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Lyft CEO David Risher said there were three companies he thought were successful in their businesses.
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He touted them for many reasons, from nailing customer experience to maintaining a consistent product.
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He said the companies were Oura Ring, Starbucks, and Microsoft.
Lyft’s CEO has a leaderboard of his favorite companies, and it includes Starbucks.
Speaking in an interview with Sherwood News, released on August 28, CEO David Risher said there were three companies he thought were doing interesting things and getting business right.
Risher joined the ride-hailing company’s board in 2021 and became its chief executive in 2023. The 60-year-old leader was a general manager at Microsoft in the 90s, and also did a stint at Amazon as the senior vice president of US retail.
In the interview with Sherwood News, Risher listed three companies, from small to large, that he admires.
Oura Ring
Sherwood News wrote that when talking about a small company he admired, Risher pointed to the Oura Ring on his finger. He told the outlet that Oura Ring had “nailed the customer experience.”
Oura Ring is a health technology company founded in Finland. It makes smart rings ranging from $199 to $499 that track heart health, sleep patterns, activity, and stress levels, per the company’s website.
“It gives me enough information, and it doesn’t feel naggy,” he said to the outlet. “The technology is super slick and easy.”
Risher added, “They started with a clear idea, they’ve not tried to add 20 different things, and it’s a really good example of a focused and customer-obsessed product.”
Speaking to Business Insider in June, Risher revealed that his Oura Ring was part of his morning routine.
He said he checked the ring’s report every morning after brushing his teeth to get insights into how well he had slept the night before.
Starbucks
Risher said Starbucks was a medium-sized company he thought was doing a good job.
He said to Sherwood News that it was hard to be “consistent across so many geographies” while juggling other facets like their app, loyalty program, and drive-thrus.
Starbucks has outlets in about 80 countries, per its website. The bulk of the stores are in the US and China, with 17,230 and 7,828 stores respectively, per an earnings report released in July.
“Then their beverages change. They go through their cycles, of course, but I think they’ve done a very good job,” Risher said.
Risher’s comments on Starbucks come as the Seattle-based coffee chain is turning around several quarters of weak performance. It saw business slide due to operational problems like long wait times and issues with its mobile ordering system.
