Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O. • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#951

Post by davidf18 » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 9:49 PM UTC

nullnilvoid wrote: post #832

davidf18 wrote: post #773

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber is the largest player by far, so they are an easy target for frustrations and for incumbents. "Uber" is almost a generic term for a iPhone hailable vehicle. Generally, there is market competition for drivers. For example, Lyft for those drivers who are unhappy with Uber. You have stated that in your city, São Paulo, there are 3 good companies. If one company mistreats drivers, they would go to a competing firm a…

Uber is the largest in the US, not across the world. Didi provides way more rides than Uber any single day.

Well, largest by revenue :-)

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#952

Post by geoelectric » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:01 PM UTC

netcan wrote: post #950

geoelectric wrote: post #924

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Once upon a time I heard a concept in motorcycling of the sacrificial jerk. This was when you deliberately rode behind someone who rode like an asshole. In turn they provided the upper boundary of your willingness to break the speed limit and for you to ride like an asshole, in hopes that they'd attract the ire of the police instead of you. Leaving any motorcycle safety conversations aside, I think Uber has been the…

I think you're right. The whole thing is complex, with labour law/norm implications, entrenched and concentrate interests in dozens of jurisdictions. Also uncynically ideological objectors. It was inevitably going to draw a lot of fire. I'm personally shocked at how far and wide uber have managed to spread. Leaving aside broader questions, I think we can take a guess at what happens after Uber gets pulled over. Someo…

I will say that their management of internal culture isn't something I have any sympathy for, and I hope that doesn't end up being where boundaries are pushed. There is certainly a tendency for armchair kneejerking in today's culture wars, but Uber's personnel issues go beyond the gray area in my opinion.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#953

Post by davidf18 » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:03 PM UTC

pikzen wrote: post #828

davidf18 wrote: post #758

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The regulations by and large were simply there to protect incumbents that wanted to keep out competition which offered higher customer value (by offering lower cost, more responsive, less greenhouse gas) service. Unlike AirBnB which does break NY City and NY State laws, Uber has been following regulations that are imposed by the NYC Taxi & Limousine commission (e.g., screening drivers, etc.).

> less greenhouse gas An estimated 160.000 cars driving for Uber in the US, many of which doing so as a full time job will pollute less. Right. Riiiiight.

Uber Pool has 2 or more unrelated passengers using the same car for transit hence less greenhouse gas compared with using separate vehicles. Elementary!

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#954

Post by davidf18 » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:09 PM UTC

jordache wrote: post #874

davidf18 wrote: post #701

Much of the resistance to Uber (such as laws that were broken, protests) were from entrenched interests. At least where I live in NYC, Uber was dramatically improving customer value while providing innovations that reduced greenhouse gas. It provided completion for the entrenched Yellow Cab monopoly with its very high rates. Sometimes Uber would have higher rates but then you could take a Yellow Cab instead. The Yell…

> Uber was dramatically improving customer value while providing innovations that reduced greenhouse gas. Reducing greenhouse? Relative to what? This is all one needs to read http://nyc.streetsblog.org/2017/02/27/its-settled-uber-is-ma...

"Most of the upsurge is occurring outside the city’s Central Business District (Manhattan below 60th Street), Schaller reports."

Also, the overall increase was 3 to 4% according to the report. In NYC we keep hearing how subway ridership has been increasing every year. At any rate, a decrease of 10 million trips per year out of 1.7 billion is hardly significant.

Also, this simply states that perhaps we should be regulating private vehicular traffic in these areas, not restrict traffic that helps the public (and provides employment for low-skilled people).

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#955

Post by randomsearch » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:18 PM UTC

nullnilvoid wrote: post #832

davidf18 wrote: post #773

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber is the largest player by far, so they are an easy target for frustrations and for incumbents. "Uber" is almost a generic term for a iPhone hailable vehicle. Generally, there is market competition for drivers. For example, Lyft for those drivers who are unhappy with Uber. You have stated that in your city, São Paulo, there are 3 good companies. If one company mistreats drivers, they would go to a competing firm a…

Uber is the largest in the US, not across the world. Didi provides way more rides than Uber any single day.

Aside: is there anything to be said for doing well in lots of countries vs a monopoly in one?

It seems to me that to be successful in certain countries requires skills that don't translate internationally - for example, understanding the quirks of one big country, or negotiating the political situation.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#956

Post by randomsearch » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:26 PM UTC

CPLX wrote: post #770

davidf18 wrote: post #701

Much of the resistance to Uber (such as laws that were broken, protests) were from entrenched interests. At least where I live in NYC, Uber was dramatically improving customer value while providing innovations that reduced greenhouse gas. It provided completion for the entrenched Yellow Cab monopoly with its very high rates. Sometimes Uber would have higher rates but then you could take a Yellow Cab instead. The Yell…

This is factually incorrect. You're drawing a direct parallel between medallion taxis and Uber/Lyft rides, when they are not in fact the same at all. The outer boroughs, and every neighborhood in the city, has had car service options for decades, where you call a phone number (or often walk to a local storefront stand) to get a ride. This is the exact market segment that Uber has entered. Literally. There wasn't and…

Technically, on paper, you may be right. Uber is categorised alongside dial cabs.

In practice, it has replaced lots of Yellow cab journeys too.

Straightforward evidence: the large drop in the value of a medallion in NYC.

But just talk to New Yorkers. Lots of people use Uber instead of Yellow Cabs.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#957

Post by davidf18 » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:27 PM UTC

theamk wrote: post #873

davidf18 wrote: post #789

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The law enforcement cited was mostly to keep Uber out of the market to protect incumbents from competition. Unlike AirBnB which breaks NY City and NY State regulations, Uber does follow NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission rules imposed on them and Lyft and other services. But in NYC, the Mayor's unsuccessful efforts withstanding, we aren't trying to restrict market entry and basically asking that Uber drivers undergo the…

Did you read the linked article? The law enforcement thing (at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/technology/uber-federal-i... ) was started by Portland, Oregon. What does it have to do with NYC?

It doesn't. That is the point. Uber follows the law.

Read this part of the article:

"Uber made a particular effort to deploy the tool in cities where it faced opposition from local regulators or rival taxi and transportation companies. One of those cities was Portland."

NYC did not bow to pressure from rival taxi companies and they did follow the law cooperating with NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission (again, unlike AirBnB which directly broke NY City and NY State laws and was sued by the NY State Attorney General). Uber was never in trouble with the law in NYC nor NYS and the only time it has trouble are with entities that try to block competition from the regulated monopoly.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#958

Post by davidf18 » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:31 PM UTC

davidf18 wrote: post #827

braveo wrote: post #750

Earlier quoted context omitted.

don't really care, Uber's behavior as a company is such that I'd rather see lyft succeed. Those positives will be brought about regardless of who it is, so lets make sure it isn't a company who acts as egregiously bad as Uber.

Uber has better quality service from my experience. I still remember, Sat AM in NYC, and Lyft wanted to charge surge pricing when the city is far quieter than during a weekday. Uber did not charge surge pricing on a Saturday morning!

Not certain why downvoted and no explanation provided for providing a fact. I think most would agree that Lyft charging surge pricing during a non-surge time is ridiculous. Uber to their credit did not try to rip me and other customers off.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#959

Post by randomsearch » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:33 PM UTC

CPLX wrote: post #812

davidf18 wrote: post #802

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This idea that there "were no taxis" in the boroughs and now there are is ridiculous. The few times I tried to take those services the service was horrible, horrible. Now, thankfully, Uber is available and they have much better service and they have a single identifiable reliable brand and they take credit cards. Uber pool where unrelated riders ride in the same car are going to have less greenhouse gas than riders…

> I actually live there and there are no Yellow Cabs in the outer boroughs. I am writing this from Brooklyn, where I have lived for about 20 years. > Before Uber there was no hailable service. There still isn't. Street hails are only from medallion cabs, plus the green outer borough cabs which came just a little bit before Uber showed up and are still around. There wasn't street hailing before and there isn't now. Th…

Things have changed. What was "street hailing" is now pretty much equivalent to "app hailing" because it's so frictionless.

Re: Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Resigns as C.E.O.

#960

Post by Mz » Wed, Jun 21, 2017, 10:34 PM UTC

kevinburke wrote: post #3

According to the article 5 different VC firms representing 40% of the voting shares asked him to resign today. Kalanick still controls the majority of voting shares and a board seat. Most of Kalanick's trouble started with Susan Fowler speaking out. Please believe women when they report harassment in the workplace. Many of their reports may not be as clear cut as Mrs. Fowler's.

Please believe women when they report harassment in the workplace

One of the problems with this unilateral statement is that if this becomes the new norm, then women can just level accusations and be believed. Men get fired or have other consequences.

It is never a good idea to have a policy of sweepingly and uncritically believing some category of people over another. That is actually the problem we currently have, only it is generally white men who get believed, no matter what they say, while women and poc get ignored, dismissed, etc. Consider how poorly that is currently serving women and poc and maybe stop to wonder if you would want to be on the receiving end of that.

Your remarks make it clear that you have enormous privilege and you imagine you cannot lose that advantage. Consider the possibility of losing it. Just as a thought experiment. Your smugness is deeply rooted in your assumption that you will always be privileged. And I don't even know where to begin here in telling you how sick and twisted that is.

In a weird way, it deeply reinforces the current sick system. And if you did get your way, you could well lose the thing you currently cannot imagine losing.

I am not for having a Lord of the Flies social order and simply shuffling around who the default victims are. I would like to treat everyone better, not simply make the current victims the next generation of abusive tyrants.