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Comment by javiercr | Hacker News Reader

> "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?

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

They didn't say it was unfair

"I wish the world wasn't that way." = unfair

Not necessarily.

I wish I had a golden unicorn, but my lack of one doesn't make the world unfair. Just suboptimal.

I think the point is that if the world wasn't this way then Uber wouldn't exist either.

You and your "facts"

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

I almost google this economist, Walter White. :)

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.

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.

In theory, this is what Ordoliberalism is about (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordoliberalism).

(Also called Neoliberalisms, but that word has been used differently recently.)

I think the saying is "pulling up the ladder behind you".

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...

Spending aggressively on growth is what leads to Zenefits.

or Amazon.

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.

> 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..

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).

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.

Your competitors do too.

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