A profound apology • Hacker News Board

Re: A profound apology

#111

Post by remarkEon » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:29 AM UTC

I would like to hear an argument for why Travis should remain as CEO.

In my mind there's simply been too many colossal failures as a leader, and while I don't consider this video in particular to be resignation worthy, I feel like it's just another datapoint in a growing dataset showing that he's not mature enough (at 40 no less) to handle his role. A straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak. This letter seems sincere, but I was fairly disappointed that there have been no high-level firings or resignations (that I'm aware of) since the Fowler story broke. There's a deep credibility issue here, and the only way I can think of to fix it is if he leaves.

So why should he stay?

Edit: I'm wrong, Amit Singhal was asked to resign due to not disclosing an alleged sexual harassment offense at Google.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/27/technology/uber-sexual-ha...

FTA: A little more than a week after Uber faced stinging accusations that it had ignored female employees’ complaints of sexual harassment, the company dismissed the head of its engineering efforts for failing to disclose a sexual harassment claim from his previous job.

Re: A profound apology

#112

Post by stouset » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:30 AM UTC

oconnore wrote: post #37

It takes a certain kind of person to declare that their own apology is "profound".

Profound has two meanings. You're confusing one meaning ("having great knowledge or insight") with the other ("very great or intense").

"He has profound insights on the topic of healthcare" vs. "Please accept my profound sorrow for your loss".

Re: A profound apology

#113

Post by everdev » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:32 AM UTC

Wow, from the title I thought this would be in regards to the multiple claims of sexual harassment and a hostile workplace. Have they acknowledged those situations yet?

With this video, he got triggered and left. I'm sure he's sorry but I don't see this as anywhere remotely close to the experiences several female engineers have shared. Hopefully his response to them is magnitudes more heartfelt, apologetic and transformative.

Re: A profound apology

#114

Post by reitanqild » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:32 AM UTC

vacri wrote: post #109

habitue wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> has no options beyond a) try to seem sincerely humbled and intent on improving, or b) do literally anything else You know, a year ago I would have nodded along to your reply. But after seeing Trump choose B every time and repeatedly get away with it, I have to give Travis at least a modicum of credit for not going full Trump on this one. Not a lot of credit, but the decision was his.

Speaking of Trump, Jon Stewart pointed out something interesting recently - it's clear he's always lying, because no-one says 'believe me' when they're not lying. And Trump says it all the time. "I didn't take the last cookie... believe me"

it's clear he's always lying, because no-one says 'believe me' when they're not lying.

Is that an general thing in English-speaking countries or just American?

Where I grew up I think it would be perfectly fine to say this even when I have been speaking the truth all the way.

(Don't want to defend Trump. I don't like him. Just curious about the idiom or whatever this is.)

Re: A profound apology

#115

Post by lloydde » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:34 AM UTC

chx wrote: post #61

You need to directly link to this because this apology does not actually show up on https://newsroom.uber.com/ . http://i.imgur.com/9fiFNJx.png

Strange! I was perplexed that the apology is followed by a multi-racial image of gym rats, but then saw it was part of a "featured article" on Uber delivered influenza vaccine from last year.

Re: A profound apology

#116

Post by michaelkeenan » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:35 AM UTC

ethbro wrote: post #46

unityByFreedom wrote: post #12

> This is the first time I’ve been willing to admit that I need leadership help and I intend to get it. That's bold. I can't remember hearing any recent CEO saying this. Best of luck to Uber and their CEO.

That's because normally the CEO is fired after presiding over a fuckup of this magnitude. (The rampant racism and sexism, not just this latest)

Anyone have any evidence about whether that's true?

Re: A profound apology

#117

Post by m0ckingb1rd » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:36 AM UTC

I thought this was for female employees at Uber.

Re: A profound apology

#118

Post by siliconc0w » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:37 AM UTC

Here is the video for the curious: https://youtu.be/gTEDYCkNqns?t=237

To his credit he did actually try to engage with the upset driver - most other executives would just dodge the conversation to avoid looking bad.

Re: A profound apology

#119

Post by dopamean » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:39 AM UTC

davesque wrote: post #79

smcmurtry wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Kalanick: You know what? >Kamel: What? >Kalanick: Some people don't like to take responsibility for their own shit. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. I think that is a very insulting and superior thing to say to someone.

Especially when your net worth is six billion dollars.

And you're talking to someone who works for you (though you bend over backwards to say they don't so you can avoid being responsible for them) and earns a tiny, tiny fraction of what you earn.

Re: A profound apology

#120

Post by unityByFreedom » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:39 AM UTC

throwanem wrote: post #99

unityByFreedom wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't live in SV because I didn't want to be in a bubble. I made that choice 15 years ago. You seem to have it all figured out, including how Uber has brainwashed me and how the only imaginable scenarios are the ones you've written. > Woman beats her husband regularly for years. Eventually, he gets up the gumption to ditch her. When he tells her he's done, she bursts into tears and promises between sobs that she'll…

Well, again, I did define option A as this and option B as everything else. That wasn't by accident. You're doing the same thing, too, but on the sly. Don't think I didn't see you palm the card: > Again, if you only seek perfection in CEOs Don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to characterize Kalanick as merely less than perfect? Not that you're wrong in so doing, exactly, but it does seem to take the principle of…

> Don't you think it's a bit of a stretch to characterize Kalanick as merely less than perfect?

Not really, no. I doubt he is the worst CEO. The scandals you're referring to are all one-sided and haven't yet come before an arbiter. I think Uber is unpopular among their drivers and customers, and that's a pretty big problem, but, the CEO hasn't been convicted of anything.

In 2005, a video of this nature would have had to show a CEO striking the driver in order to get a public outcry. In 2017, one says "bullshit" to an employee and everyone freaks out. The pitchfork party is a bit over the top, in my opinion, and not productive.