The Scale of China – Episode 3 with Candice Lo
Big things start small. The Early Podcast. Stories and insights from early employees and innovators who’ve shaped the future.
In this episode of The Early Podcast, I sit down with Candice Lo, one of Uber’s first international expansion leaders, who helped scale the company across Asia and led one of the most ambitious market launches in startup history: China.
Candice joined Uber in its scrappy early days—before brand recognition, before funding headlines, before any global playbook existed. Her job? Land in a new country with a suitcase, a laptop, and a box of iPhones, and figure it out. From launching Uber in Baltimore to navigating cultural complexities in Taiwan, to eventually running Uber China during its most aggressive growth phase, Candice lived the full spectrum of startup chaos.
This episode dives deep into what it really takes to build something from nothing—and do it over and over again, under intense pressure and with the eyes of the world (and regulators) watching.
💡 In this episode, Candice shares:
✅ How she joined Uber after a 6-month interview process
✅ What it was like to launch a city with no local team and no clear playbook
✅ The regulatory raids, police interventions, and real risk she faced in China
✅ What made Travis Kalanick’s leadership style so powerful—and sometimes terrifying
✅ Why relationships and resilience became her greatest assets in both operating and investing
“Uber wasn’t obvious yet when we started. I wasn’t obvious. Like, why did Uber hire me? But then I looked around and noticed something—my colleagues all had this can-do attitude. No one thought the work was below them.”— Candice Lo
Candice’s story is inspiring, intense, and incredibly insightful. Whether you’re working at a startup, thinking about joining one, or just curious what it’s like behind the scenes, this episode is for you.
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THIS was episode THREE! New episodes (at least) every Tuesday, and I’d love your feedback on who we should interview next. Email me: max@earlypod.com
Let’s go!!!!! 🚀
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