Uber As Gatekeeper to the Physical World

Uber and Spotify this morning announced a new feature that will allow Uber customers to listen to their playlists while riding in Uber cars.

At first blush, it may sound like a media stunt conveniently timed to Spotify’s need for some non-Taylor Swift news. But I feel a hint of something much more important and exciting going on. Could it be that ride-sharing companies are going to turn out to be the platform that delivers us customization in the real world?

I’ve long believed that the most exciting and important technologies of today will allow us to customize the real world. Just as companies like Google and Facebook are customizing the digital world through tailoring ads, articles and video, someone will apply the same identity and preference targeting to the physical world simply because it provides a better experience.