I think, from the article, that the reason that Uber would be considered a tech company and not a transportation company is a matter of assets and how it can scale.

Uber is not a bus company. It does not own a gigantic fleet of cars or large depots to store them in, nor does it employ mechanics and cleaners to tend to them, or have long-term contracts for gates at stations around the country.

Uber is a tech company because it really only owns software and lawyers. The cost of bringing 10,000 new vehicles on the road is minimal -- they simply increase the incentives to drivers in that area.

Likewise, Air BnB is a tech company, for the same reason.

WeWork, however, is simply an office real estate company. Its business model is closer to a hotel chain.

Uber is probably more of a contract labor firm

> Uber is not a bus company. It does not own a gigantic fleet of cars or large depots to store them in, nor does it employ mechanics and cleaners to tend to them, or have long-term contracts for gates at stations around the country.

Ironically, if Uber achieves its self-driving dreams it will have acquire all of these things.

And in doing so giving up their only "innovation" - externalizing the capital costs and risk.

Google as an "American advertising company" is a good summary of the jurisdiction of their head office, and where the bulk of their income comes from.