#16 - From Spreadsheets to Systems - Early Uber Employee Frederique Dame | The Early Podcast

Frederique helped build the tools that made Uber scale, before there were dashboards, systems, or even GPS driving directions in the app.In this episode of The Early Podcast, Max sits down with Frederique Dame, an early product leader at Uber and now a General Partner at GV (Google Ventures). They dive deep into the early chaos, the culture that made Uber magic, and how Frederique architected the driver onboarding experience that powered the company’s global growth.From building backend systems to managing all-hands-on-deck workations, Frederique shares what it really took to scale—and how great culture isn’t just built, it’s lived.🎙 Topics include:Why Uber didn’t prioritize GPS early onHow they built driver tools from scratchWhat it was like working with Travis KalanickThe work-hard-play-hard culture that defined Uber’s rise• How she brings that same energy to founders at GVConnect with Frederique: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frederiquedame/🔔 Subscribe for more episodes with the early builders behind iconic startups.📸 Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter @earlypod--🎧 Listen to the full episode:🔹 Spotify: https://earlypod.com/spotify🔹 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