A profound apology • Hacker News Board

Re: A profound apology

#121

Post by jacobtracey » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:42 AM UTC

subpixel wrote: post #71

anjc wrote: post #20

It strikes me as a mistake to apologise for something that you shouldn't apologise for. I thought the video was humanising, and if anything, he remained cool in the face of threatening behaviour. Apologising just legitimses the critics, who'll remain critical regardless.

For me the video humanizes Uber drivers - the people who have the most to lose when Uber brass damage the company through scandal and mismanagement. The fact that Kalanick dismisses the driver's opinions on what might be good for the company reveals the fragility of his ego. If he'd listen to the opinions of the people who actual make Uber work, he might learn a lot.

The drivers are just a stopgap until most Uber rides are self driving cars.

They're all screwed in the end anyway.

Re: A profound apology

#122

Post by dopamean » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:42 AM UTC

mhluongo wrote: post #108

comex wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a good data point, but not perfect, since the amount Uber charges customers isn't necessarily directly correlated with the amount they pay drivers...

I thought Uber took a standard %?

They do. However I believe compensation to drivers is more complicated because of what are essentially marketing costs in the form of subsidized rides. A year or so ago before Uber left Austin a driver told me one weekend that Uber guaranteed him something like $400 to drive for the weekend so long as he picked up 30 fares (I'm fudging the numbers a bit here because I cant remember). Based on promotions being run for customers and increased rates Uber was definitely going to have to come out of their own pocket to meet that guarantee.

Re: A profound apology

#123

Post by humanrebar » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:44 AM UTC

codr4life wrote: post #94

Sorry Travis; once an asshole, always an asshole; all the leadership training in the world isn't going to change that. You're 40 years old, how long would you have us waiting? Even brother J. was on your tail in noting that bad trees don't give good fruit. Claiming 'profound' for PR-bullshit like this when you're in that kind of mess is just another nail in the coffin.

Brother J?

Re: A profound apology

#124

Post by _xhok » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:45 AM UTC

Here's the conversation that took place:

  Travis: So we are reducing the number of black cars in the next few months.
  Fawzi: It’s good.
  Travis: You probably saw some email.
  Fawzi: I saw the email [that says] it starts in May. But you’re raising the standards and dropping the prices.
  Travis: We’re not dropping the prices on Black.
  Fawzi: But in general.
  Travis: In general, but we have competitors. Otherwise we’d be out of business.
  Fawzi: Competitors? You had the business model in your hands, you could have the prices you want but you choose to buy everybody a ride.
  Travis: No, no no. You misunderstand me. We started high-end. We didn’t go low-end because we wanted to. We went low-end because we had to because we’d be out of business.
  Fawzi: But people are not trusting you anymore. Do you think people will buy cars anymore? ... I lost $97,000 because of you. I'm bankrupt because of you.  You keep changing every day. You keep changing every day.
  Travis: Hold on a second. What have I changed about Black?
  Fawzi: You changed the whole business! You dropped the prices.
  Travis: On Black? Bullshit.
  Fawzi: We started with $20.
  Travis: You know what, some people don't like to take responsibility for their own shit. They blame everything in their life on somebody else. Good luck!
  Fawzi: Good luck to you too, I know that you aren’t going to go far.

Re: A profound apology

#125

Post by ddispaltro » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:45 AM UTC

Honestly, most of the conversation is a lot more genuine than most interactions as seen on the internet. Most execs would have shut up and avoided any discussion. I am not saying that I agree with everything, but of all the Uber news, this is the least worrying.

Re: A profound apology

#126

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:45 AM UTC

remarkEon wrote: post #111

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…

[deleted]

Re: A profound apology

#127

Post by robbiep » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:45 AM UTC

smcmurtry wrote: post #65

jamestimmins wrote: post #26

I'm a bit unclear what is so negative about this. While there is an argument that a leader should be able to handle criticism without losing his/her temper, he appears to respond to the driver as an equal with whom he profoundly disagrees. He didn't write the man off or act as though he wasn't worth his time, he simply responded in a frustrated manner to an interaction that he clearly was not in the mood for. Does be…

>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.

It is a truth; however here it is being misapplied I believe. Failure to accept responsibility for failings is a sign of neuroticism... Trump has it; so does Kalanick it would appear from these reports (and all others).

In reality it is necessary for growth (and for leadership) to accept responsibility for things. In medicine, every layer up the chain is responsible for the actions of those below; i have encountered many situations where a senior accepts and owns responsibility for a failing or mistake even though that mistake was performed by a junior doctor/nurse. Blame culture is toxic; ownership therapeutic as it leads to growth. In the situation you quote above, it is ironic.

Re: A profound apology

#128

Post by ktRolster » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:46 AM UTC

codr4life wrote: post #94

Sorry Travis; once an asshole, always an asshole; all the leadership training in the world isn't going to change that. You're 40 years old, how long would you have us waiting? Even brother J. was on your tail in noting that bad trees don't give good fruit. Claiming 'profound' for PR-bullshit like this when you're in that kind of mess is just another nail in the coffin.

Sorry Travis; once an asshole, always an asshole;

No, people actually do change, you know.

Re: A profound apology

#129

Post by JohnJamesRambo » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:47 AM UTC

ktRolster wrote: post #128

codr4life wrote: post #94

Sorry Travis; once an asshole, always an asshole; all the leadership training in the world isn't going to change that. You're 40 years old, how long would you have us waiting? Even brother J. was on your tail in noting that bad trees don't give good fruit. Claiming 'profound' for PR-bullshit like this when you're in that kind of mess is just another nail in the coffin.

Sorry Travis; once an asshole, always an asshole; No, people actually do change, you know.

Name some.

Re: A profound apology

#130

Post by middleclick » Wed, Mar 01, 2017, 4:48 AM UTC

Don't we remember this?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/uber-executive-reportedly-ad...

> A senior executive at U.S. ride-sharing company Uber suggested that the company should spend a million dollars to hire a team of opposition researchers to "dig up dirt" on its critics in the media, BuzzFeed reported.