🎧 🧱 Amy Fox | Building with Swagger with Lyft employee #5
Amy Fox spent almost 10 years at Lyft. We talk about the ride sharing wars, how to land big partnerships, advice for founders facing the pressure of capital and more
Amy Fox and I go back almost 15 years. She and her husband Chris were some of the first people I met when I moved to the Bay Area. Amy was working at an early stage startup at that time called Zimride, a carpooling startup designed for universities and colleges. And while you may not know Zimride, you certainly will have heard about what it morphed into: Lyft.
This is a very special episode of Brick by Brick not only because Amy is one of those “ideal guests” that we had in mind when we started the pod, but because it is the very first in person episode we’ve recorded (shoutout to the All The Hacks Media team for hooking it up!)
In this episode of Brick by Brick, Amy and I talk about:
Lyft's origin story and Amy's unexpected recruitment and subsequent 10 year journey
The hackathon that launched Lyft
The ride sharing wars between Lyft and Uber
Did competition ever go too far?
Building Lyft's unique culture
Advice for companies considering remote or hybrid work models
Building with "swagger"
Working with your spouse
and more! A sneak peek below why founders shouldn’t cave to pressure from investors:
If you’re interested in hearing about the ride sharing wars, how to strike partnerships with large companies as a startup, or scaling cultures this episode is definitely for you!
To get more Amy follow her on LinkedIn and check out the All The Hacks podcast.
I hope you enjoy the conversation! Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!
If you have any comments on this episode, ideas for future episodes, or any feedback on the podcast, hit reply or email brickbybrick@garuda.vc!
Brick by Brick is presented by Garuda Ventures. Garuda Ventures is a B2B-focused pre-seed fund that aims to earn the right to be a founder's first call as they get started on their journeys. To learn more, visit https://www.garuda.vc
Amy's journey from Zimride to Lyft is a masterclass in how small ideas can scale into industry shaping companies. Loved the insights on navigating partnerships and building culture with swagger. The hackathon launch story was especially inspiring a reminder that great things often start with scrappy beginnings. Would love to hear more about how early Lyft balanced competition with staying true to its mission.