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well know high flyers but failed include People Express, founded by Donald Burr,
who held an MBA from Harvard Business School; MaxiCare; and Borders. And of
course there are the failed “dot.coms,” which includes Webvan.com; Pets.com; and
eToys.com.
Uber is a potentially a contemporary version of this phenomenon: spectacular rapid
entrepreneurial success followed by equally spectacularly rapid failure. By any
standard, the success of Uber has been truly spectacular. The company has
created a global footprint and served as a disruptor of more traditional businesses
ranging from taxi service to car services.
However, recent events at Uber indicate a clear and present danger to the
company.

“PRIDE GOETH BEFORE THE FALL”!

The traditional warning of impending doom is captured in the classic phrase “Pride
Goeth before the Fall”! This means that people who are overconfident or too
arrogant are likely to fail. This saying is adapted from the biblical Book of Proverbs.

“GROWING PAINS COMETH BEFORE THE FALL!”

However, from a corporate standpoint, we might recast this notion by saying that
“Growing Pains cometh before the fall!” What does this mean?
“Growing Pains” are a set of classic symptoms indicating that a company is growing
“out of control.” They are a warning that a company is experiencing distress and
might even be on the verge of failure.

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