I was a bit of a loner way back in 95-96. Most often, I stayed
home on Saturday nights. But one night, I felt the need to get out there. So I
dialled Rose’s taxi, and within 45 minutes I was in Rosebank singing, ‘ I love
the nightlife, I got to boogie on the disco ‘round, oh yeah...’. The night
turned to morning, and I hastened to get home. My pocket money only covering a
one-way ride, I began the long walk home. As I got to Corlett Drive I pulled out my Tom
Thumb to flag a lift.
A car pulled up filled with a trio. ‘You need a lift?’. ‘Yip’ I said. ‘Jump
in’. Settled in, greetings ensued and we were off. ‘Dude, it’s not dangerous jumping into
stranger’s cars?. Responding with a skewed mouth, confused I said, ‘uhm, and it’s
not dangerous picking up strange people?.
Eventually i arrived at my destination. Walking away, I rated them as ‘cool’ and they probably thanked their lucky stars I wasn’t wielding an axe.
Had I known at that tender age how to spell ‘entrepreneur’, maybe it would have been me creating this empire that’s nearly as big as Facebook. Uber.
Eventually i arrived at my destination. Walking away, I rated them as ‘cool’ and they probably thanked their lucky stars I wasn’t wielding an axe.
Had I known at that tender age how to spell ‘entrepreneur’, maybe it would have been me creating this empire that’s nearly as big as Facebook. Uber.
So Alon Lits buzzed me on my Blackberry and while my maid
hovered, hoovered in the other room, I put it on speaker phone. There’s always
a disconnect when I don’t get to ‘experience’ the interviewee, but alas this is
the ‘whatsapp’ generation.
Alon was blessed with a switched on brain. Maximising his
ability to think and to resolve and to project, he studied actuarial science
and received a post grad in Advanced Maths in finance. He was accepted into Investec’s graduate recruitment programme where for
5 years he sharpened his pliable brain. Stepping off the express A-train, he
went onto an MBA in Singapore. That year was humbling in that it offered an
explosion of new life experience, new countries and new cultures. Returning to
SA he wanted to be a part of a start-up, avoiding slipping into traditional
business. The idea he’d sketched received very little traction so soon found
himself at Leapfrog Investments, a private equity fund. Here, he gained
at-the-coal-face knowledge of business, cash flow and marketing, but with the
view that this was a temporary position.
Then Uber buzzed.
Against the screaming and croaking of people unsettled by Alon’s decision to venture into a strange, untested business, he took up the exciting challenge. As General Manager for Uber technology servicing in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, Lits links closely with the operations team both on the marketing and supply aspects of the business. From his position he’s seen the business unsettle traditional companies, expand its services, grow employment, and alter the face of public transport.
How do some of us get it and others just keep wondering when it’s going to come? How do some of us convert our chances, and others just don’t even know to convert. Did Alon grow up, or was Alon any better educated than the 1000’s coming out of private schools and tertiary educational institutions? Has Alon made more correct decisions than any other?
Alon was gifted with the knowledge that he was blessed with a thinking head, and with that blessing he has ensured he’s gone through his career with the right tools for the job. He displays self-awareness, constantly re-evaluating his position, his marker. He knows his strengths and fortifies them. His degree was technical, it was academic-heavy and so made use of the MBA to give him nuts and bolts business acumen.
Tanking a traditional eight to fiver, Alon waited patiently for the opportunity that spoke to his inner desire. He must be patient. He hunts like a lion.
Inertia is a powerful force; it’s easy to slump into a state of comfort, to receive the paycheck. Alon’s awareness of his greater picture affords him the ability to get up and seek challenge, to pursue the knowledge he needs for his next step, to raffle the status quo in fulfilment of his vision.
Hunger breeds success. Hard work breeds success. Humility breeds success. In our “whatsapp’ generation, we demand instant success, we believe we’re entitled. We’ve got to be willing to do anything to achieve, to work mightily to achieve. Place your efforts in your talents, in your strengths.
Then Uber buzzed.
Against the screaming and croaking of people unsettled by Alon’s decision to venture into a strange, untested business, he took up the exciting challenge. As General Manager for Uber technology servicing in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, Lits links closely with the operations team both on the marketing and supply aspects of the business. From his position he’s seen the business unsettle traditional companies, expand its services, grow employment, and alter the face of public transport.
How do some of us get it and others just keep wondering when it’s going to come? How do some of us convert our chances, and others just don’t even know to convert. Did Alon grow up, or was Alon any better educated than the 1000’s coming out of private schools and tertiary educational institutions? Has Alon made more correct decisions than any other?
Alon was gifted with the knowledge that he was blessed with a thinking head, and with that blessing he has ensured he’s gone through his career with the right tools for the job. He displays self-awareness, constantly re-evaluating his position, his marker. He knows his strengths and fortifies them. His degree was technical, it was academic-heavy and so made use of the MBA to give him nuts and bolts business acumen.
Tanking a traditional eight to fiver, Alon waited patiently for the opportunity that spoke to his inner desire. He must be patient. He hunts like a lion.
Inertia is a powerful force; it’s easy to slump into a state of comfort, to receive the paycheck. Alon’s awareness of his greater picture affords him the ability to get up and seek challenge, to pursue the knowledge he needs for his next step, to raffle the status quo in fulfilment of his vision.
Hunger breeds success. Hard work breeds success. Humility breeds success. In our “whatsapp’ generation, we demand instant success, we believe we’re entitled. We’ve got to be willing to do anything to achieve, to work mightily to achieve. Place your efforts in your talents, in your strengths.
Seek your talent, seek your strengths .Don’t be Alon. Be
you. Be Uber
