8 ms·

> "We have a fierce competitor that's unprofitable in every city they exist in, but they're buying up market share. I wish the world wasn't that way." - Kalanic

• robert_foss 11y ago
  The irony struck me too.
  • chrisseaton 11y ago
    Where on earth is the irony? He wishes he didn't have this competitor. He doesn't say he thinks what they're doing is illegal or unethical. He doesn't say they should be stopped by anyone. He just wishes they weren't around. You're thinking he's said things which he hasn't.
    • Avshalom 11y ago
      he's not wishing about "they", he's wishing about "the world"
    • elbigbad 11y ago
      Given the context, "I wish the world wasn't that way" means "I wish we didn't live in a world where people could unprofitably pour money into a market to grab market share to kill off competitors." It's ironic because it's exactly what they have done in other markets, but they're not complaining about where they were successfully the aggressor, but instead where they are the victim of the tactic.
      • chrisseaton 11y ago
        > "I wish the world wasn't that way" means "I wish we didn't live in a world where people could unprofitably pour money into a market to grab market share to kill off competitors." I don't see how you've come to that conclusion without asking him to clarify what he means. Everyone's down voting me like I'm an evil person. I'm just defending him because I think it's lazy to attack someone's point of view with the withering criticism of 'ironic', when the actual words on the page don't really support it.
        • deleted 11y ago
          [deleted]
        • elbigbad 11y ago
          I don't need to ask him to clarify because I can infer what he means from the context. I can't downvote things, but I don't think you're getting downvoted for your opinion or for anyone thinking you're evil, but my guess would be that it's perhaps for your unusually generous reading of the comment. It's pretty clearly ironic that Uber would complain about this.
        • airza 11y ago
          I think everyone's downvoting you because any other explanation of the quote makes very little sense.
        • deleted 11y ago
          [deleted]
    • thebrettd 11y ago
      I thought he was lamenting the fact that Uber has to compete with an unprofitable organization buying their market share. In an article about how his very own company is losing 1B a year to exist in that market. If that isn't irony, I don't know what is.
• untog 11y ago
  Yeah, the hypocrisy contained in that statement is stunning. I wonder how the CEO of Lyft felt when they read it.
  • toomuchtodo 11y ago
    Maximum Schedenfraude.
  • blhack 11y ago
    How is that hypocrisy? >We beat some people in some markets, but now we're being beaten in this market, I wish we weren't.
    • mbesto 11y ago
      "I wish we weren't" != "I wish the world wasn't that way"
    • Avshalom 11y ago
      "I wish the world wasn't that way" looks like its being applied to "unprofitable in every city they exist in, but they're buying up market share" not "We have a fierce competitor" as opposed to if he had said [I wish we didn't] or [I wish they didn't] making it about the "the world" pushes it into an ethical or moral opine.
      • deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
    • malsun 11y ago
      It's not just some markets and some people. They're a VC backed multinational that moves into markets and offers big discounts over local businesses. They are getting a taste of their own medicine with an improved flavour.
• exw 11y ago
  <<Haha, really? Isn't that how Uber started out, and the quote could well be verbatim from a taxi driver in 2011?>> Yes, This this is completely disingenuous... They did not only start out like this in the US, but this is the ONLY way they were able to buy their way into China. When Uber started in China, their competitors had most of the chinese local drivers, and it was Uber who started the subsidy war to gain market share.
• capkutay 11y ago
  It makes more sense when comparing two "mobile ride hailing" services. Uber actually started out as a black car service, significantly more expensive than taxis while providing a far superior experience.
• kolbe 11y ago
  Exactly. If you have a phone handy, you should give a call to a waaahmbulace for that entitled twat.