Kevin Thompson, another VP from Google also joined Uber very recently
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinthompsontech
Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
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Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#62I'd like to see Uber get into mapping. Besides Uber's core business that everyone focuses on, they've got a self-driving cars program that's halfway off the ground and they do food deliver through UberEATS. In either case, they've got a vested interest in making sure high-quality mapping data is available—higher quality than what Google provides.
Given their deals with tons of local businesses through UberEATS, they've got operating hours and location data that's fresher than what anyone else can provide on the scale that they're operating on. Would be nice to see them improving the OSM dataset and partner with e.g. Maps.me.
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I think Uber should immediately offer the following services to its drivers: The taxi industry pioneered the 'independent contractor' business model. Some of the services you suggest cross the line between 'contractor' and 'employee', especially 'healthcare subsidy'. The owner/operator whom I drove for says that the company only provides liability insurance (to cover the cab company's liability) as a part of her co…
Most people don't want 'on demand' employment, they want stability. Because of outsourcing and automation, the economy doesn't need as many workers anymore. Uber's business model is entirely dependent on this phenomenon. Do you see this phenomenon going away anytime soon? My grandparents' generation worked at a single company for life. My parents switched companies maybe 3 times in their careers. I have worked for 9…
> Do you see this phenomenon going away anytime soon?
The economic paradigm has to change. I think something will shift, eventually.
Searching for 'john gatto livelihood' just now brought up this link:
http://www.wtp.org/archive/transcripts/john_taylor_gatto.htm... - John Taylor Gatto (1991 New York State Teacher of the Year) Interview By Jerry Brown, March 25, 1997
It's probably worth reading the whole thing, but if you're pressed for time just search for '[break]', and read his take on two groups who have been able to implement mostly 'independent livelihoods' for virtually all of their members.
> My grandparents' generation worked at a single company for life.
And their grandparents were probably much more independent.
> it will seem natural to string together a series of gigs and odd jobs.
"You see that house on the hill? If you work hard enough, some day I'll live there." (This was not said by Travis Kalashnikov).
'Gigs and odd jobs' are not the path towards a fulfilling life.
Edit: My friend recently pointed out to me that I value freedom more than anything else, which is why I stuck with taxi driving for so long... But the whole time I was working on something bigger...
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#64Why would a person worth billions work for someone else?
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Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#65There's a number of things that have happened in the organic search area of Google that seem to suggest a declining interest in quality organic results. There's Matt Cutts' long leave of absence, his departure, and the announcement that he's not really being replaced. A much lower volume of communication from Google on initiatives in the space (they used to talk endlessly about Panda, Penguin, etc). Amit's original r…
I'd add another item c) "Search" is changing towards giving information rather than to websites. Think Siri/Cortana/Alexa. Even Google tries to give you an answer rather than a website. Also information is moving from "spread thin" websites to social graphs and more centralised locations
I wonder how many real search engine queries only need to return a Wikipedia page.
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#66I'd like to see Uber get into mapping. Besides Uber's core business that everyone focuses on, they've got a self-driving cars program that's halfway off the ground and they do food deliver through UberEATS. In either case, they've got a vested interest in making sure high-quality mapping data is available—higher quality than what Google provides. Given their deals with tons of local businesses through UberEATS, they'…
You must live in Riata?
Edit: my comment no longer makes sense, parent was edited
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#67There's a number of things that have happened in the organic search area of Google that seem to suggest a declining interest in quality organic results. There's Matt Cutts' long leave of absence, his departure, and the announcement that he's not really being replaced. A much lower volume of communication from Google on initiatives in the space (they used to talk endlessly about Panda, Penguin, etc). Amit's original r…
You are getting attacked for simply stating your opinion. Do we really want another echo chamber of opinions here?
Google might be still all in on search, but what's important here is the outside perception. They won the search war and desperately tried to recreate the success with other products. So far they haven't had another hit (some big misses, though).
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#68I'd like to see Uber get into mapping. Besides Uber's core business that everyone focuses on, they've got a self-driving cars program that's halfway off the ground and they do food deliver through UberEATS. In either case, they've got a vested interest in making sure high-quality mapping data is available—higher quality than what Google provides. Given their deals with tons of local businesses through UberEATS, they'…
You must live in Riata? Edit: my comment no longer makes sense, parent was edited
No, but I know the area. What's special about it, though? There are lots of places around Austin that match what I described, and it should be the same in other cities.
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are really worried about their contractors being classified as employees. That would be an existential threat.
They have to last until their vehicles are autonomous. If drivers were phased in to paid training maintaining the fleets and troubleshooting kinks in the system, shitty jobs will become good jobs. Most drivers will leave, but a solid chunk of them could be brought in through an apprenticeship program that certifies them in mechanics, robotics, software, remote assistance, ground crews, electricity. Robotaxis are a wh…
I know this probably paints me as ancient but that video was so scary to me. I cannot escape the helpless scared feeling of an app driving me into a busy intersection. Maybe I've had too many apps and programs fail and crash.
Re: Uber Hires Former Google Search Chief Amit Singhal as SVP of Engineering
#70There's a number of things that have happened in the organic search area of Google that seem to suggest a declining interest in quality organic results. There's Matt Cutts' long leave of absence, his departure, and the announcement that he's not really being replaced. A much lower volume of communication from Google on initiatives in the space (they used to talk endlessly about Panda, Penguin, etc). Amit's original r…
You are getting attacked for simply stating your opinion. Do we really want another echo chamber of opinions here? Google might be still all in on search, but what's important here is the outside perception. They won the search war and desperately tried to recreate the success with other products. So far they haven't had another hit (some big misses, though).
> tried to recreate the success with other products. So far they haven't had another hit (some big misses, though)
If you're asking for non-ads products that have done pretty well -- Android, Youtube, Cloud doing pretty well.
Next possible moneymaker is Waymo.