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John Zimmer

Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, Lyft

Search every verified John Zimmer interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. John Zimmer, co-founder and vice chairman of Lyft, discussed the company's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in a July 2026 episode of NPR's "How I Built This." He stated that the company experienced a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the start of the pandemic but said ride-hailing was returning. Zimmer noted that Lyft has continued to diversify with car, scooter, and bike rentals, and that the company launched a contactless experience for car rentals and a partnership with European car rental operator Sixt. He also addressed the classification of app-based drivers, though the transcript does not include his specific remarks on that topic. In a 2018 appearance at the How I Built This Summit, Zimmer described the early competition with Uber, saying the company woke up one day to find Uber had raised $3 billion while Lyft had only a few months of runway left. He said Lyft stayed focused on its values and mission. Zimmer has also advocated for congestion pricing and increased investment in public transportation, and he has promoted Lyft Pink, a subscription service offering a 15% discount on rides and access to bikes and scooters. He has stated that the average American household spends over $9,000 annually on car ownership and that cars sit parked 96% of the time, and he has expressed a belief that Lyft can help design cities around people instead of cars.

Selected quotes

Recent appearances

  • How I Built Resilience: John Zimmer of Lyft

    July 01, 2026 · 📺 DeepSignal Studios

    This year has brought unexpected challenges to Lyft, starting with a 75 percent drop in rideshares at the beginning of the pandemic. But co-founder John Zimmer says ride-hailing is returning, and the company is continuing to diversify with car, scooter, and bike rentals. John also answers questions about whether app-based drivers should be thought of as part-time employees or independent contractors. These conversations are excerpts from our How I Built Resilience series, where Guy talks online with founders and entrepreneurs about how they're navigating turbulent times. Order the How I Built…

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  • Lyft's John Zimmer At The HIBT Summit

    October 25, 2018 · 📺 DeepSignal Studios

    Next up in our series of episodes from the How I Built This Summit: John Zimmer, co-founder of Lyft. John sat down with Guy Raz in front of a live audience in San Francisco last month to talk about Lyft's visions for the future of transportation – and their fierce competition with Uber. Coming up next month: three more episodes from the Summit – so keep checking your podcast feed every Thursday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell....

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  • Lyft: John Zimmer

    July 01, 2026 · 📺 Jack John

    Ridesharing wasn't a thing 12 years ago when John Zimmer was in college. But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road, and eventually led him to co-found Lyft, a company that has helped make ridesharing a way of life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell....

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  • Lyft: John Zimmer (2017)

    July 01, 2026 · 📺 Jack John

    In 2006, John Zimmer was a college student and ride-hailing wasn't yet "a thing." But a class on green cities got him thinking about the glut of underused cars on the road. Eventually, he co-founded Lyft, a company that has helped make ride-hailing a fixture of American urban living. PLUS in our postscript "How You Built That," an update with Kyle Ewing, who almost set fire to his living room making Terraslate, a tough waterproof paper. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell....

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  • Lyft Founder: The Uber War, the COVID Collapse, and the Robotaxi Threat | John Zimmer

    May 14, 2026 · 📺 Delphi

    Uber had $3 billion in the bank. Lyft had 5 months of runway left. In this episode, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer sits down with host Dara to tell the untold story of how he and his team fought back, stood up for drivers, and refused to lose to the most aggressive competitor in tech. John opens up about killing his first company to start Lyft, surviving COVID, his honest take on founder mental health, the future of self-driving cars, and the real reason he walked away from the company he built. If you're a founder, operator, or anyone who loves great startup stories - this one's a masterclass…

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  • Why Investors Should Care About Earnings with Lyft Cofounder John Zimmer (Encore)

    March 29, 2025 · 📺 Money News Network

    What are earnings, and why should we care? Nicole explains with Lyft cofounder John Zimmer. Plus, Lyft's origin story (and ...

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  • John Zimmer | Til this Day with Radio Rahim Podcast | Luminary Original

    January 08, 2024 · 📺 Luminary

    While everybody else was thinking about where they were going, he figured out a way to get there. Meet the guy who stood up to his Goliath with nothing more than a pink mustache--the founder of Lyft, John Zimmer. CREDITS Executive Producers: Dave Chappelle, Radio Rahim, Noah Gersh, Jamie Schefman, Nick Panama, Kenzi Wilbur, Elliot O’Dea Music & Sound Design: Eric Raichelson Creative Producer: Alex Casnoff Head of Production: Liz LeMay Head of Engineering: Jordan Galvan Production Manager: Allie Strobel Post Coordinator: Alice Bearn Edited by: Geoffrey Mutchnik Mixed by: Zack…

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  • Lyft launches new services for customers' cars

    November 17, 2022 · 📺 CBS Mornings

    First on “CBS Mornings,” rideshare company Lyft is launching new services for its customers who own cars. Co-founder and CEO ...

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  • Why Lyft Backs Prop 30

    November 08, 2022 · 📺 Bloomberg Technology

    Lyft Co-Founder and President John Zimmer joins Emily Chang after its earnings report showing weaker-than-expected growth in riders. He also discusses the company's second round of layoffs of the year, and shares his thoughts on Proposition 30 in California. -------- Like this video? Subscribe to Bloomberg Technology on YouTube:    / @bloombergtechnology   Watch the latest full episodes of "Bloomberg Technology" with Emily Chang here:    • Bloomberg Technology With Emily Chang (Ful...   Get the latest in tech from Silicon Valley and around the world here: https://www.bloomberg.com/technology…

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  • Lyft Third Quarter 2022 Earnings Call

    November 03, 2022 · 📺 Earnings Call

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The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →