After Travis Kalanick’s Resignation, Will Uber Really Change? | Hacker News Reader

After Travis Kalanick’s Resignation, Will Uber Really Change?

newyorker.com

17 pointshluska7 comments

Maybe Kalanick wants to manufacture a return story.

I was thinking about this last night after listening (paradoxically) to a podcast from ESPN about Phil Jackson and Steve Jobs.

This was The Dan Le Batard podcast from Thursday and they talked about return stories. Dan posited the line from The Dark Knight "you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain" and asked if Phil Jackson had become the villain (the context here is Phil jackson's problems with the New York Knicks and the conversation around how unlikeable he's become to fans of NBA basketball compared to his status first at the head coach of the Jordan area Chicago Bulls and early career Kobe Bryant era Lakers)

Producer Mike Ryan then brings up Steve Jobs and his exit from Next and eventual return to Apple.

That's what got me thinking, would it even be possible in today's hyperspeed/"always on" media world for Kalanick to return or even foist the conditions for a return to Uber or whatever Uber becomes the way Steve Jobs did with Next and eventually Apple?

I think it's possible if Uber bumbles along for a while. Jack returned to Twitter --under way different circumstances, but still, I don't think it's inconceivable that if Uber goes south enough, even investors who pushed him out might have a change of heart.

Allow me to take the easy answers off the table and ask you to remove the scandals ongoing and ask: what would it take for Uber to go under enough for those conditions to take place as you put them?

I ask as a person who lives in a town that watched both Uber and Lyft leave in protest of local regulations, watched those same companies lobby my legislature for laws that effectively neutered municipal code, watched Uber and a Lyft return operations, and is watching competitors that sprung up in the vacuum quickly die.

With Truckload of chagrin.

It's a very strange but fascinating thing to watch at the local level so I'm always curious to hear how others look at the behemoth.

Thinking off the top of my head I would say a conservative leadership which would allow a challenger to gain an upper hand and render Uber a flagging company. I think that scenario is possible if the management devote too much of their energy on overcorrecting internal matters.

An authentic redemption narrative would be a far more positive second act, in my completely and totally unqualified opinion.

From my perspective: everything anyone could have to say about Uber's former culture is completely and totally accurate; but I highly encourage people to place it in the context of the awful zeitgeist of the late 200X's/early 201Xs (Bottles & Models, Entourage, RON PAUL LOVEREVOLUTION, Jersey Shore, 'Party like Rock Stars, F* like P* Stars! Live the dream cuz nightmarez aint real BRO!!!!', etc.) Truly repulsive and reprehensible mindsets and behavior, but that was then and this is now.

From my sustained observations... a disgraceful amount of very intelligent young men were unfortunately under-mentored and deeply misguided by popular culture and clueless leaders. I'm not sure if Travis fits that bill, but it goes without saying that him and his ilk swooped in to perpetuate an abominable worldview and encourage toxic behavior. Those were his sins, but going forward I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

These are the times that will try his soul, and I have complete and total faith in his redemption considering the trauma he has experienced from the freak accident that killed his mother, wounded his father, and his recent ouster. Feel free to research Post-traumatic growth [0], the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale [1], and/or reply if you'd like more information.

After careful consideration of his blogs, tweets, and posts dating back a decade I can only say this: Travis is an intensely scrappy maverick. Fortunately, he has recetnt;y achieved a level of self-awareness and demonstrated a level of empathy that indicates he is on a path to sustaining a healthy organization and truly redeeming himself. I encourage everyone to put their pitchforks and torches away, clean the slate, and start fresh so long as any victims of that culture are made whole.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posttraumatic_growth

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes_and_Rahe_stress_scale

If they stumble the pressure on the board in 12-18 months will be intense to bring him back.

1000 Uber employees have already signed a petition pleading with the board to let him return.

http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-uber-emp...

The press always loves to build someone up, then knock them down. Then later tell the story of their triumphant return.

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