Which Uber co-founder first came up with the idea for Uber in 2009?

Garrett Camp first came up with the idea for Uber in 2009. The StumbleUpon co-founder wanted transportation that was easier and cheaper to arrange directly, after frustrations with taxis and the high cost of hiring a private driver.

Camp discussed the concept with Travis Kalanick, who became an adviser and later a co-founder. Camp, Oscar Salazar, and Conrad Whelan built an early prototype, while Ryan Graves became Uber’s first employee and its initial chief executive in 2010.

The service was originally called UberCab and began as a way to summon luxury black cars through a smartphone. It launched publicly in San Francisco in 2011, then changed its name to Uber after objections from local taxi operators.

A common mix-up is crediting Kalanick because he became Uber’s most prominent early executive. The distinction is that Camp originated the concept, while Kalanick helped develop and scale the company.