Live data from Hacker News

Uber CEO to take leave

bloomberg.com

91–100 of 198 posts

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

dang, can we ban any account that exercises Godwin's Law? It always lowers the quality of discourse.

Said comments typically get downvoted/flagged already.

I'm expecting the comment to get flagged and detached so I figured it was a good time to suggest a general rule that Godwin's Law breakers will not be tolerated.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#92
post #21

I really don't buy the Travis Kalanik hate. Yeah, Uber started out as your typical SV unicorn (bro warts and all). Yeah, Uber's entire business model can be described as "grey-area" at best and its business practices as sometimes exploitative. But this is exactly how you're supposed to run a massively successful startup in its first decade. This is exactly how FB started out. And this follows every rule in the startu…

Eh? He and others were looking at a rape victim's medical records, apparently with the conviction that she was making it up and was paid by their competitor to smear them. If that doesn't raise concerns about the company's culture, I don't know what will. There are few precedents for such shitty conduct in the 21st century corporate world.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#93
post #21

I really don't buy the Travis Kalanik hate. Yeah, Uber started out as your typical SV unicorn (bro warts and all). Yeah, Uber's entire business model can be described as "grey-area" at best and its business practices as sometimes exploitative. But this is exactly how you're supposed to run a massively successful startup in its first decade. This is exactly how FB started out. And this follows every rule in the startu…

>But this is exactly how you're supposed to run a massively successful startup in its first decade. Is this sort of behavior what we'd like to condone? I mean you even admit that its business practices are sometimes exploitative and that's what? How we're supposed to do things? "Grey-area" is a pretty large understatement as well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber_protests_and_legal_action... >There was literally no…

He is telling people not rape people and not have sex with your subordinates. It seems pretty reasonable to me. Maybe the wording could be better, but it isn't too scandalous.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#94
post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Bro, Hitler built schools too" gimme a break. stop giving people an excuse because they know how to have people build something good. leaders fail when they treat people like shit.

dang, can we ban any account that exercises Godwin's Law? It always lowers the quality of discourse.

I think we've found a real life bully.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#95
post #79

Culture comes from the top and Uber's is pretty rotten. I did an interview there this year and it was the most aggressive questioning I've ever had. Two of 5 interviewers were really in my face while architecting systems; it was bizarre and I almost walked out. Nothing compared to the 'cultural' interview where there gave me an example of them knowingly breaking the law because "they knew they were right" and then as…

"... the 'cultural' interview where there gave me an example of them knowingly breaking the law because "they knew they were right" and then asked if I had a similar work experience" Incredible. Isn't this how mafia organizations hire? I don't know if this interview method would expose Uber to liability under organized crime laws, but maybe it should.

'Mafias' in the broad sense and the Cosa Nostra in particular don't often interview external candidates. /sorry

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#96
post #68

Maybe you should stop watching too much TV.

Personal attacks get accounts banned on HN, so please don't post like this again. Repetitive spats like the current thread are bad enough as it is.

We detached this comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14546626 and marked it off-topic.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#97
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> this is exactly how you're supposed to run a massively successful startup in its first decade. Why? Can you not think of any massively successful startups that didn't rely on exploitative grey-area business practices?

Can you? Microsoft Antitrust nightmare that probably set them back 5 years. Google for invading our privacy, they are still fighting big important battles in Europe. Facebook for similar privacy invasion, the whole beacon debacle. There are a lot of things that they probably did wrong, but not to the extend that the press is picturing it. Agreed 100% w/ dvt.

I could be missing some shady history, but off the top of my head how about Square?

Edit: Dropbox, Craigslist, GitHub, PayPal, Instagram, Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter

Anyone feel free to jump in if I'm ignoring any exploitation or shadiness.

Bad examples: Spotify and Snapchat.

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#98
post #31
post #21

I really don't buy the Travis Kalanik hate. Yeah, Uber started out as your typical SV unicorn (bro warts and all). Yeah, Uber's entire business model can be described as "grey-area" at best and its business practices as sometimes exploitative. But this is exactly how you're supposed to run a massively successful startup in its first decade. This is exactly how FB started out. And this follows every rule in the startu…

He presided over a culture of widespread sexual harassment that has been echoed repeatedly by multiple employees and you don't really understand why he's being criticized? Cool story, bro.

It is a complete shame that some SJW cause like the contemporary definition of sexual harassment (like talking about ones sex life at work[1]) can be considered more important than revolutionizing transportation.

[1] https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/2/19/reflecting-on-on...

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#99

> The recommendations included reviewing Mr. Kalanick’s responsibilities and reallocating them, with an increased emphasis on a chief operating officer at the company. Does that mean moving him from CEO into more of a COO role, or bringing on a COO and reallocating those responsibilities to that person?

I'm reminded of Marc Andreessen's guide to startups, particularly on firing executives:

"Demotion as an alternative to firing (or, alternately, "I know, we'll hire her a boss!"). Hate it. Great people don't deal well with getting demoted. There is an occasional exception. Unless you are positive you have such an exception, skip it, and move directly to the conclusion." http://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part8.html

Re: Uber CEO to take leave

#100
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There was literally nothing wrong with the email I have worked in tech for 30 years and have never seen anything even approaching the content of that email. It was completely unprofessional in every way.

It's kind of sad that my standard for Uber was so low that after I read the email, I concluded that it was super unprofessional, but at least he made it explicit to not fraternize with someone within your chain of command and to get consent. But yeah, still gross.

My thoughts were largely "this is probably the phrasing most likely to actually get his staff to moderate their behaviour in the mentioned ways, so I don't blame him for writing it that way" ... combined with "I do, however, absolutely blame him for letting a culture develop where that was the most effective phrasing"
Post reply on HN