Business tycoons: My 'aha' moment

I have always been fascinated by transportation, particularly how we improve it.

Perhaps this was a byproduct of growing up in Los Angeles where the coastal highways were less like a commercial for a new convertible and more like a parking lot.

In 2005, I visited Zimbabwe. I expected to be inspired by the people and the culture, but I didn't expect to be so inspired by the way they got around. It was a simple approach. By sharing the ride, charting the routes and setting the prices, people were able to get around efficiently even without the physical infrastructure we have in the United States.

I knew a similar approach could work at home. And it could fundamentally change the way we think about getting where we're going.

Today, we are building Lyft to be a transportation network that is affordable, reliable and fast. A system that will work so well that people will see car ownership as optional because not owning a car will be the easiest way to get around -- just like in Zimbabwe.