Why Uber?
Why do you want to work for Uber if they... 1) systematically underpay their drivers 2) don't listen to drivers unless they réally need to 3) had many allegations of discrimination and harassment 4) spied and stole all over the world 5) lied to governments and got in trouble in many countries while totally ignoring all questions in public debate Thus the question: do you think Uber is responsible? If not, why do you still want to join? I'm not naive, I know many companies do similar things in one way or another and you can call this a smart move, but it seems like Uber does everything on a whole different level compared to others. (I'm not interested in financial/IPO related arguments tbh)
Before Uber existed, I remember being stuck at a theater in the middle of the East Coast winter. The cab I booked did not arrive for 2 hours despite repeated calls, and there was no way to see whether the cab was even coming. The late cab cost a whopping $60, charged a phone booking fee, and had the audacity to expect a 25% tip. Despite their many flaws, Uber is a vast improvement over the taxi industry. Lyft and other taxi apps exist today, but Uber provides competition that forces its competitors to innovate and lowers the prices that we pay.
Thanks. Does, for you, the fact that they disrupt the taxi industry justify their aggressive way of doing business?
There are bigger fish to fry on the scale of unethical companies. I still eat and drink Nestle and Monsanto products, and Uber is more ethical than them. Companies are neither altruistic nor evil, they just take the path that maximizes their survival in the capitalist world of natural selection.
lyft recruiter spotted
Lol 😂, well, I think Lyft has similar problems too, such as underpaying their drivers. But now you're here, I would love to hear your opinion on my question (:
I can give you mine: It's quite a personal question of rating what is ethical or not, as you said many companies are doing unethical things, it's just a question on how you rank them. Personally I think company like Apple, Nike, etc are way less ethical with the way they manufacture their products. You mention the way Uber treat and pay their drivers, I know it's a capitalist answer but it's a free market, Uber is not forcing them to be driving for Uber, they choose it and the truth is for every driver who is unhappy you can find several drivers who are really happy that Uber exist. Don't believe blindly the propaganda against Uber, Uber is not perfect, far from it, but a lot of the bad press was not deserved. Tell me what big company do you think is morally/ethically correct? Anyway at the end it's a personal choice how to rank unethical behavior and where to draw a line. There is no wrong or bad in this decision.
I find it funny how everyone's so interested in the rideshare driver's compensation these days. Nobody gave a shit about cab drivers before Lyft/Uber. They had easily worse treatment with no media coverage. They have to pay a third of their fares or a flat fee plus gas. And no benefits. How is that better than now? At least now they have good representation, transparent earnings and can work as much as they want. They don't have to drive around in hopes of picking someone randomly.
Lol. Let me ask you this question? Why do you invest in stocks and index bonds. You do realize that this money is managed by the same Wall Street people who lost trillions of dollars just 10 years ago. The damage it did to American people is peanuts compared to what it did to people in other countries. A lot of people who live on daily wages died off hunger in some remote corner of the world you don't even know exists. It's trickle down economics at it's worst. So these people literally murdered thousands of people but we still continue to trust them with our money. Why? Because we are humans and we care only about ourselves. We always do that and we will always do that. We are a selfish species. All this morality is just for us to believe in a fake faith that we are a good species who rose to this power due to Grace and intelligence but it's actually due to greed and recklessness.
Uber = big time tc if you are a software engineer. Isn’t that enough? Make $$$ and enjoy life baby.
Some of your points are valid and I’d have trouble working for Uber if it was as simple as see which items a company does or does not check on a list, but reality is that all big tech companies are about as “irresponsible” as Uber. It’s my opinion that Uber has a worse public perception than say, Apple, mainly because of repeated media coverage. I understand that some of what I say may be classified as whataboutism, but when you consider that our choices are Uber or these other companies that I compare to, I think it’s a valid counter. Having said that, here are my thoughts on your points: 1. Compared to what? Like others have said, the previous system wasn’t ideal either, especially for the consumer. Drivers I’ve talked to who do this on the side really enjoy the side income and flexibility. Also, this applies to all gig economy companies. 2. We could do a better job of listening to drivers. However, since Dara joined, there was the 180 days of change, where Uber implemented things such as tipping. Imo we should do more though. 3. Yes, but if you look at any recent review on Glassdoor or blind, the company has dramatically changed over the last two years. Most of senior leadership has changed and the company takes complaints very seriously. In fact, I feel like it’s less likely to happen here now than other companies because of the changes and scrutiny by outside world. 4. I believe the accounts were exaggerated, I agree early on there were reportedly some shady tactics used. 5. Imo, the old system was outdated and not really the choice of the market, as evidenced by all the complaints and popularity of rideshade. Uber did break regulations but the industry was also corrupt and unfair. Many other tech companies have done far worse on this point. Again, I think most people’s’ perception of Uber is tainted by media exaggeration and overexposure. Your points are based on some truth but if you name any other big tech company, I can make a similar list.
You got rejected by Uber?
Open your eyes and look around at other companies. Public perception does not really match reality. Even facts can be presented in a certain light. You hear about how Boeing raced to release their 737 planes and have killed over 300 people?
As an engineer in a capitalistic society I care about what they offer me. That is a good place to learn and grow as an engineer and great tc. Always remember there is no real ethical company that makes it big without compromising on ethics since they are all for profit orgs. It kinda is a zero sum game. Your gain is someone's loss
Generally speaking, I totally agree. But I am pretty sure that Uber is quite extreme in how they deal with governments and journalists, and how they manipulate(d) and discriminate(d). Much more than any other tech company (Dropbox, Airbnb, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Amazon, to name a few). Though all companies need to make profit in the end, I would say that Uber goes much more extreme than others.
Try running a business. When you have all to lose sometimes you do things get are unethical. What uber or in that fact any company does is unethical not illegal. And real business means by any means necessary.