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How Uber Backers Orchestrated Kalanick’s Ouster as CEO

wsj.com

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

#101

Post by HenryBemis »

camillomiller wrote: post #94
kyokpae wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> reduced drunk driving rates by 1/3 Hardly true: http://fortune.com/2016/07/28/uber-drunk-driving-study/ > enabled nearly 200K drivers to become entrepreneurs Going self-employed doesn't make you an entrepreneur. > provided a valuable service to millions of customers Looks like true: http://fortune.com/2016/10/20/uber-app-riders/ > accelerated the shift to self driving car Not true. Uber's entered the game very late…

Let's not forget that, however you frame it, he might have done all that by exploiting the worst traits of digital capitalism. I.e. they found the cleverest way to keep the revenue flowing (and maybe profits, one day) while getting rid of those pesky liabilities called means of production, all with appalling levels of capital concentration and lack of redistribution. Kalanick might be out, but UBER now is hardly less…

+1

I think that apart the "less drunk drivers", "entrepreneurs", and all that fandom talk, Uber went ahead to bump heads with one of the most "exclusive" professions (taxi drivers are the favorite voters for any government), and managed to carve out a portion of their business, out-of-nowhere.

It's like, me starting a soft-drink company and, take on Coca & Pepsi and carve out 10% of their sales globally within 5 years.

They, of course, achieved this "by hook or by crook" but hey you need a ruthless team to succeed this.

Business-wise, a job well done.

Sexism, rape, stealing, avoiding taxes, etc... a big fat NO - thou shall not pass.

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

#102

Post by rubidium »

pelario wrote: post #100
gadders wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the downvoters, some evidence: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14577840- McDonald's forcing people to buy a special salt shaker "In early September, McDonald’s announced it would start offering all-day breakfast across the U.S. Customers will soon be able to order a limited selection of breakfast items past the usual 10:30 a.m. cutoff. That will require changes in the restaurants, such as finding room on the…

Why the downvotes?

The fry cook is not the franchise owner. The Uber driver is not an entrepreneur.

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

#103

Post by tyingq »

pelario wrote: post #100
gadders wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the downvoters, some evidence: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14577840- McDonald's forcing people to buy a special salt shaker "In early September, McDonald’s announced it would start offering all-day breakfast across the U.S. Customers will soon be able to order a limited selection of breakfast items past the usual 10:30 a.m. cutoff. That will require changes in the restaurants, such as finding room on the…

Why the downvotes?

Because the original analogy was a fry cook, similar to an Uber driver in that neither is an entrepreneur.

This is referring to a McDonalds franchise owner, who is much more likely to fit the description of entrepreneur.

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

#104

Post by tyingq »

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #42
menacingly wrote: post #39

Perhaps with a sustained PR onslaught that will now magically disappear even if nothing material changes at the company?

Well he did say there was no way in hell Uber would IPO. What's a poor billionaire to do when faced with an obstinate CEO messin' with their payday? PS the rest of the Uber story is IPO in 5..4..3..

Doesn't an IPO require some actual disclosure of financials in a format accountants would accept?

Or is there some way to IPO without outing exactly how much the burn to date has been subsidizing rides?

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

#105

Post by hueving »

HenryBemis wrote: post #101
camillomiller wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Let's not forget that, however you frame it, he might have done all that by exploiting the worst traits of digital capitalism. I.e. they found the cleverest way to keep the revenue flowing (and maybe profits, one day) while getting rid of those pesky liabilities called means of production, all with appalling levels of capital concentration and lack of redistribution. Kalanick might be out, but UBER now is hardly less…

+1 I think that apart the "less drunk drivers", "entrepreneurs", and all that fandom talk, Uber went ahead to bump heads with one of the most "exclusive" professions (taxi drivers are the favorite voters for any government), and managed to carve out a portion of their business, out-of-nowhere. It's like, me starting a soft-drink company and, take on Coca & Pepsi and carve out 10% of their sales globally within 5 year…

Rape? When did that happen?

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

#106

Post by konschubert »

pelario wrote: post #100
gadders wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the downvoters, some evidence: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14577840- McDonald's forcing people to buy a special salt shaker "In early September, McDonald’s announced it would start offering all-day breakfast across the U.S. Customers will soon be able to order a limited selection of breakfast items past the usual 10:30 a.m. cutoff. That will require changes in the restaurants, such as finding room on the…

Why the downvotes?

Because these costs are carried by the owner of the restaurant(s). An uber driver is more comparable to the Mc Donald's line worker.

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

#107

Post by eganist »

hueving wrote: post #105
HenryBemis wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1 I think that apart the "less drunk drivers", "entrepreneurs", and all that fandom talk, Uber went ahead to bump heads with one of the most "exclusive" professions (taxi drivers are the favorite voters for any government), and managed to carve out a portion of their business, out-of-nowhere. It's like, me starting a soft-drink company and, take on Coca & Pepsi and carve out 10% of their sales globally within 5 year…

Rape? When did that happen?

Probably a reference to the lackluster background checks performed by Uber et al.

Closest aggregator of data I found seems to have a very anti-ride-sharing view ("We are an initiative of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association"), but here it is nonetheless: http://www.whosdrivingyou.org/rideshare-incidents

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

#108

Post by danieltillett »

mabbo wrote: post #14

A commenter in another thread put it very well: you can have as many voting shares as you like, but you aren't in control of your company until you're profitable.

You are never in control of your company unless you don’t have employees.

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

#109

Post by majewsky »

gnicholas wrote: post #43
loxias wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is great news, I was just thinking that I was annoyed at their paywall... What's the catch?

There is literally no catch. I just launched this as an offshoot from my main startup, and I have no plans for direct monetizing of Read Across The Aisle. The only way that I benefit is that this app raises awareness for my other startup. See my response to a sister comment for more details!

But why would the WSJ consent to this? I find it exceedingly hard to believe that they don't get anything in return.

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

#110

Post by celticninja »

camillomiller wrote: post #94
kyokpae wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> reduced drunk driving rates by 1/3 Hardly true: http://fortune.com/2016/07/28/uber-drunk-driving-study/ > enabled nearly 200K drivers to become entrepreneurs Going self-employed doesn't make you an entrepreneur. > provided a valuable service to millions of customers Looks like true: http://fortune.com/2016/10/20/uber-app-riders/ > accelerated the shift to self driving car Not true. Uber's entered the game very late…

Let's not forget that, however you frame it, he might have done all that by exploiting the worst traits of digital capitalism. I.e. they found the cleverest way to keep the revenue flowing (and maybe profits, one day) while getting rid of those pesky liabilities called means of production, all with appalling levels of capital concentration and lack of redistribution. Kalanick might be out, but UBER now is hardly less…

But it is burning money by the boat load and perhaps this now means UBER can attract investors who may have been put off by Kalanick and||or UBER's culture. However these are likely to be more conservative investors and on that basis may not like the underlying financials any way.
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