Zeid Hreish

Most companies? They’re drowning in reports but starving for insights.

At Uber, Operations didn’t start with operations. It started with query building. Before you managed supply, pricing, or incentives, you had to pull raw data yourself. No waiting on the Data team. No guessing. You owned your numbers, or you didn’t last.

We had real-time dashboards that refreshed every 15 minutes:

📊 Last 15 minutes – Instant feedback loop

📊 Today’s total – Daily pulse check

📊 Week-to-date – Trends forming

📊 Week-over-week, Month-over-month – Performance trajectory

We didn’t find out something was broken after a weekly report. We knew in minutes.

That’s why our Ops teams could move faster, react quicker, and execute better than anyone else.

Now? I talk to Ops teams and hear:

"That’s the Data team’s job." ❌

"We’ll get insights next week." ❌

No. If you don’t speak data, you don’t control your business.

Winning teams don’t wait for insights.

They query, analyze, and act. Fast.

Everyone had a piece of the company.

This is why I respect companies where data is at the heart of the founders, leadership, and every decision. No fluff, no delays, just execution at speed.

If your company still runs on delayed reports instead of real-time decisions, you’re already behind.

How often do you check your numbers? Daily? Hourly? Or only when there’s a crisis?

How a Small Team Transformed Mobility for 5M Riders in Saudi - 80% Women

The Challenge

In Saudi Arabia, women faced a major obstacle: mobility.

Without the ability to drive, they couldn’t work, study, or move freely. Public transport was unreliable, private drivers were expensive, and ride-hailing wasn’t built for them.

Fixing this wasn’t just about business—it was about freedom.

How We Made It Happen

We expanded into every major city, making Uber a reliable daily option.

Instead of burning cash like competitors, we spent strategically—high-ROI marketing, referrals, and sustainable growth.

A lean team of ten executed at speed while others relied on big, slow-moving local teams.

We made ride-hailing easy to adopt through localized onboarding, guides, and awareness campaigns.

What Changed Everything

Saudi ran on cash, but Uber didn’t. We pushed HQ to enable it. The result? Business grew 6x overnight, and by 2015, 70% of trips were paid in cash.

We embedded Uber into Saudi culture through brand partnerships, city-specific activations, and creative campaigns—like delivering Hamburgini burgers before food delivery even existed.

Users who dropped off weren’t lost. Smart re-engagement campaigns brought them back and turned them into loyal riders.

The Impact

- Five million riders onboarded.

- Eighty percent were women who now had safe, reliable mobility.

- Uber covered all major cities, making ride-hailing a part of daily life.

- Cash payments unlocked mass adoption.

- A 10-person team transformed an entire market.

This wasn’t just about launching a service, it was about breaking barriers and proving that a focused team can change everything.

"This will never work."

I've heard that at the start of every major innovation I've been part of.

Day 1 at a revolutionary company isn't glamorous:

🚫 No users.

🚫 No infrastructure.

🚫 No guarantee of success.

Just vision, grit, and the courage to start anyway.

My Journey Through "Impossible" Markets:

Uber (MENA): When we launched, people were skeptical.

- "An app replacing taxis in this region? Never."

- Regulators fought us. Drivers were skeptical.

- We built from zero, city by city, driver by driver.

- Today? It's transformed transportation across the region.

CloudKitchens: The skeptics were loud.

- "A restaurant without dine-in space? Brands will never adopt this."

- We created the delivery infrastructure anyway.

- We proved the model works.

- Now it's revolutionizing how restaurants operate globally.

World (Today): We're at another Day 1 moment:

- No Orbs in MENA yet

- No established infrastructure for World ID verification

- Massive opportunity to build something transformative

The Two Biggest Lessons I've Learned:

🚀 Join global startups that move at warp speed. Nothing compares to the pace, the challenge, and the impact. It forces you to adapt, evolve, and build things that truly matter.

🚀 Contribute to something bigger than yourself. The most significant growth happens when you're building for a mission that extends beyond personal gain. That's where real momentum begins.

I thought Uber would be my wildest professional adventure. Now, I'm equally energized about building World across MENA.

If solving "impossible" problems excites you, explore our open roles: https://www.toolsforhumanity.com/careers

What industry have you seen transform from "never going to happen" to massive success? Share your story below! 👇​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Most leaders believe they are focused on impact. But when they look at their schedules, it is a different story:

• Meetings that go nowhere
• Approvals that add zero value
• Work that feels productive but changes nothing

At Uber, we did not have time for that. At CloudKitchens, we moved even faster. If something slowed us down, we killed it on the spot.

Speed wins. Bureaucracy kills. Owners, not renters.

When Bill McDermott took over as CEO of ServiceNow, he met 1,000 customers in 90 days. That is what real focus looks like.

Now AI is making this shift even more urgent. It eliminates inefficiencies and frees up time to focus on what actually moves the needle.

Try this:

✅ Cancel all your recurring meetings for a month. You will only need to bring back 10 percent of them—freeing up hours of wasted time.
📊 Audit your calendar. How much of your time is actually spent on things your customer cares about?
🔄 Bonus tip: Unfollow everyone on Twitter. A fresh feed leads to fresh ideas instead of the same echo chamber.

If it is broken, fix it now. If it is slowing you down, cut it.

What is the biggest time-waster you have eliminated recently? 👇