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Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

nytimes.com

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Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#21

Post by beaner »

johan_larson wrote: post #9

I remain flabbergasted by all of this upheaval at Uber. What's happening is the sort of housecleaning I would expect if the company had to file for bankruptcy or got caught flat out bribing judges or something. But really, what triggered all this was acting like jerks. It seems to me, what should have happened (a long time ago) was that they got shut down for systematically breaking the law, or encouraging others to…

I feel like it makes perfect sense. It's capitalism in action. They are free to act like jerks, and their users and stakeholders are free to punish them for it.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#23

Post by danaliv »

johan_larson wrote: post #9

I remain flabbergasted by all of this upheaval at Uber. What's happening is the sort of housecleaning I would expect if the company had to file for bankruptcy or got caught flat out bribing judges or something. But really, what triggered all this was acting like jerks. It seems to me, what should have happened (a long time ago) was that they got shut down for systematically breaking the law, or encouraging others to…

A jerk is someone who borrows your car and doesn't pay for the dent he puts in the bumper. What happened at Uber was the creation of one of the most insanely hostile work environments in living memory, where flouting not just the law, but also basic standards of human decency, was not only accepted but encouraged at all levels of the company.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#24

Post by astrange »

beaner wrote: post #21
johan_larson wrote: post #9

I remain flabbergasted by all of this upheaval at Uber. What's happening is the sort of housecleaning I would expect if the company had to file for bankruptcy or got caught flat out bribing judges or something. But really, what triggered all this was acting like jerks. It seems to me, what should have happened (a long time ago) was that they got shut down for systematically breaking the law, or encouraging others to…

I feel like it makes perfect sense. It's capitalism in action. They are free to act like jerks, and their users and stakeholders are free to punish them for it.

That isn't freedom, it's privatized crime and punishment. It's the same as saying you're free to be homeless if you can't afford rent.

(Except this is good.)

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#25

Post by draw_down »

johan_larson wrote: post #9

I remain flabbergasted by all of this upheaval at Uber. What's happening is the sort of housecleaning I would expect if the company had to file for bankruptcy or got caught flat out bribing judges or something. But really, what triggered all this was acting like jerks. It seems to me, what should have happened (a long time ago) was that they got shut down for systematically breaking the law, or encouraging others to…

Good grief. Yes, the press are the bad guys in all this.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#26

Post by hkmurakami »

danaliv wrote: post #23
johan_larson wrote: post #9

I remain flabbergasted by all of this upheaval at Uber. What's happening is the sort of housecleaning I would expect if the company had to file for bankruptcy or got caught flat out bribing judges or something. But really, what triggered all this was acting like jerks. It seems to me, what should have happened (a long time ago) was that they got shut down for systematically breaking the law, or encouraging others to…

A jerk is someone who borrows your car and doesn't pay for the dent he puts in the bumper. What happened at Uber was the creation of one of the most insanely hostile work environments in living memory, where flouting not just the law, but also basic standards of human decency, was not only accepted but encouraged at all levels of the company.

So basically all investment banking divisions should be treated with the same regard?

I find it strange that we seem to give finance a pass when they've engaged in this sort of behavior for decades.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#27

Post by hkmurakami »

fnbr wrote: post #5

I'm unsurprised. Kalanick has enough support on the board that I'd imagine they'd make it uncomfortable for Gurley to stay. The whole situation is fascinating as it has shown how important the soft power board members hold is. Strictly speaking, no one can force Kalanick or Gurley out, but out they are.

Hm so Kalanick is still on the. Pars so heoretically he can make a triumphant return at a later date?

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#28

Post by justicezyx »

erichurkman wrote: post #14
tw04 wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're assuming the current board didn't have this planned for a long time. Let them break the law to get things done, then clean house after the stage was properly set. I STILL think that people are downplaying the Otto thing way too much, especially on this site. It's easy to say that they're going to win in court... but this is GOOGLE - they're going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars and likely a decade try…

And Google does not need to win. At the scale of Google v. Uber, getting injunctions, delays, and bogging down Uber's self driving car efforts are valuable on their own.

Not slow down, just not use what Google got through much more capital investment. That's where they should be, unless Uber prove that they are not using what was developed at Google.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#29

Post by beaner »

astrange wrote: post #24
beaner wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like it makes perfect sense. It's capitalism in action. They are free to act like jerks, and their users and stakeholders are free to punish them for it.

That isn't freedom, it's privatized crime and punishment. It's the same as saying you're free to be homeless if you can't afford rent. (Except this is good.)

I don't really see how it's privatized crime and punishment. Being a jerk isn't illegal. And the "punishment" is economic, not forceful. I don't think your analogy works.

Re: Bill Gurley Is Leaving Uber’s Board

#30

Post by cf »

hkmurakami wrote: post #26
danaliv wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A jerk is someone who borrows your car and doesn't pay for the dent he puts in the bumper. What happened at Uber was the creation of one of the most insanely hostile work environments in living memory, where flouting not just the law, but also basic standards of human decency, was not only accepted but encouraged at all levels of the company.

So basically all investment banking divisions should be treated with the same regard? I find it strange that we seem to give finance a pass when they've engaged in this sort of behavior for decades.

Do we actually give the finance industry a pass? The fact that "Wall st" is a pejorative these days is some indication that's not the case.
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