Occasionally, a company will come along that is so unique or innovative that their name becomes shorthand for the product or service they pioneered. Think of Kleenex as the common term for facial tissues, or Xerox as the shorthand for the act of making photocopies. In more recent years, no company has been subject to as much name appropriation as Uber. Having pioneered an entirely new industry in the service of building their business, “Uber” has now become shorthand for any kind of rideshare. A person is just as likely to say they’ll “take an Uber” when they’re actually going to use Lyft or another service.
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