An Uber executive just told the country that the family car is a waste of money and the driver’s license is headed for the museum. Give it fifteen or twenty years, he says, and you will get around on a bike, a scooter, a bus, or a robot. You will not own the machine. You will not hold the license. You will tap an app and wait.
That is not a transportation forecast. That is a business plan dressed up as destiny.
Andrew Macdonald is Uber’s president and chief operating officer, the company’s longest-tenured active employee, and the man Fortune and Yahoo Finance just treated like a prophet of the post-ownership age. On the 20VC podcast with Harry Stebbings, Macdonald laid it out without blushing.
In some future world, maybe not five years, but 15 or 20 years, everyone’s going to be like Harry—nobody’s going to own a car. Nobody’s going to have their driver’s license because you’ll be able to get around. And I think bikes and scooters will be part of that. I think autonomous vehicles will be part of that. I think public transportation will be a big part of that, but I don’t think you need to own a car.
He called the privately owned automobile “the most inefficient asset that anyone owns.” It sits idle 98 percent of the day. It depreciates. Insurance still bills you while it sleeps in the driveway. New vehicle prices have jumped about 30 percent in six years, and the average transaction price still hovers near $50,000. All of that is true enough as accounting. None of it is the whole story.
A pickup that sits most of the week is not inefficient if it is the reason a father can get to a hospital at 2 a.m., haul feed before dawn, or leave a bad neighborhood without asking a dispatch algorithm for permission. Idle is another word for ready. Macdonald is a former Bain consultant. Consultants hate unused capacity. Free people love it.
Independence Was Never Meant to Be Efficient
For generations of American teenagers, sixteen and a license meant you could leave the house without begging for a ride. That was the point. Not utilization rates. Freedom.
Uber’s own chief executive already bragged that the company is helping kill that rite of passage. Dara Khosrowshahi told Business Insider last year that his son, already older than 18, still had no license because “Uber’s freed him up.”
Federal numbers have shown the share of teens with licenses collapsing for decades. In 1983 nearly half of 16-year-olds were licensed. By the early 2020s that share had fallen to about a quarter. Khosrowshahi did not mourn it. He claimed credit.
On The Diary of a CEO he went further. He said you can imagine the majority of Uber trips “being fulfilled by robots of some kind” in fifteen to twenty years. Same horizon Macdonald used. Same company. Same appetite for a marketplace where the driver is optional and the platform takes the rent.
Scripture is not confused about where that road leads. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Hand your keys to a corporation and you will discover, the first night the app fails or the price surges or the geofence ends two miles short of your church, what confidence in man actually costs.
The Company That Could Not Build the Car Now Wants to Own the Ride
Uber tried to invent its own self-driving fleet and quit. Now it wants to be the storefront. TechCrunch has counted more than thirty autonomous partners and investments in two years. Waymo and Waabi sit near the top of that list. Fox News reported Uber’s Lucid-Nuro robotaxi already testing on Bay Area roads, with talk of twenty thousand vehicles over six years.
Notice the pattern. They do not need you to buy the car. They need you to rent the trip. They do not need a nation of licensed drivers. They need a nation of passengers. Passengers do not argue with surge pricing.
Passengers do not load a deer in November. Passengers do not keep a car seat, a rifle case, a toolbox, and a week’s groceries in the same vehicle because that is what life outside a downtown core actually looks like.
Bikes and scooters and buses work if you live inside a few square miles of pavement and good weather. Try that pitch in West Texas, the Upper Peninsula, or a county where the nearest obstetrician is forty minutes away and the last bus ran in 1998. Macdonald’s “future world” is a city product. It always is.
There is a political cousin to this sermon. Call it the fifteen-minute city, the war on parking, the congestion fee, the sudden discovery that your driveway is a climate problem. The language changes. The destination does not. Fewer private cars. Fewer licensed drivers. More dependence on the people who run the network.
A License Is More Than a Plastic Card
A driver’s license is how most Americans prove who they are at the bank, the polling place, the airport, and the gun counter. Tell a generation they will not need one and you are not only talking about traffic. You are talking about a country that no longer assumes adults move themselves, identify themselves, and answer for themselves.
Robotaxis will get better. Some of them already crash less often than the average distracted commuter on a phone. That is not the argument. The argument is whether a free people should cheer the day they cannot leave town unless a platform, a city permit, and a stack of sensors say yes.
Macdonald is good at his job. Khosrowshahi called him an “execution machine.” Fine. Execute the app. Do not lecture a republic that the family car is a rounding error and the license in a kid’s wallet is a relic.
Americans can ride when they want to ride. They should still be able to drive when they need to drive. The man who owns his own wheels does not have to ask Uber what time church starts.
Starting the Day With a Scripture-Inspired Roast Helps Center Your Thoughts on Eternal Truths Amid Temporal Pressures
The world can seem chaotic, especially right after we wake up. Many believers start their mornings reaching for something familiar — a hot cup of coffee — yet end up settling for mediocre brews that do little more than deliver a caffeine jolt. The daily grind of life, with its endless distractions, news cycles, and responsibilities, can leave even the most faithful feeling spiritually parched alongside their physical fatigue. What if your morning ritual could do more than wake you up? What if it could ground you in truth, nourish your body with exceptional quality, and quietly advance a kingdom purpose at the same time?
That’s the promise — and the reality — behind Promised Grounds Coffee. This Christian-founded company doesn’t just roast beans; it approaches every step as an act of worship and discipleship. By selecting only the top 10% of specialty-grade beans, ethically sourced from dedicated farmers in Central and South America, and small-batch roasting them with reverence in Austin, Texas, Promised Grounds delivers what many describe as the best coffee available — never burnt, never bland, but rich with origin stories and layered flavors that honor God’s creation.
From the vibrant Psalm 27 Roast (a light, bright medium option) to the bold yet peaceful 2 Timothy 1:7 Decaf, each bag carries a Scripture verse that turns your daily pour into a gentle reminder of faith. And through their Ounce Per Ounce Promise, every ounce of coffee you enjoy provides an equal ounce of clean water to families in need via partnership with Filter of Hope — literally brewing hope for body and soul, one cup at a time.
The challenge for today’s Christians runs deeper than finding a decent cup. In an age of convenience-driven consumerism, it’s easy to support companies that dilute values or remain silent on matters of faith. Many believers want their everyday choices — from what they drink to how they spend — to reflect discipleship rather than just convenience. Promised Grounds solves this by weaving Christian excellence into the entire process: beans nurtured with prayerful stewardship by farming families, roasted as an offering rather than a commodity, and packaged with Bible verses to encourage a mindset of gratitude and purpose from the first sip. Reviewers consistently praise the smooth, rich profiles — whether enjoyed black in a drip maker, iced on a warm day, or shared in fellowship — noting how the quality stands toe-to-toe with premium secular brands while delivering something far more meaningful.
This integration of faith and flavor addresses a real need in Christian households and ministries. Busy parents, church leaders, and remote workers alike report that starting the day with a Scripture-inspired roast helps center their thoughts on eternal truths amid temporal pressures. The coffee’s exceptional character — bright citrus notes in lighter roasts or deep chocolate undertones in bolder ones — comes from meticulous selection and careful roasting that respects the bean’s natural gifts rather than masking them. It’s the kind of coffee that elevates a simple quiet time, fuels productive workdays, or sparks meaningful conversations when shared at Bible studies or outreach events. And because it’s ethically sourced with integrity, every purchase supports sustainable livelihoods for farmers who treat their crops like family harvests.
For those leading churches or small groups, the impact multiplies. Promised Grounds offers bundles and options perfect for hospitality ministries, turning ordinary coffee service into an opportunity to point people toward the living water of Christ. Imagine greeting visitors with a warm cup whose very bag carries God’s Word — a subtle yet powerful witness that aligns with the Great Commission. The company’s Texas roots and commitment to “brewing hope” resonate especially with believers who value American enterprise paired with global compassion.
Of course, quality alone isn’t enough if the experience feels out of reach. Promised Grounds keeps it accessible with practical perks like free shipping on orders over $40, sample sets for discovering favorites, and thoughtful add-ons such as faith-themed mugs. Whether you prefer whole beans for fresh grinding, grounds for convenience, or even bulk options for larger households and ministries, the result is consistently superior coffee that makes discipleship feel integrated rather than added on.
As you consider how to align even the smallest habits with your walk with God, Promised Grounds Coffee stands out as a refreshing solution. It tackles the dual problems of subpar daily sustenance and disconnected consumption by offering a product that genuinely excels in taste while advancing a mission of clean water, farmer dignity, and scriptural encouragement. Believers who make the switch often describe it as more than a beverage upgrade — it becomes part of their rhythm of gratitude, a daily invitation to remember that every good gift comes from above.
If you’re ready to transform your mornings (and perhaps your church gatherings) with coffee that honors both exceptional craftsmanship and Christian values, I encourage you to explore what Promised Grounds has to offer. One sip at a time, you’ll be nourishing your body, refreshing your spirit, and participating in something far greater — all while enjoying what truly is among the best coffee available.
