How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO • Hacker News Board

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#21

Post by tyingq » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:12 AM UTC

Allvitende wrote: post #19

While I do agree that the culture at Uber was toxic and ultimately Travis was to blame for that, on a human level I do feel for the guy. At the end of the day, he just lost his mother and now also his life's work for the foreseeable future. And damn that must suck.

Maybe eventually, he will view it differently.

"Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#22

Post by curiousDog » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:12 AM UTC

Allvitende wrote: post #19

While I do agree that the culture at Uber was toxic and ultimately Travis was to blame for that, on a human level I do feel for the guy. At the end of the day, he just lost his mother and now also his life's work for the foreseeable future. And damn that must suck.

Well, he still has his billions and is on the board.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#23

Post by sowbug » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:12 AM UTC

jontas wrote: post #17

zentiggr wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fair enough... I should know I've seen enough word usage change over a few decades. Sigh.

That quote says it's been two and a half centuries.

The reference was to general change in word usage, not to change in this word's usage.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#24

Post by code4tee » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:19 AM UTC

Imagine the pressure the VCs on the board are under from the people that gave them money to invest. An investment in Uber went from:

"Man I can't believe you got our money in there, we're gonna be rich!"

to

"$&?@! our money is in Uber? We're going to lose our shirts. Do something! Now!"

The VCs on the board had no other choice but to kick Kalanick out of the CEO job.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#25

Post by draw_down » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:23 AM UTC

code4tee wrote: post #24

Imagine the pressure the VCs on the board are under from the people that gave them money to invest. An investment in Uber went from: "Man I can't believe you got our money in there, we're gonna be rich!" to "$&?@! our money is in Uber? We're going to lose our shirts. Do something! Now!" The VCs on the board had no other choice but to kick Kalanick out of the CEO job.

It's unclear to me how much the actual business has been affected by the upheaval.

But once they get Sandberg in there, combined with Huffington on the board, and Boz St John on the exec team, the press is going to love it. It's a new day at Uber, Uber goes from harass-y to classy, all that stuff.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#26

Post by paulcole » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:35 AM UTC

curiousDog wrote: post #22

Allvitende wrote: post #19

While I do agree that the culture at Uber was toxic and ultimately Travis was to blame for that, on a human level I do feel for the guy. At the end of the day, he just lost his mother and now also his life's work for the foreseeable future. And damn that must suck.

Well, he still has his billions and is on the board.

Is there any way to know how much he's taken off the table? The way Uber is going, I'd be shocked if he's worth billions in 5 years.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#27

Post by drawnwren » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:35 AM UTC

draw_down wrote: post #25

code4tee wrote: post #24

Imagine the pressure the VCs on the board are under from the people that gave them money to invest. An investment in Uber went from: "Man I can't believe you got our money in there, we're gonna be rich!" to "$&?@! our money is in Uber? We're going to lose our shirts. Do something! Now!" The VCs on the board had no other choice but to kick Kalanick out of the CEO job.

It's unclear to me how much the actual business has been affected by the upheaval. But once they get Sandberg in there, combined with Huffington on the board, and Boz St John on the exec team, the press is going to love it. It's a new day at Uber, Uber goes from harass-y to classy, all that stuff.

I hear Marissa Mayer needs a new job.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#28

Post by blazespin » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:35 AM UTC

Allvitende wrote: post #19

While I do agree that the culture at Uber was toxic and ultimately Travis was to blame for that, on a human level I do feel for the guy. At the end of the day, he just lost his mother and now also his life's work for the foreseeable future. And damn that must suck.

I feel bad about his mom, but losing the CEO? No, and in fact, Travis might be secretly glad. Anyone who is serious about this sort of thing must understand the reality of the control versus wealth founder's dilemma from day one. By giving up, he may be getting more as Uber becomes successful in a way he could not make it. His skill set, getting it to where it was, was critical and he just wasn't the right guy to get it to the next phase. Pretty much every single startup goes through this. The Gates and Bezos and Musks of the world are huge outliers.

WHat's more, is that any founder or CEO who doesn't embrace this reality should not be made CEO.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#29

Post by jbigelow76 » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:43 AM UTC

tyingq wrote: post #21

Allvitende wrote: post #19

While I do agree that the culture at Uber was toxic and ultimately Travis was to blame for that, on a human level I do feel for the guy. At the end of the day, he just lost his mother and now also his life's work for the foreseeable future. And damn that must suck.

Maybe eventually, he will view it differently. "Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."

That's a really powerful quote from John Sculley.

Re: How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

#30

Post by carbocation » Thu, Jun 22, 2017, 2:48 AM UTC

jbigelow76 wrote: post #29

tyingq wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe eventually, he will view it differently. "Getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life."

That's a really powerful quote from John Sculley.

> That's a really powerful quote from John Sculley.

/s/John Sculley/Steve Jobs/