# The Wild, Broken Ride of Bird and Its Scooter Empire with Joe Fenti and Maddy Smith | 100

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-big-flop-6568023/the-wild-broken-ride-of-bird-and-its-scooter-empire-with-joe-fenti-and-maddy-smith-100
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-big-flop-6568023/the-wild-broken-ride-of-bird-and-its-scooter-empire-with-joe-fenti-and-maddy-smith-100.md
Podcast: [The Big Flop](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-big-flop-6568023)
Published: 2025-08-11T07:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b39de219-eecb-40fc-8040-29443ee71810.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
Audio file: https://rss.art19.com/episodes/b39de219-eecb-40fc-8040-29443ee71810.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0
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Duration seconds: 2943

## Resource

In 2017, Santa Monica residents woke up to find their streets invaded by mysterious electric scooters. The culprit? Travis VanderZanden, a former Uber exec with a plan to revolutionize urban transit. But between drunk-tweeting executives, phantom revenue reports, and scooters being hurled into oceans, Bird's flight path was destined for turbulence. Joe Fenti and Maddy Smith join Misha to watch Bird's $2 billion flight plan nosedive Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter Listen to The Big Flop on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/the-big-flop/ now. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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