Driving Lyft into the Future

As the rideshare industry enters a new phase—shaped by autonomous vehicles, AI-driven decision-making, and expanding platform ecosystems—leaders are being forced to rethink not just strategy, but the fundamentals of how value is created. In this HBR Executive Live conversation, Lyft CEO David Risher reflects on what it takes to lead through that kind of transformation. Drawing on lessons from his time at Amazon and Microsoft, Risher describes how he approached turning around a company he believed had “lost its way”—starting with a renewed commitment to customer obsession, a sharper strategic focus, and the willingness to make difficult trade-offs.