
1000+ Uber employees want Travis back - mvpu
https://www.axios.com/over-1-000-uber-employees-ask-for-travis-kalanick-to-return-2446313529.html
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smallgovt
It's pretty clear to me that having Travis involved in some capacity going
forward is in the best interest of long-term shareholder value.

How could you not believe this? Founders and long-time CEO's have so much
knowledge and company/industry specific experience -- much of which will be
useful and some of which is undoubtedly not replaceable.

IMO, anyone who thinks this would not be a good move for the company is being
blinded by hate.

Sure, we can debate whether his return is good for society but for the
company? No question.

The real question is whether Travis wants to help in this capacity anymore.

~~~
zaptheimpaler
So we should forget about whether its good for the world and just focus on
shareholder value? And i suppose you will go on to justify it by citing
benefits of more money for shareholders, better company, perfect economic
systems and efficient services etc.

I think thats a horrible idea. The real question IS whether we should reward
companies that get ahead by ANY means necessary and their leaders. We should
not.

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aiw1nt3rs
culture doesn't change over night.

there is no surprise that there is a big group supporting TK, but that doesn't
mean much at this stage.

founders set the culture in an organisation, and hire people that gel well
with their views of the world / values. so it's a logical consequence that a
big part of the workforce will support him. But that also might be the real
problem for Uber's future...

~~~
randyrand
> But that also might be the real problem for Uber's future...

Thats fair. But it's also possible that a company can succeed with values that
don't match yours, the vocal minority, or even the majority. e.g. Comcast.

Arguably in some industries companies do better with values that _arent_ the
majority.

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jedrek
Are they afraid that a new CEO will come in and actually demand the company
start losing less money?

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fenwick67
1000+ out of 12000 is like 10%.

I wonder what the other 90% think.

~~~
dba7dba
Obviously not interested in having hom back, especially considering how easy
it was to vote yes. All it took was a click, something one does hundreds of
times a day.

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hasteur
Read the article. The employees who want Travis back are people who clicked
into the letter/thread and read it. No positive assertion that those who read
the letter actually endorse the position. Let's generously say half of the
1000 endorse it. That's 5% of the entire employee base. I'd be interested to
see how many of the entire employee base expresses the viewpoint that they
don't want him back.

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jeremynixon
Margaret's beautiful message to Kalanick deserves to be posted here -

I'm angry, sad, flustered, confused, but mostly just heartbroken. The only
appropriate thing to say right now is thank you, Travis. Thank you for
inspiring not only your own employees but an entire generation of
entrepreneurs. Thank you for inspiring us to think bigger, faster, and higher-
impact than anyone has ever dared to think before. Thank you for creating a
place where no idea was too crazy. When we told you that in order to make the
product accessible for our international riders we would need to accept cash
payments, you weren't thrilled but you were willing to give it a shot. When
your employees told you that we needed to change some aspects of the internal
culture, you were sad but you were all ears. Building the best possible
product, the best possible company- it requires humility. Admitting you might
be wrong and being open to change. I was always impressed by how truly humble
you were.

Thank you for creating a place so passionate about bringing affordable,
reliable transportation to the whole world that your employees all over the
globe were willing to hop on planes, get on Zoom calls at bizarre hours of the
day, manually onboard thousands of drivers, stand on street corners handing
out flyers to riders, and build last-minute stunt products to help celebrate
the communities they were a part of. I've seen firsthand the impact this
product has had worldwide and the universal fire and passion that Uber
employees all over the world have to constantly improve it, to always be
serving drivers and riders better, and to perpetually push closer and closer
to truly making transportation as reliable as running water, for everyone,
everywhere.

Thank you for creating a culture where- as a woman- it was okay to, no,
encouraged to speak up. This is one of my oft less-told anecdotes, but I feel
it's appropriate given the circumstances. Before Uber, I was at Facebook. I
left Facebook because I was told that I was too aggressive. Pushing too hard,
wanting to move too fast, challenging the status quo a bit too much. The
amazing part is that coming to Uber was like a homecoming. I could be who I
truly am, without being labeled an "aggressive" woman. I could push on
assumptions, move quickly, do whatever work needed to be done whether it was
"in my area" or not, question leadership in an open, earnest environment. It
was like a breath of fresh air. I don't think people realize how unique this
is. This company truly listens to every voice, from the VPs all the way down
to the junior PMs like myself. Thank you. Thank you for listening and creating
an environment where the best answer truly does win. And thank you on behalf
of your riders and drivers. You've created millions of earning opportunities
for drivers all over the world. From the part-time student teacher driver to
the full-time driver in India, these are real economic opportunities at an
unprecedented scale. I'm always amazed talking to drivers in India or
Indonesia or Mexico or Kenya- their story is not too dissimilar from the
drivers I talk to on my way home from work in SF. Uber has allowed them to
build a better life for their family- to send their kids to school, to work
more flexible hours so that they can be there for their family. Not to mention
the newfound mobility that Uber affords millions upon millions worldwide.
Elderly folks & teens can now access their city, stress-free. People can go
out for a drink- or three- and get home safely without endangering those
around them. Uber is fundamentally reshaping people's transportation habits
and how they interact with their cities. This kind of impact would have been
unthinkable only a few years ago, but we've made it a reality- thanks to your
vision.

So thank you. We've mis-stepped at times- I'll be the first to admit that Uber
is not perfect. But the positive impact you've had on this company, and the
world, is truly inspirational.

Goodbyes always suck. Thanks to the OG Builder.

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anotherendpoint
And lots who are happy for a change too

~~~
flyft1
And lots of those who have already proclaimed #deleteuber and would never use
their service again regardless, so why pander to their interests?

Much like the groups who rail against McDonald's and their so-called
'unhealthy' menu, who would never eat there and continue to trash talk their
business even after getting their way.

Personally I just want a car to pick me up for a for a reasonable price. The
internal politics is something I do not care about as with any company I do
business with.

Nobody deserves to be shamed for their spending choices.

~~~
lostlogin
> The internal politics is something I do not care about as with any company I
> do business with.

It went way beyond internal politics and including some truely disgusting
behaviour.

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libber
Margaret-Ann Seger's post referenced in the article:
[https://www.facebook.com/margaretann.seger/posts/10214004058...](https://www.facebook.com/margaretann.seger/posts/10214004058522221)

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Fej
Ultimately the CEO works for the board and not the employees. I hate to say it
but the employees probably have little to no influence here, whether they're
right or wrong.

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dqv
Can anyone confirm if Axios would pick up a "PR glamor piece"? Articles like
this are suspect, but I don't know very much about Axios.

~~~
gdulli
I had the opposite takeaway. So many employees clamoring for leadership with
such abysmal values is a sign the rot has spread. Not a pro-Uber PR piece.

~~~
smirksirlot
Agreed. Before this I could arguably say that management was rotting away, but
the rank and file should be excluded from judgment because they have no
control.

But to hear this and read posts on social media lamenting the loss of Travis,
and then contrasting it to the silence from Uber employees regarding Susan
Fowler is stark and deafening.

If this is the type of people they select for, the ones who prioritize success
by any means necessary, then Uber should maybe be a black mark.

~~~
njj023
Yikes, such unbelievably strong pre-conceived biases in your post. How about
the alternate and more plausible scenario where Uber employees who arguably
have the most clear understanding of the culture issues internally recognize
the various dynamics at play – unlike a very black and white view you seem to
be extrapolating from the outside?

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smirksirlot
> most clear understanding of the culture issues internally

Is it really clear internally? It's clear to me that they don't understand the
issues otherwise it wouldn't have taken public furor for them to start fixing
it

~~~
malandrew
> otherwise it wouldn't have taken public furor for them to start fixing it

Have you ever stopped to consider that maybe the public furor is the result of
an over-zealous media that likes to manufacture controversy because that's the
most profitable modus operandi?

There are no lack of companies in tech and out of tech with the same problems.

Where's the public fury about those companies? That's right, there is none
because the media doesn't make money writing about it. Heck, there was a UPS
shooting in San Francisco like a week ago where I think four people died and
the shooter was motivated by workplace grievances. Where was the public furor
over culture at UPS and criticism of management at UPS? Again, there was none,
because there is no money to be made.

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ―
Philip K. Dick

The world believes Uber has a worse culture than most other companies because
the media falsely _believes_ it does, and "it is difficult to get a man to
understand something, when his salary depends upon his not understanding it!"
― Upton Sinclair

For the record, I'm not saying Uber doesn't have things to fix. I'm saying
they have the same things to fix as pretty much everyone else. The difference
between them and all other companies is that they are actually being raked
over coals to fix those problems that exists industry-wide, if not worldwide.
In 6 months to a year, I suspect they will be a better workplace than most as
a result.

~~~
censoredforlife
Couldn't agree more. Let's not forget the kind of racial discrimination that
exists in all industries, but tech. I speak as an asian immigrant, and i can't
see myself working in any other industry, and hope to get to any senior role.

How many immigrants make it to the top tier of management in media companies?
None. How many in UPS, banks, the government... you name it. None.

The only reason tech has to answer, is because there is money in tech. There
are working class people, making a fortune in tech BY WORKING HARD. The media
and the government doesn't like it.

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tonyedgecombe
Stockholm syndrome?

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pheldagryph
My first thought, but it's an imperfect fit -- the employees were not being
held hostage.

Is there a comparable 'syndrome' for cult members, who have joined an
organization voluntarily? Not saying Uber employees deserve the same sympathy
as victims of cults, just that it would be a more apt analogy.

~~~
danans
Hostage here doesn't have to mean held by force. One can be a hostage of hopes
and desires.

