Published On:Saturday, 25 February 2017
Posted by ARAB GAZETTE. weekly newspaper issued on Sunday morning - London, UNITED KINGDOMمؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK
Uber's mess reaches beyond sexism - and Silicon Valley
Uber's mess reaches beyond sexism - and Silicon Valley
ARAB GAZETTE - BY Dave Lee
Uber's meteoric rise was dogged by incessant lawsuits, enraged protests and staggering losses. Or, as co-founder Travis Kalanick might consider it right now, the "good old days".
He now faces tougher challenges. This week began with Uber opening an investigation into serious, systemic sexual harassment, and ended with being dramatically sued over claims its self-driving company stole technology from Google.
Uber's long been a company synonymous with the worst traits of Silicon Valley. Hyper-aggressive business practices and a ruthless approach to competition have seen it constantly at war with governments, as well as the industries it has disrupted so devastatingly in what feels like the blink of an eye.
The level of shock expressed last weekend, when former employee Susan Fowler detailed what she said was rampant discrimination at the firm, was perhaps matched in volume by those saying "I told you so".
Much of the frustration directed at Uber has been because it took a barrage of negative press to kick the company into action over a culture most often described, by insiders and out, as "toxic".
In an attempt to repair some of the damage, Mr Kalanick stood in front of his staff on Tuesday and offered - according to a person at the meeting - an emotional "we must do better".
Later in the week, a group of around 100 female engineers had a further meeting with Mr Kalanick, audio from which was obtained by Buzzfeed. His staff told him no investigation was needed to expose problems at the company, he just had to start "listening to your own people".
