Uber’s road ahead
Chaos at the top doesn’t stop Pittsburgh growth
Amid allegations of a hostile workplace culture characterized by bullying and sexual harassment, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Tuesday announced an indefinite leave of absence from the $70 billion company. This development and other leadership changes give the ridesharing giant an opportunity to overhaul its culture and approach to the cities that play host to its services. In particular, new Uber management could bring a warm wind to cool relations between the company and Pittsburgh, where Uber tests selfdriving vehicles.
Pittsburgh wants to continue to welcome Uber’s investment. In a speech Wednesday in Washington, D.C., Mayor Bill Peduto encouraged cities to prepare for self-driving cars and better mobility. His remarks underscored the symbiosis between Pittsburgh and Uber and the opportunity for Uber to become a force for civic and economic good.
This was pragmatic policy in light of a series of disappointments involving Uber and Mr. Peduto. After promising free rides in cars testing the self-driving tools in Pittsburgh, Uber began charging for them. After promising to support a Pittsburgh application for $50 million in federal transit funding, Uber withdrew. After promising job creation Uber has yet to deliver — an unrealized promise that is frustrating for Pittsburgh.
The day before Mr. Kalanick announced he was stepping away, the company’s senior vice president, Emil Michael, left amid an investigation into company culture. The company also fired another executive, Eric Alexander, over his handling of a passenger’s rape allegation and booted a leading engineer, Anthony Levandowski, who was embroiled in a competitor’s lawsuit alleging the theft of intellectual property. With leadership in flux, it is time for Uber to be a better employer and a better partner to the cities where it does business. New management should recognize that Uber needs the talent of Pittsburgh to continue driving onward.
Uber’s setbacks also offer lessons to other entrepreneurs. Although bravado and scrappy fearlessness are necessary preludes to success in the tech economy, a pattern of callousness and broken promises will undermine a startup’s prospects. Aspiring tech leaders should take note of Uber’s missteps and view this episode through the lens of “monkey see, monkey do not do.” Regardless of the technology involved, every good idea needs a strong moral compass. Let’s hope the young innovators of Pittsburgh learn both from Uber’s technological triumphs and from its leadership failures.