5 ms·

Wow, this is going to be bad.

• valuearb 9y ago
  Why? He can't be anywhere near as bad as Kalanick.
  • noobermin 9y ago
    It's possible both can be bad for different reasons. To be fair, the GP didn't specify what "bad" meant.
  • wpietri 9y ago
    There are different kinds of bad. Immelt has been at GE since 1982, which was about the time the early SMTP RFCs were written. That's a long time. Will the skills and behaviors that worked for him there be what Uber needs? Personally, I'd be surprised if they were. Of course, it's not clear anybody has what Uber needs.
    • valuearb 9y ago
      There are many skills in managing a business and people that never change. Uber needs basic blocking and tackling, not some new age management wonderkind. They absolutely don't need a technology person.
      • dilemma 9y ago
        >Uber needs basic blocking and tackling Can you explain these terms?
        • astrange 9y ago
          I was hoping it was some kind of pulley metaphor, but apparently it's just about handegg. http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/blocking+and+tackling http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/blocking+and+tackling
        • valuearb 9y ago
          It's a term from American Football. It means that games are won not by superstars doing extraordinary things, but because unsung employees and managers are coached to do their jobs well.
      • wpietri 9y ago
        You assume that there's a pony under all that horseshit. But it's not clear that Uber has a real, defensible business there. I don't think they have to have a technology person at the helm; I mention that comparison just to give a sense of how long this guy has been doing exactly one thing. Uber is in a very different market. However, some technology savvy is going to be necessary, because Uber is facing a deep change in their business. It's sort of like Netflix. They started with mailing DVDs, but that was not the business that mattered. I don't think you can run a Netflix or a Tesla without a deep appreciation for the business volatility created by technological change.
    • TheCondor 9y ago
      Isnt it pretty obvious what uber needs? They need some one to act like an adult. They need a real business man to either start charging actual fees for service and somehow magically keep customers or start planning and figuring out a graceful way to lower valuation. Suppose Immelt steps in, stops subsidizing rides, things stabilize and Uber's valuation cuts in half but they find a sustainable place to be. That seems like a job well done and the echo chamber can crap on Immelt for not innovating or destroying "value"
      • wpietri 9y ago
        That's the first thing that Uber needs. But it's not clear that absent subsidies they have a significant business. Their valuation might not fall by half. It could fall to something much, much smaller: https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2016/09/13/2173631/mythbusting-ubers-valuation/ https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2016/09/13/2173631/mythbusting-u... And that's only in the short to medium term. In the 20-30 year timeframe, their current business will be destroyed by automated cars. Car manufacturers have intrinsic advantages here, and they have deep existing relationships with the bulk of America.
        • ghaff 9y ago
          Someone will still need to operate the rental/dispatch fleets. And, as you say, 20 to 30 years. They can worry about that if they're still in business 20 years from now. Costs need to be looked at and pricing needs to be aligned with those costs. I tend to agree that this could drive ride volumes down significantly as people become less interested in Ubering everywhere if VCs stop subsidizing. But doesn't it have to get to that point? Neither autonomous cars or anything else are magic talismans just out of reach today that will change everything in an interesting time horizon.