5 life lessons from an Uber internship

From Lagos to Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam to Mombasa, Rumbi Vambe spent the last year as an Operations intern supporting Uber’s markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Working internationally was a masterclass in shifting perspective,” she explains. “I leave feeling inspired by everyone I encountered at Uber, and in various ways their success will forever hold me accountable in achieving my own.”

I always say that it’s in the shadow of giants that our own stories begin. In a world where every problem has a playbook—it’s important to learn how to write your own. Every year I keep a running list of everything that I’ve learned. When I started, I had this lingering feeling that with an opportunity like this, personal growth was a matter of when and not if. So amongst the myriad of things that have filled my time at Uber, here are some that I find most worthy of recollection.

The best solutions should not only solve individual problems, but at their best, they add to the visionary and intellectual character of your industry. From navigating complex regulatory environments in South Africa, to adapting strategies to diverse market needs in Kenya or Nigeria. At Uber, immediately a distinct approach stands out. Don’t get intimidated, don’t get discouraged, get smarter. 

Navigating one of the most culturally diverse regions on earth, gifted me with what I now recognise as an uncommon skill, the ability to stare at the same world that we all do—but to see something different. 

Courage exists, but it has to find you working. If I’m being honest, when I started at Uber I had no idea what to expect or how to expect it. I soon adapted, taking the pressure off of myself to have all the answers. To lean into the mindset philosophy of not being a ‘know-it-all’, but rather a ‘learn-it-all’—to not impose a self made ceiling. Uncertainty is written into the human contract, and lots of it. Learning to live alongside it will serve you well.

We do our most sophisticated reasoning when we’re courageous. It creates a unique type of craftsmanship, one that enables us to not only think outside the box, but to think inside, below and above the box too. Fear has a sneaky tendency of making you run away from the things that you absolutely should be running towards—and Uber taught me how to run towards them. 

Consciously choosing what problems to work on is important, but what’s equally as important (or even more so) is choosing who to work on those problems with. In an era where ‘technology is king’, my time at Uber revealed a profound truth: the future of work is undeniably human.

The human element—and everything that gracefully accompanies it, reciprocity, empathy and ultimately understanding, reign supreme. When you hear people talk about Uber the first thing you’ll hear them talk about is the people, and almost immediately, I learned why. Human connection defined my time here. At Uber every interaction is carved out as a space to laugh (and often), touch base or just to check in. A career-defining lesson was born from this practice—mastering the art (and science) of social connectivity is what sets the groundwork for a remarkable legacy.

Building the muscle of intentionality is essential to creating the social ties that provide a rich texture to life—it’s how we honor our right to fully be human. 

Who you are defines how you build. Intellectual diversity is the distinct force that allows us to inspire our own imagination. By actively pursuing it, we set the stage to be blown away with what people bring to the table. When you’ve got the full range of human experience behind the screen, the solutions that we come up with instinctively feel different. They bring a distinct emotion to a space—one that allows us to hone in on the creative advantages that naturally, intellectual diversity has to offer.

There has to be room to draw on your own personal history—variety of perspective is what maintains the temperature required for innovation. Amsterdam, Bulgaria, Paris, San Francisco, Germany to Saudi Arabia, working internationally was a masterclass in shifting perspective. And anchored by Uber, I experienced an absolute moment for life. In South Africa, at the 21st Nelson Mandela Lecture, I was able to hear Malala Yousafzai share her life story. A reminder that Uber does more than just ‘reimagine the way the world moves for the better’—it deeply understands the gift of people. 

We all win when we celebrate variety of thought and cognitive innovation. It allows us to reimagine a world that isn’t our world—yet. 

To get lost is to learn the way. In the face of failure, there are only two real choices; either break through the ceiling or get used to the lid. Making mistakes is the true currency of growth and it’s not a matter of if you falter, but rather a matter of when. 

Success is as a result of well-managed defeats—learning how to turn adversity into advantage is a skill and it’s never too late to develop its finesse. Owning up to your errors is what breeds top-tier professionals—the combination of self-effacing and yet still brilliant people, serious-thinkers and the original too. You need the perspective of your losses, to understand how to win. This starts by taking responsibility for your circumstances. The practice of calling yourself out first is an act of wisdom and maturity. Contrary to popular belief, it does not erode respect, but rather it fosters it. It demonstrates the ability to not be biased—even when it comes to yourself.

The people that I worked with, serve as the ultimate reminder that the human spirit is one of profound ability, remarkable talent, humility, uncanny intelligence, and awe-inspiring imagination. I leave feeling inspired by everyone I encountered at Uber, and in various ways their success will forever hold me accountable in achieving my own.

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