Dara Khosrowshahi, who has now headed Uber for over 5 years, could have been at another company if it were not for a sudden change of heart. In an interview with LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky, Khosrowshahi revealed the events that led to him accepting the role despite having doubts at first.
The current Uber head shared that he considered rejecting the job offer – so much that he even ignored the call – until a chat with his friend, Spotify founder-CEO Daniel Ek. He credited “a special moment” during that conversation as the decisive point for his move to the online cab-hailing giant.

Khosrowshahi considered phoning the board
According to Khosrowshahi, there were sound reasons for him being hesitant about the Uber offer back then. First off, the company was embroiled in what the executive calls a “historically difficult time.” Additionally, Khosrowshahi, who was in his twelfth year as the Expedia CEO, was in no hurry to switch jobs. He revealed that, back then, he was “having a great time” at the online travel booking company.
Initially, the ex-Expedia head felt that his intention to turn down Uber was a no-brainer. He recalled, “When I first got the call, my first thought was, ‘Heck no’ … I thought, ‘Why would I ever do that?’.” Khosrowshahi’s conviction was firm, and he considered calling up Uber’s board to tell them of his answer to the offer.

Spotify CEO stepped in, convinced him to “make an impact”
When Khusrowshahi met Spotify’s Daniel Ek at an investors conference, he learned that the latter had recommended him for the Uber job. The then Expedia CEO informed Ek of his decision to refuse the offer, basing it on his ‘happiness’ with the status quo. To this, Ek had a response that would convince Khusrowshahi to reverse his decision.
The Uber boss said, “Daniel looked at me with his cold, Scandinavian eyes and said, ‘You know Dara, since when is life about being happy? It’s about having (sic) impact. You have to make an impact.” According to him, it was a “special moment” that spurred him to take charge of Uber and steer it in the right direction – something that would enable him to have an “outsized impact”.