

Is Lyft Too Cute to Fight Uber? - stephenboyd
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/style/is-lyft-too-cute-to-fight-uber.html

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I read this headline as "is Lyft not sociopathic enough?"

Honest question... And you are all free to laugh...

Do you have to be a narcissist or a sociopath to succeed _big_ in business?

I have never met any of Uber's founders, but their whole operation gives off
that vibe rather strongly. They are also insanely successful and are one of
the biggest fund raising juggernauts I have ever seen.

I mostly use Lyft, and honestly they are at least as good as Uber where I am
(SoCal). Why does Uber have such unstoppable momentum if not for the advantage
of sociopathy? It does not appear to be on the actual merit of the service,
and I've talked to drivers who work both and most seem to prefer Lyft.

I'm not implying Lyft is squeaky clean, but they don't utterly reek of the
psychopathic/antisocial/NPD sections of the DSM manual the way Uber does.

I've toyed around with the idea that it's a self fulfilling thing, a result of
actual semi-conscious positive bias toward sociopathic types by investors and
even customers based on a belief that these traits equal success. This is
supported by actual things I have heard investors and CXOs say, stuff along
the lines of "yeah but you need someone like that..." Paul Graham talks about
"formidableness," and while I understand what he means (or thinks he means) I
also can see that sociopathic traits certainly convey that impression.

Ps... Before interpreting this as a call for socialism, i have to point out
that the same seems to apply in politics.

