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> "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." (Uber's C

> "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." (Uber's CEO) I'm sorry but... isn't this exactly what Uber has been doing to their competitors for a long time in most markets?

n-exploit 11y ago
It's only unfair if it's someone else doing it.
- EGreg 11y ago
  They didn't say it was unfair
  - maratd 11y ago
    "I wish the world wasn't that way." = unfair
    - ianferrel 11y ago
      Not necessarily. I wish I had a golden unicorn, but my lack of one doesn't make the world unfair. Just suboptimal.
      - dasil003 11y ago
        I think the point is that if the world wasn't this way then Uber wouldn't exist either.
  - hyperbovine 11y ago
    You and your "facts"
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
mhaymo 11y ago
My understanding is that Uber is profitable in cities that they're established in. They're only unprofitable overall because they're spending aggressively on growth. http://www.techinsider.io/ubers-revenue-profit-and-loss-2015-8 http://www.techinsider.io/ubers-revenue-profit-and-loss-2015...
- freeasindave 11y ago
  Spending aggressively on growth is what leads to Zenefits.
  - mhaymo 11y ago
    or Amazon.
pyrrhotech 11y ago
"Corner the market, then raise the price. Simple economics." -Walter White
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- rokhayakebe 11y ago
  I almost google this economist, Walter White. :)
paulddraper 11y ago
Your competitors do too.
auntyJemima 11y ago
Capitalism is only troublesome for our dear CEO when it directly affects him. Let's forget the labor laws/licenses many startups avoid by classifying themselves outside of traditional industries. Let's not forget about the older non technology savvy immigrants that typically could make a living with taxis that have now been put out of a job since they may not know how some app works. "Innovation" works both ways.
- eru 11y ago
  > Let's not forget about the older non technology savvy immigrants that typically could make a living with taxis that have now been put out of a job since they may not know how some app works. If only taxi regulation was like that..
  - voltagex_ 11y ago
    There's even more wrong with the parent comment 1. It assumes you don't need to be technically savvy to drive a taxi (where?)) 2. It assumes you can make a living (where?) driving taxis 3. It assumes the reason some people might be out of a job is because they can't adapt to one particular kind of app (hint - Uber isn't the only "taxi" app).
  - RangerScience 11y ago
    If only cars and GPS weren't technologies... Seriously, LA cabs suck. I've had one good ride that was the Santa Monica Green Cab. One time a cabbie tried to take me to Burbank from Koreatown by going south on the 101! Everyone knows that you take Wilshire to Vermont, letting you skip the traffic on... But seriously, it's the people I would bet fall into that category that usually resulted in the worse cab rides. They even anecdotally generally result in the worse Uber rides, only the communication is less of an issue because I can just put in an address and everything after that is entertaining gestures and failed attempts at communication, but I still get where I'm going.
kamaal 11y ago
This reminds me of the free market drive in India. First generation of companies after market reforms, like Airtel, would openly scream "free market" and destroy state held BSNL's monopoly. But they now want more regulations on a free internet, they work against net neutrality because "a large amount of their invested money" would be derailed. Basically when it happens to others, its free market. When it happens to you its unfair/harsh.
- BurningFrog 11y ago
  That is always how it works. The small startups wants to beat the established giants. The established giants want government protection from competition. The free market policy is to side with the startups. A "pro business" policy is often to side with the established giants.
- eru 11y ago
  In theory, this is what Ordoliberalism is about (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordoliberalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordoliberalism). (Also called Neoliberalisms, but that word has been used differently recently.)
- curt15 11y ago
  I think the saying is "pulling up the ladder behind you".

n-exploit 11y ago

It's only unfair if it's someone else doing it.

EGreg 11y ago
They didn't say it was unfair
- maratd 11y ago
  "I wish the world wasn't that way." = unfair
  - ianferrel 11y ago
    Not necessarily. I wish I had a golden unicorn, but my lack of one doesn't make the world unfair. Just suboptimal.
    - dasil003 11y ago
      I think the point is that if the world wasn't this way then Uber wouldn't exist either.
- hyperbovine 11y ago
  You and your "facts"

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

mhaymo 11y ago

My understanding is that Uber is profitable in cities that they're established in. They're only unprofitable overall because they're spending aggressively on growth. http://www.techinsider.io/ubers-revenue-profit-and-loss-2015-8 http://www.techinsider.io/ubers-revenue-profit-and-loss-2015...

freeasindave 11y ago
Spending aggressively on growth is what leads to Zenefits.
- mhaymo 11y ago
  or Amazon.

pyrrhotech 11y ago

"Corner the market, then raise the price. Simple economics." -Walter White

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
rokhayakebe 11y ago
I almost google this economist, Walter White. :)

paulddraper 11y ago

Your competitors do too.

auntyJemima 11y ago

Capitalism is only troublesome for our dear CEO when it directly affects him. Let's forget the labor laws/licenses many startups avoid by classifying themselves outside of traditional industries. Let's not forget about the older non technology savvy immigrants that typically could make a living with taxis that have now been put out of a job since they may not know how some app works. "Innovation" works both ways.

eru 11y ago
> Let's not forget about the older non technology savvy immigrants that typically could make a living with taxis that have now been put out of a job since they may not know how some app works. If only taxi regulation was like that..
- voltagex_ 11y ago
  There's even more wrong with the parent comment 1. It assumes you don't need to be technically savvy to drive a taxi (where?)) 2. It assumes you can make a living (where?) driving taxis 3. It assumes the reason some people might be out of a job is because they can't adapt to one particular kind of app (hint - Uber isn't the only "taxi" app).
- RangerScience 11y ago
  If only cars and GPS weren't technologies... Seriously, LA cabs suck. I've had one good ride that was the Santa Monica Green Cab. One time a cabbie tried to take me to Burbank from Koreatown by going south on the 101! Everyone knows that you take Wilshire to Vermont, letting you skip the traffic on... But seriously, it's the people I would bet fall into that category that usually resulted in the worse cab rides. They even anecdotally generally result in the worse Uber rides, only the communication is less of an issue because I can just put in an address and everything after that is entertaining gestures and failed attempts at communication, but I still get where I'm going.

kamaal 11y ago

This reminds me of the free market drive in India. First generation of companies after market reforms, like Airtel, would openly scream "free market" and destroy state held BSNL's monopoly. But they now want more regulations on a free internet, they work against net neutrality because "a large amount of their invested money" would be derailed. Basically when it happens to others, its free market. When it happens to you its unfair/harsh.

BurningFrog 11y ago
That is always how it works. The small startups wants to beat the established giants. The established giants want government protection from competition. The free market policy is to side with the startups. A "pro business" policy is often to side with the established giants.
eru 11y ago
In theory, this is what Ordoliberalism is about (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordoliberalism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordoliberalism). (Also called Neoliberalisms, but that word has been used differently recently.)
curt15 11y ago
I think the saying is "pulling up the ladder behind you".