target consumers on the platforms where they will both receive and respond to your messaging.

How omnichannel strategies improve lifetime value

The customer shopping experience is very different from back in the day. Today’s technology-driven consumer is researching products on their phone, reading about other customer experiences on social media and then either ordering online or visiting a store.

While print media, billboards, and commercial media buys are still part of the landscape, customers want to be reached on any and all digital platforms and want the option of using those platforms to make purchases. Let’s look at how omnichannel can help you create returning customers.

Personalized communications

Businesses can use data from across channels to create targeted communications based on customer preferences. Examples of this include loyalty programs that let customers get rewards across channels, such as Starbucks rewards. Other examples include in-store purchases that lead to online discounts or cross-channel communications where one channel leads to customer interaction somewhere else. Examples could be an email reminder about an abandoned shopping cart or a printed card handed out at an event with a QR code that leads to a website or social media page.

Cross-selling and upselling

A holistic view of your customers’ behavior across multiple channels creates opportunities to increase awareness about and sell both complementary and premium products.

Improved customer experience

Ever had a cashier order something for you online that wasn’t in the store right from their register or tablet? I had a customer service rep do that for me in a store recently. It’s a simple example of an omnichannel experience that solves a customer problem. Omnichannel can also help customers before they even enter the store using local inventory ads. Office Depot uses mobile ads to target customers with relevant products that the customer can be assured are in stock when they visit the store.

Related: How to Build a Go-to-Market Strategy That Prevents Risk

How to tell if omnichannel is working for you

Instead of siloed data, an omnichannel marketing strategy provides data from different channels that needs to be interpreted together in order to make meaningful decisions about the direction of your customer outreach. With that in mind, below are some key metrics you should be gathering from your marketing data.

• Conversion rate: Conversion rate is the ratio of total visitors or leads to those that engage in a desired action like completing a purchase, attending an event or filling out a form for a newsletter or savings program.
• Customer lifetime value: This is the total revenue for an individual customer for the entire length of their relationship with your business. It’s basically a ratio of time to revenue, so two customers who have been with your brand for a year could have different customer lifetime values based on how much they purchased.
• Retention rate: The percentage of customers who continue to make purchases over a specified time frame. While lifetime value and retention rate are both metrics of customer loyalty, retention rate measures the percentage of customers a company keeps rather than a calculation of revenue.
• Average order value: The average spend per transaction across various channels. This metric can be broken out by channel so that you can see which channels are generating the highest value orders.

Examples of effective omnichannel strategy

The following are examples of field-tested omnichannel strategies I’ve seen firsthand.

Amazon and Whole Foods

Amazon has combined with Whole Foods to create a seamless omnichannel retail experience. Amazon One is a biometric payment system that registers a customer’s palm print, allowing them to pay for groceries by showing their hand to a scanner. Dash Wand is an affordable device that combines Alexa with a barcode scanner that is small enough to carry, allowing customers to get product information while they shop. These combined with Amazon’s easy online grocery ordering and mobile app create a true omnichannel experience.

Pharmaceuticals

As a journalist covering Salesforce in the past, I learned about this omnichannel strategy. It involves marketing to healthcare providers by having physicians and nurses opt-in to communications at one of the many company-sponsored events they attend. The names, email addresses and phone numbers are then fed into Salesforce which has a campaign set up to send them targeted, personalized communication via email or text message which drives them to engage with the company website.

Further communications are based on whether doctors and nurses click the links in emails and text messages. If they click they get messages encouraging them to attend future events. If not, they might get communication that encourages them to engage via social media.

Related: Keep This Important Marketing Principle in Mind During Economic Volatility

Leave no channel unchecked

An omnichannel strategy lets your business engage with as many customers as possible while staying agile enough to adapt to their changing preferences. The seamless incorporation of multiple channels gives you an advantageous position in the shifting landscape that is digital commerce.

Hi, I’m Dima, the founder of PitchBob.io — an AI co-pilot for corporate entrepreneurs. Our product focuses on fostering intrapreneurship within corporations by driving employee engagement and entrepreneurial behavior. However, companies first need individuals with entrepreneurial mindsets on their teams to engage employees in entrepreneurial initiatives. This article explores how and why corporations should hire entrepreneurs.

So, how and why should corporations hire entrepreneurs? At first glance, the answer might seem obvious: They shouldn’t. Entrepreneurs are seen as individuals who build startups and take risks, while corporate employees are expected to manage processes within predefined business models. However, the reality is far more complex.

In many innovation-driven ecosystems, entrepreneurs — particularly tech entrepreneurs — are viewed as modern-day icons. They inspire admiration from both ambitious teenagers and accomplished corporate professionals. While many aspire to emulate entrepreneurs, only a small fraction ever take the leap. Even fewer persevere after their first failure. Most people are drawn to the stability that traditional employment provides, a quality that seems irreconcilable with the risks and uncertainty inherent to entrepreneurship.

But among those who try and fail, some don’t give up. These are the individuals who refine their approach, try again and eventually succeed. For corporations, this tenacity makes entrepreneurs seem like ideal candidates. Entrepreneurs bring leadership skills, experience, a network of connections and expertise — qualities that corporations crave. Yet, entrepreneurs are also seen as unpredictable, overly self-reliant and difficult to integrate into rigid hierarchical structures.

This duality makes hiring entrepreneurs both an enticing and a daunting prospect for corporations. While their potential value is undeniable, their independence and unconventional approach to work often clash with traditional corporate environments.

Related: Question The Status Quo: The Value Of Having Entrepreneurial Employees In Your Organization

The corporate dilemma

Corporations have long experimented with ways to engage entrepreneurial talent. Acquiring startups to gain access to their teams, offering above-market salaries to lure entrepreneurs into corporate roles and running accelerator programs are just a few of the strategies employed. Yet, these approaches often fail to produce lasting results.

Entrepreneurs hired after accelerators or corporate-sponsored events rarely bring the expected impact. Many aren’t true entrepreneurs but rather individuals seeking stable employment. Startup teams acquired through M&A deals frequently fulfill their contractual obligations and leave to launch new ventures. Even those who stay often lose their entrepreneurial edge, becoming indistinguishable from the corporation’s existing workforce.

What corporations need to know about entrepreneurs

To successfully collaborate with entrepreneurs, corporations must learn to understand their mindset. Entrepreneurs value freedom and independence above all else. They thrive in environments where they can make decisions about what to do, how to do it and when to act. Attempts to impose excessive control or rigid structures will alienate them.

Entrepreneurs are also naturally action-oriented. They focus on execution rather than prolonged planning. They see risks as opportunities and have an inherent urgency to seize market possibilities before they vanish. This decisiveness often contrasts with the slower, consensus-driven nature of corporate decision-making.

Additionally, entrepreneurs are accustomed to shouldering responsibility. They don’t need — and often won’t tolerate — micromanagement. Instead, they expect the freedom to experiment, fail and iterate without fear of punitive consequences.

The Entrepreneur-in-Residence model

The most effective way for corporations to engage entrepreneurial talent is through an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) model. This approach allows entrepreneurs to operate in an environment that aligns with their strengths without disrupting the corporation’s existing structures. In essence, the EIR model provides entrepreneurs with a “sandbox” to innovate, experiment and develop new ideas, while the corporation benefits from their energy and expertise.

In this role, entrepreneurs can contribute to generating new ideas, exploring alternative business models and reviving dormant projects. Their fresh perspective often leads to solutions that others within the organization might overlook. By creating a dedicated space for entrepreneurial work, corporations can harness the innovative potential of these individuals without stifling their creativity.

Related: The Best of Both Worlds: How Supporting Entrepreneurial Thinkers Leads to Growth for Employers

The value of entrepreneurs in corporations

Hiring entrepreneurs under the right conditions can transform a corporation’s innovation ecosystem. Entrepreneurs bring a unique combination of traits that drive progress. Their ability to challenge the status quo often uncovers opportunities for growth that others miss. They are not constrained by internal politics or traditional workflows, allowing them to approach problems with fresh eyes.

Beyond generating ideas, entrepreneurs excel at execution. Their hands-on approach can breathe new life into stalled R&D projects or neglected ideas. Additionally, their willingness to experiment and take calculated risks often accelerates the development of new products, services or business models.

Perhaps most importantly, the presence of entrepreneurs within a corporation can inspire others. Their entrepreneurial spirit is contagious, encouraging employees to think more creatively and embrace innovation in their own roles. Over time, this can foster a cultural shift, creating a more dynamic and forward-thinking organization.

Creating the right environment

For corporations to fully leverage the potential of entrepreneurial talent, they must offer the right incentives and working conditions. Financial motivation is crucial, as entrepreneurs often prioritize long-term gains over immediate rewards. Providing equity-based compensation, such as options tied to the success of specific projects, can align their interests with those of the corporation.

Equally important is the need for autonomy. Entrepreneurs thrive in environments where they have the freedom to make decisions and act on their ideas. Bureaucratic processes and excessive oversight will only drive them away. Instead, corporations should focus on creating flexible structures that allow for experimentation and risk-taking.

Understanding the type of entrepreneur being hired is also critical. Some entrepreneurs are “sprinters” who excel at launching new ventures but lose interest once the initial excitement fades. Others are “marathoners” who are willing to stick with a project through its scaling and growth phases. Tailoring roles and incentives to these profiles ensures a better fit and higher chances of success.

Related: What Happens When a Serial Entrepreneur Goes Corporate?

Hiring entrepreneurs isn’t about turning them into traditional employees — it’s about creating an environment where their unique skills and mindset can thrive. With the right approach, corporations can unlock the full potential of entrepreneurial talent, driving innovation, solving complex problems and staying competitive in a rapidly changing world.

By adopting models like Entrepreneur-in-Residence and fostering a culture that values creativity, risk-taking and independence, companies can achieve the best of both worlds: the stability of a corporate structure and the disruptive energy of entrepreneurial thinking. The future of innovation lies in bridging these two worlds, and the question remains — how will your company embrace it?

You’ve probably seen it before — companies boasting about kombucha on tap and bean bags in the office as if these were the true markers of a thriving culture. But when it comes to finding the right leadership fit, relying on these superficial perks can lead to costly mistakes. Despite many companies focusing on superficial perks, leadership quality remains a significant challenge. Only 40% of leaders rate their organization’s leadership quality as “very good” or “excellent” — a decrease of eight percentage points since the pandemic.

This decline in perceived leadership quality highlights the need for a more substantive approach to hiring and developing leaders. As someone who has spent years working in executive leadership recruitment, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to hire leaders who align with a company’s core values. Without this deeper connection, even the most impressive candidates can struggle to drive long-term success.

Related: Every Hire Has Been a Good One Since This CEO Started Hiring for Values

Rethinking the meaning of cultural fit

True culture fit means finding a leader who aligns with the company’s core values and mission. For example, if a company emphasizes transparency, the right leader will demonstrate clear and open communication, not just within their team but across the entire organization.

Leaders who resonate with these deeper values help prevent the kinds of disruptions that occur when there’s a misalignment between leadership and company culture. I’ve seen organizations bring in highly qualified leaders who failed because their values didn’t align with the company’s goals. These leaders might have succeeded elsewhere, but without that alignment, they couldn’t generate the energy, collaboration or engagement necessary for success in their new roles.

What is the impact of misaligned leadership?

When a leader doesn’t align with a company’s core values, the consequences can be severe. I’ve watched as organizations that hire misaligned leaders experience rapid declines in employee morale, decision-making and collaboration. In many cases, this results in higher turnover and lost productivity.

One standout example is a tech company that hired a CEO from a different industry. This individual had an impressive track record of turning around struggling businesses, but their leadership style clashed with the collaborative, innovative culture of the company. The CEO’s misalignment led to tensions within teams, slowed innovation and eventually caused several key leaders to leave. In just two years, the company missed major market opportunities, and the CEO was quietly replaced.

This is a common pitfall I’ve seen many companies fall into — prioritizing qualifications over leadership fit. The result? Lost opportunities and a significant drop in engagement across the board.

A four-step framework for identifying leadership fit

From my experience, I’ve found a framework that helps companies avoid these mistakes and ensure they’re hiring leaders who meet the technical requirements of the role while also aligning with the company’s values. This value-based hiring approach focuses on both qualifications and cultural alignment. Here’s how I recommend structuring it:

Related: A Healthy Approach to Hiring That Actually Works

1. Clarify core values

Before you begin the hiring process, you need to define the company’s core values and make sure your selection committee understands these values from the inside out. These should be non-negotiable. For instance, if collaboration is a core value, you need to collectively evaluate how well each candidate fosters teamwork and cooperation across different departments.

2. Use a diverse selection panel

I always advise involving a diverse group of decision-makers in the hiring process. Relying on a narrow group can lead to biased decisions and “groupthink.” A diverse panel helps ensure that the candidate is evaluated from multiple perspectives, which leads to a more objective assessment of their potential fit.

Many companies try to cut costs by conducting leadership searches internally or relying on their own networks, but I’ve seen how this can backfire. While this approach might save money upfront, it often leads to costly mistakes in the long run.

For a non-biased approach, consider utilizing executive search firms. These agencies provide an objective perspective and access to a broader talent pool, leading to faster, more effective hiring results. By partnering with an executive search firm, you can avoid the pitfalls of relying solely on internal candidates and ensure that you’re hiring the right leadership fit.

3. Ask probing questions

It’s essential to ask the right questions during interviews. Don’t just focus on accomplishments or leadership style in general terms. Instead, ask candidates about specific situations where they had to navigate challenges that reflect the values important to your company. For example, if resilience is a key value, ask about a time when they had to overcome significant obstacles to achieve a goal.

4. Evaluate beyond the first impression

First impressions can be deceiving, and I’ve seen too many companies make quick decisions based on superficial traits. It’s crucial to dig deeper and evaluate how well a candidate truly aligns with both the company’s values and the specific requirements of the role. This helps you avoid falling into the trap of hiring based on comfort or familiarity.

Additionally, take time to establish a balance between technical qualifications, cultural expectations and leadership alignment. It’s important to establish consistent criteria for each leadership role. For example, if the Chief Financial Officer requires ten years of experience, the Chief People Officer should have the same level of experience. Consistency helps ensure fairness and avoids bias in the hiring process.

Related: I Hire a New Employee Every Week. Here’s What This Practice Has Taught Me About Hiring and Recruiting

The quest for the perfect candidate involves far more than a stellar resume or an easy rapport with the existing team. Through my years of experience in leadership recruitment, I’ve seen how focusing on value-based hiring ensures a deeper alignment between a leader’s values and the company’s mission. This alignment creates a leadership team that can drive long-term success, innovation and employee engagement. When you hire for true leadership fit, you’ll find that the rewards far outweigh the superficial perks of bean bags and kombucha.

Entrepreneurship is rewarding but it’s also exhausting. Between back-to-back meetings, endless decision-making, and the pressure to keep things running smoothly, stress builds up fast. That’s where Harmony Hypnosis comes in, and it’s on sale for $99.99 (reg. $199) for a limited time.

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A 75-year-old widow in Florida was defrauded out of almost $2.1 million in the summer of 2023 by an intricate group of scammers. Now, her investment firm has been ordered to pay her $843,000, according to a copy of her complaint seen by AdvisorHub and a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration awarded this week.

Barron’s reports that Morgan Stanley was found liable for negligence by the arbitration panel for allowing the victim, Marjorie Kessler, to make two “large and unusual” withdrawals from her accounts. In the complaint, Kessler claimed that her brokerage advisors should have noted how “uncharacteristic” her requests were and that they didn’t take “reasonable” steps to provide a “trusted contact” for the account, as required by oversight rules.

Related: Bravo’s Andy Cohen Lost ‘A Lot of Money’ to a Highly Sophisticated Scam — Here’s How to Avoid Becoming a Victim Yourself

The scam involved multiple criminals who pretended to be technical support staffers, employees at the bank, and even government workers. Kessler was told, among other things, that she was the victim of identity theft and would face having her assets frozen. The fraudsters convinced her to make two major withdrawals and convert them into cash, gold bars, and cryptocurrency.

The transactions were placed in July and August 2023, less than two weeks apart, and totaled about one-third of her assets at Morgan Stanley.

In response to the complaint, Morgan Stanley claimed Kessler is “incredibly sharp” and has been managing her money by herself for almost 20 years. The firm says she lied to her advisor, saying she was purchasing two condos, one for herself and one for her newly divorced daughter.

In response to the payment order, Morgan Stanley said in a statement they “sympathize with Ms. Kessler as the victim of a third-party fraud” but noted that “this fraud did not occur at Morgan Stanley.”

Related: If Your Bank Is Calling, Don’t Answer. It’s Probably a Scam.

“The firm should not be held responsible for her losses as Ms. Kessler made misstatements to her financial advisor about the purpose of the transfers, and authorized them to be sent to a third-party bank account held in her name,” the statement said.

Kessler’s lawyer Lloyd Schwed, meanwhile, said that Morgan Stanley “ignored multiple red flags” and regular oversight, per Barron’s.

“Morgan Stanley is just trying to explain away its negligence in believing a preposterous story that a 75-year-old widow suddenly needed to borrow more than $2 million in a span of eight days to buy not one but two homes,” Schwed said.

Related: AI Cloning Hoax Can Copy Your Voice in 3 Seconds—and It’s Emptying Bank Accounts. Here’s How to Protect Yourself.

“I am very grateful to the arbitrators for understanding how vulnerable senior investors are to tech support and government impersonation scams,” Schwed continued.

Kessler requested a judgment of $1,744,470 but received less than half of that.

It is not yet clear what, if anything, happened to the scammers.

In the last couple of years, artificial intelligence (AI) has continued to dominate the headlines. A steady stream of investments and available human capital have allowed the industry to expand at a seemingly breakneck pace.

Outside of the widespread adoption of these tools among consumers, organizations, big and small, have taken the liberty of investing in and utilizing AI-powered applications to improve, automate and analyze various business processes.

In 2023, estimates indicated that around 34% of all business-related functions were already being performed and completed by machines. Similarly, those companies that have integrated AI tools into their operations could facilitate an increase in labor productivity by 1.5 percentage points over the next decade.

The possibilities are endless, but more than this, artificial intelligence’s opportunities to transform social media management for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) will provide valuable benefits that could bolster customer engagement and scalability.

Related: Why 2025 Will Be the Year AI Redefines Content Creation and Search Strategies

The future of social media and AI

The significant presence of AI-powered tools across social media applications should emphasize business needs, deliver accurate customer data and enhance social media strategies.

In-depth content and post analysis

This year will be a turning point for artificial intelligence in aiding SMEs in decoding what works on their social media. A series of new tools will help business owners, along with entrepreneurs track different facets of their social media posts such as engagement rates, clicks and demographics.

These tools may already exist in some capacity, but in 2025, AI-powered software will supercharge these applications, helping business owners understand these insights more clearly and allowing them to refine their social media strategies. Using AI-enabled analytics will assist in changing the way businesses reach their customers, and ultimately how they use different social media platforms.

AI-powered advertising campaigns

AI-powered advertising is becoming increasingly frequent, especially among enterprises looking to leverage machine-driven capabilities to target audiences, and better understand how consumers interact with different ads across various social media platforms.

Not only will AI-powered ad campaigns provide more in-depth insights into customer engagement, but they could become a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Advertising on search engines has become an immensely expensive exercise, with around 61% of industries reporting a year-over-year increase in cost-per-click (CPC) between 2022 and 2023. AI will ensure that businesses have access to the appropriate ad campaign resources to meet their needs. These applications will help reduce human intervention and further cut down on advertising costs.

User experience personalization

Year over year, customers continue to demand tailored experiences throughout the advertising and buying process. Companies previously relied on robust social media marketing data to understand customer behavior, and further modify interactions to meet these preferences. Personalization not only improves engagement but also helps to foster a more authentic customer-business relationship.

This year, AI-powered analytics, alongside AI customer-driven services will provide SMEs insights into customer preferences, engagement activities and more advanced individual user experiences. These actions could enable smaller businesses to deliver more personalized social media advertising at scale. Tailored experiences allow SMEs to connect with new customers, and further establish their footprint within new audiences.

Related: How to Balance Marketing Automation and Personalization

Refined AI-enabled algorithms

Until recently, algorithms helped understand online user preferences, tailoring content towards their interactions and showing them more of the similar content on their feed. This remains true, however, new advancements in artificial intelligence will enable algorithms to study users’ demographics and preferences more accurately to deliver more personalized content on their social media pages.

More refined algorithms will bring SMEs closer to understanding their customers and encourage them to create content that’s relevant to their target audience and their business needs. Furthermore, these insights will help to analyze the different elements of each post. Hashtags, keywords, and media will continue to remain relevant to the overall success and engagement of posts, as more customers begin to use social media as a search engine.

Social media as search engines

A recent survey highlights that across most age groups, users are turning to social media as a primary search engine. Roughly 66% of 18-26-year-olds, 60% of 27-34-year-olds and 62% of 35-42-year-olds frequently use social media for searches. Older users, 58 years and older tend to make more use of Facebook, compared to younger users that frequent platforms such as Instagram or TikTok.

Yes, social media has become a popular search engine among users searching for anything from brands, products and services to breaking news. Leveraging the change in search habits would allow SMEs to change their content curation to allow for more visually immersive content to feature in users’ search results. With AI-enabled applications, SMEs can have better insight regarding customer preferences, and tailor content experiences to match with customer platform usage.

Supercharged content moderation

2025 will be a big year for content moderation. In recent years, prominent companies have started using content moderation tools to track online reviews and to maintain a positive online presence. Content moderation helps to track what users are sharing about a company, and makes it easier for brands to spot fake or harmful content related to their business.

SMEs are taking the same approach. AI is helping to supercharge how content moderation tools are working, and using machine learning tools will help them detect misinformation, fake news or negative reviews quickly. In turn, this will allow SMEs more time to respond to negative customer feedback, while having more control over different social media channels. Content moderation is a quick and efficient way to resolve negative feedback and further minimize the spread of misinformation or harmful content.

Related: Harnessing the Power of AI: 5 Game-Changing Tactics for Small Businesses

Final thoughts

In 2025, small and medium enterprises will take more advantage of artificial intelligence, helping to supercharge their advertising efforts, but more importantly, deliver robust social media marketing strategies. Through these applications, SMEs will have more control over their content, allowing them to deliver personalized content to users and create tailored experiences. AI-powered social media marketing will uncover new opportunities in the marketplace while helping build relationships between customers and businesses.

Time management is one of the top skills business owners need to succeed. Struggling with notoriously difficult PDFs is not the best use of your time. Fortunately, you can now zip through PDF tasks with UPDF, and a lifetime subscription is currently available to new users for 60% off at $59.99.

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During an earnings call last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle maker would start offering paid rides in June for its full self-driving robotaxi service. Now Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is making it clear that he doesn’t want to compete with Tesla — he wants to partner with the company to offer robotaxi rides through Uber’s ride-hailing platform.

“Listen, no one wants to compete against Tesla or Elon if you can help it,” Khosrowshahi told technology analyst Ben Thompson in an interview published in Thompson’s newsletter Statechery on Thursday. “Their capabilities are pretty extraordinary, but I think the same economic laws apply to them.”

Related: Uber’s CEO Says Human Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Khosrowshahi said that Tesla would benefit by allowing its robotaxis to offer rides through Uber. Instead of riders accessing the robotaxis solely through the Tesla app, they could tap into rides with the self-driving cars through Uber too.

Working with Uber could help maximize Tesla’s profits by expanding its reach. Uber completed an average of 33 million trips per day, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

“That is going to create much, much more revenue,” Khosrowshahi stated. “Ultimately that’ll increase the value of the Tesla so that the residual value of that car improves.”

Khosrowshahi added that if Tesla puts their robotaxis on Uber’s network, the self-driving cars would join 150,000 other Tesla vehicles on Uber today, adding to an established presence.

^{Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

This isn’t the first time Khosrowshahi has indicated an interest in partnering with Tesla. In an interview with the Financial Times that aired in October, Khosrowshahi said that he would “love” to bring Tesla’s robotaxis to Uber when the technology was ready. He said that he aimed to collaborate with the autonomous industry, pointing to partnerships announced in late 2024 with Alphabet’s Waymo and Cruise.

Uber already has robotaxis on its app in certain areas through its partnerships, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. The company put its own dreams of building a self-driving car to the side in 2020 when it sold its autonomous vehicle research division to self-driving startup Aurora.

Related: Waymo’s Driverless Robotaxi Fleet Is Making 50,000 Trips Per Week — Here’s Where the Cars Are Headed Next

Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal last month that autonomous vehicles would take over Uber rides in the next 15 to 20 years, putting human Uber drivers out of work.

Khosrowshahi took over Uber in 2017, leading the company to its first annual operating profit in 2023. After reporting a loss of $1.8 billion in 2022, Uber reported an annual profit of $1.1 billion in 2023 and $2.8 billion in 2024.

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