Lyft CEO David Risher's Day: An Exclusive Interview. This insightful essay, based on a conversation with the 59-year-old San Francisco-based CEO, reveals his daily routine, leadership philosophy, and journey from Microsoft and Amazon to leading Lyft. Edited for clarity and conciseness
From board member to CEO: My Lyft journey began four years ago with an unexpected offer. Initially hesitant, the opportunity to lead Lyft ignited my passion. I aimed to combine my competitive drive honed at Microsoft, customer-centric approach learned at Amazon, and purpose-driven leadership from World Reader—all culminating in my current role as CEO
Driven by a competitive spirit honed at Microsoft, a customer-centric approach learned alongside Jeff Bezos at Amazon (where I served as VP of Product Development), and a passion for purpose-driven leadership cultivated through my nonprofit, World Reader, I accepted the CEO role at Lyft. My goal: to leverage this diverse experience to lead Lyft into the future
From Microsoft to Amazon to Lyft CEO: A Day in the Life of David Risher. Thirty-six years into his career, Lyft CEO David Risher shares his daily routine, from his morning Nespresso and news briefing to leading one of the nation's largest ride-sharing companies
My typical day starts around 7 a.m. After my morning routine – brushing my teeth and washing my face – I check my Oura ring for sleep data; I prioritize seven hours of sleep nightly
My daily routine starts with a 15-minute at-home stretching session. This morning exercise helps me start the day energized and ready to tackle my responsibilities as Lyft CEO
A daily ritual for me includes a Nespresso coffee; the perfect capsule is an ongoing quest
My mornings begin with a quick news scan – I read The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post daily before tackling emails. This helps me start my day informed and focused
My mornings start with a quick word game like Spelling Bee to sharpen my mind, followed by checking emails and Slack for urgent matters. This helps me jump into the day efficiently after my usual routine of exercise, coffee, and news from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post
Starting my day with gut health in mind, I fuel up with yogurt and homemade granola—a breakfast ritual that keeps me energized for a busy day leading Lyft
My typical workday starts around 8:30 AM
Discover how Lyft CEO David Risher structures his day. This Power Hours profile reveals the daily routine of this tech leader, blending insights from Microsoft, Amazon, and his non-profit work. Read more CEO Power Hours stories here, or share your own routine with editor Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com
My San Francisco commute involves a daily count of autonomous vehicles – Waymo and Zoox – to gauge their market growth. Fueling my day, I grab a second coffee en route to the Lyft office
While Lyft's official policy is three days a week in the office, I actually go in four. I enjoy the energy and spontaneous collaboration that comes from being in the office and connecting with colleagues
My day starts with a 30-minute daily stand-up meeting with my chief of staff and administrative assistant. We strategize, prioritize tasks, and plan the day's activities ahead
I then meet with all of my direct reports for about three hours to discuss any issues facing the company or opportunities.
Some days are more operational, and there are some days when most meetings are product review meetings, where we’re discussing the next version of things like Price Lock, Women+ Connect, or the driver earnings guarantee.
My happy place is at the whiteboard with a team trying to figure out cool new innovations or customer-obsessed ideas. A lot of my job is getting people to say yes to things that might be slightly bolder than they’re thinking.
I take a 20-minute lunch. Half the time, I eat alone and work on something, and the other half, I work or meet with staff and other employees. I think it may be terrifying when I sit down at the table and say to our team as the CEO, “Can I join you?”
Every day, I go for a half-hour walk and get an iced matcha. Sometimes, I’ll do a one-on-one with a team member as we walk because getting out of the office makes for a different conversation.
Part two of our stand-up meeting is held with my chief of staff around 5:30 p.m. I leave the office around 6:30 p.m. and walk. I’ll take a call or listen to a podcast and bike home the rest of the way.
I have a goal of living to 100, so I walk, bike, get good sleep, have good relationships, and do daily activities. I go to the gym or a dojo twice a week in the evenings and bicycle on the weekends to keep my body active.
I drive to learn about what our riders are going through when they get in the car and why our customers choose us over the other guys. I always love it when they say, “You guys are better; you have a better level of service.” That’s what we aim for, so that’s amazing.
I don’t tell the rider who I am until the end. There was a time I picked up a Lyft employee on her way to work, and she recognized me, but most riders don’t know until I tell them, and they’ll go bananas.
My wife, Jennifer, and I live on the West Coast. Jennifer is an author and a speaker. She travels often, but we have dinner together when we’re both home.
She almost always cooks; I like cooking, but she’s much better than I am. My job is to clean up the kitchen and leave it spotless.
After dinner, we both get on email for another 45 minutes. I try not to send too many emails after hours, but sometimes my ideas excite me.
We like to watch streaming series. We’re finishing up season two of the Diplomat.
We’re also big readers. As my wind-down routine, I read for at least half an hour before going to bed. I just read “Character Limit,” a book about Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, and I’m in the middle of “The Anxious Generation.”
After reading, I try to turn off the lights by about 11 p.m. I’m successful unless my wife and I go out or do something special.
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