Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#211

Post by IanCal » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:36 PM UTC

djohnston wrote: post #201

EliRivers wrote: post #200

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen. Are you talking about Uber? More convenient, cheaper taxis? Sure, I like that as much as the next person, but it's hardly one of the most impactful companies in history.

We’ve entered an unquantifiable mish-mash of superlatives but I’d reckon that uber, as a mainstream pioneer of the contemporary sharing economy, has had more of an impact than you’re willing to admit.

Certainly excellent at marketing the idea that selling services to people should be called the "sharing economy".

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#212

Post by vertex-four » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:38 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #209

vertex-four wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems to be the relevant law for New York, as an example, found under 19-506 of the New York City Administrative Code, which was passed by the city legislature, which was given its power by the Constitution of the State of New York: Any person, other than a person holding a driver's license issued pursuant to section 19-505 and a New York state class A, B, C or E license, neither of which is revoked or suspended…

Right; I overstated. The difference is civil vs criminal. Often (but not in NY so I withdraw my assertion here) medallion violation is a civil matter.

In which cities? Is it part of a contract you agree to when you get your driver's license? If so, what happens when you have a driver's license from out of state?

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#213

Post by jellicle » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:47 PM UTC

kinkrtyavimoodh wrote: post #34

Happy for him. I can only imagine how much being ousted from a company he created and raised to its current level must have hurt. I do not look fondly at what a pain local transport was in cities without public transport (and even those with), and it is Travis (yes, Travis first, Uber second) that led this paradigm shift. We can debate about Uber's business practices until the cows come home, but this is undeniable.…

Which cities is Uber serving that didn't have public transport?

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#214

Post by room271 » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:54 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #192

soneca wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You imply that being ousted from the company he created is not a direct consequence of his actions. You imply that unethical behavior was helpful to Uber defeat awful local transport lobbies in some cities and improve transportation for the people. I strongly disagree with both assumptions. I believe he was ousted for legitimate reasons that he is 100% individually responsible for and I believe that unethical behavio…

In today’s politically correct environment, the masses are wont to instantly discredit and discard the entire career of anyone whose personal failings happen to become public. Travis spent a tiny fraction of his time being a jerk. The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen. Give credit where credit is due. ”Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done…

'The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen.'

I don't think Uber is this, even if 'impact' is purely taken as a morally neutral statement. It's just clearly not the case. Train companies, underground, shipping, airlines, have all had a much bigger impact and that's just looking at transport.

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#215

Post by jdblair » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:56 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #210

sumeno wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personal failings are one thing, but that hasn't been the downfall of Travis Kalanick. His professional failings have been his downfall.

I disagree. The video of him talking down to a driver seemed to be the catalyst. Once that came out, everyone that disliked Travis, stood to benefit from his dismissal, or just hated Uber, piled on with story after story. As an executive, he was aggressive and didn’t play nice with competitors or politicians seeking to limit his business and/or put their hands in its pockets. Show me someone that has built a $40+ bil…

> Uber used Greyball to avoid giving rides to undercover law enforcement personnel looking looking to destroy their business.

Uber used Greyball to evade municipal laws.

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#216

Post by jekrk92929 » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:56 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #192

soneca wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You imply that being ousted from the company he created is not a direct consequence of his actions. You imply that unethical behavior was helpful to Uber defeat awful local transport lobbies in some cities and improve transportation for the people. I strongly disagree with both assumptions. I believe he was ousted for legitimate reasons that he is 100% individually responsible for and I believe that unethical behavio…

In today’s politically correct environment, the masses are wont to instantly discredit and discard the entire career of anyone whose personal failings happen to become public. Travis spent a tiny fraction of his time being a jerk. The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen. Give credit where credit is due. ”Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done…

He built a company with a culture of theft, harassment, graft, hubris...

He spent his time building THAT place I just described

Besides, ride shares isn’t that novel. The math exists. The market itself already exists! It’s just poorly managed

He found rich people to invest in “doing it at scale in the cloud.”

I don’t really give credit for outcomes that anyone with a bachelors in math, and web dev skills could come up with conceptually if not scale

The trickiest bit is getting money and navigating the administrative shitshow that is our society. But that’s easy when you just bribe ...pay... sycophants to do it

He even said himself he has a lot of growing up to do. No need to defend him as simply misunderstood

I don’t really give props for his accomplishments. He lived a contemporary life and got handouts from vultures who saw $$$ while looking at Travis

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#217

Post by arcticfox » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 3:56 PM UTC

downandout wrote: post #192

soneca wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You imply that being ousted from the company he created is not a direct consequence of his actions. You imply that unethical behavior was helpful to Uber defeat awful local transport lobbies in some cities and improve transportation for the people. I strongly disagree with both assumptions. I believe he was ousted for legitimate reasons that he is 100% individually responsible for and I believe that unethical behavio…

In today’s politically correct environment, the masses are wont to instantly discredit and discard the entire career of anyone whose personal failings happen to become public. Travis spent a tiny fraction of his time being a jerk. The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen. Give credit where credit is due. ”Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done…

'The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen.'

I really don't think a marginal improvement on taxis qualifies for that title.

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#218

Post by downandout » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 4:01 PM UTC

room271 wrote: post #214

downandout wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In today’s politically correct environment, the masses are wont to instantly discredit and discard the entire career of anyone whose personal failings happen to become public. Travis spent a tiny fraction of his time being a jerk. The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen. Give credit where credit is due. ”Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done…

'The rest of it was spent creating one of the most impactful companies that the world has ever seen.' I don't think Uber is this, even if 'impact' is purely taken as a morally neutral statement. It's just clearly not the case. Train companies, underground, shipping, airlines, have all had a much bigger impact and that's just looking at transport.

And yet Uber is worth significantly more than nearly all of the companies in the specific verticals you mention.

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#219

Post by deepakhj » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 4:03 PM UTC

misun78 wrote: post #54

kinkrtyavimoodh wrote: post #34

Happy for him. I can only imagine how much being ousted from a company he created and raised to its current level must have hurt. I do not look fondly at what a pain local transport was in cities without public transport (and even those with), and it is Travis (yes, Travis first, Uber second) that led this paradigm shift. We can debate about Uber's business practices until the cows come home, but this is undeniable.…

Thank you for providing a balanced view that’s so often missing on anything Uber related on HN. There is no denying that Travis threw ethics out of the window and took his paranoia way too far and never matured into a peacetime CEO. But every time a HN user takes an Uber, Lyft, Via, Grab, Ola etc etc you can thank Travis for his ruthlessness in fighting some of the most powerfully entrenched politicians (DeBlasio of…

Craigslist and zimride (lyft) started carpool rides. Uber then launched the black car service. And then sidecar launched a service where people used their own car to drive customers. Uber did not invent the space on its own.

Re: Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Said to Plan Sale of 29% of Stake

#220

Post by deepakhj » Fri, Jan 05, 2018, 4:06 PM UTC

heymijo wrote: post #60

misun78 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you for providing a balanced view that’s so often missing on anything Uber related on HN. There is no denying that Travis threw ethics out of the window and took his paranoia way too far and never matured into a peacetime CEO. But every time a HN user takes an Uber, Lyft, Via, Grab, Ola etc etc you can thank Travis for his ruthlessness in fighting some of the most powerfully entrenched politicians (DeBlasio of…

That's not entirely true. Lyft paved the way for UberX.

Sidecar invented the driver using their own car, leading the way to Uberx and lyft.