#11 - The Physicist Who Invented SURGE PRICING – Early Uber Employee Kevin Novak | The Early Podcast

Welcome to Episode 11! With this one… we’re diving into one of the most controversial features in Uber history: SURGE PRICING. Meet Kevin Novak — a physicist turned data scientist who was asked to solve the impossible: how do you get enough drivers on the road… exactly when you need them? After joining in 2011 as Uber employee # 21... and armed with no team and no time, Kevin built what became known as surge pricing — and then watched it nearly blow up the company on its very first night. From there, he helped shape the role of data science at Uber and across the tech world. In this episode, we cover: How a nuclear physics grad student ended up in an Uber interview… in a wrinkled suit The wild origin story of surge pricing (and why it almost failed)What it was like working directly for Travis Kalanick in Uber’s early days Why data scientists have become essential at tech companies The interview tactics, team culture, and speed obsession that defined Uber 1.0 Kevin’s transition from operator to VC — and what he looks for now at Rackhouse This one’s about inventing under pressure, moving fast, and building something from nothing. If you’ve ever wondered how startup culture really gets built — this is a masterclass. Episode 11 is live. Let’s go. 🚀 👇 Kevin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/novakkm/ #EarlyPodcast #Uber #SurgePricing #StartupStories #DataScience #TravisKalanick #SiliconValley #ProductDriven #StartupGrit #TechFounders #Hypergrowth #PhysicsToTech #UberDataTeam #FoundersJourney #RackhouseVentures -- 🎧 Listen to the full episode: 🔹 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13dcsmz27cQ4LZUHxJY1n4 🔹 Apple Podcasts: https://earlypod.com/apple 🚀 New episodes drop every Tuesday. Let’s build this together. 👉 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment — I want to hear from you!! 📩 Thoughts or guest ideas? Email me: [email protected] 📱 Follow for daily updates: • 🐦 X (Twitter): https://earlypod.com/x • ✨ TikTok: https://www.earlypod/tt • 📸 Instagram: https://www.earlypod/ig • 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.earlypod/li 📩 Newsletter: https://earlypod.com/subscribe