[nailer]

- I'd purge: disclose everything that needs to come out fully and immediately

- Throw away self driving cars for now. The tech will become commoditised. Almost everyone at YC in November was doing self driving motorcycles (I have no idea why either).

- I'd closely align Uber with consumers and environmental groups rather than falling in with taxi industry corruption. lobbying etc. Make cities change laws to benefit their citizens: let ride sharing exist so they can get picked up in rough neighborhoods (PS, abandon tipping, it breaks this), allow Uber cars in public transport lanes (because they are public transport), make sure ride sharing has dedicated space at the airport. Be tough to local governments when you need to be tough, but better yet, have consumers be tough for you. Expose the risks that cities like Austin have put consumers in by replacing Uber with Facebook groups of strangers. Expose cities like London where the normal black cabs frequently illegally refuse to pick up passengers and the mayor wants to 'protect' them because they're 'historical'. Ride sharing is for everyone.

[agitator]

Uber is a money machine right now. For many people all over the world, it's the go-to for taxi services and food deliveries. It would be stupid for them not to invest in self-driving cars. It's something that affects the core of their business and revenue. If Tesla comes out with full autonomy much sooner than they can, Uber is out of business. You can't compete with not having to pay drivers. If another player with self-driving tech starts selling the technology to OEM's, then uber is right where it's at. But if it succeeds before the others, then it's profits and future success will be astronomical. If Uber wasn't working on self-driving tech, it would be a huge mistake.

[stinkytaco]

I honestly don't think the terms "ride sharing" have fooled anyone long term. It's clever marketing, but everyone thinks Uber is a taxi service and they use them as such. This isn't necessarily the right thing to think, but I don't think you convince any city council by couching it in those terms.

But yes, pursuing changing laws rather than trying to fall in with them is probably the right solution, but not a 180 day solution.

[rajington]

I really don't know if SDCs would become commoditized, lots of startups doing it are more indicative that they're all trying to win rather than be a small player in a large industry. VCs in the area are probably betting on acquisitions, I think it'll be incredibly hard for that space to be more than two or three top players.