Susan Fowler and Uber

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dualstow
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Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Sun Feb 26, 2017 9:26 am

I know a few days passing = "old news" nowadays, but has anyone read this straight thru? Good God.

https://www.susanjfowler.com/blog/2017/ ... ar-at-uber
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Tyler » Sun Feb 26, 2017 12:54 pm

Wow. That's horrible.

Sadly, it doesn't surprise me. I have no knowledge of Uber, but I have plenty of experience in silicon valley tech scene and the underlying culture. In my experience, startups tend to have a high concentration of narcissists. That's good in the entrepreneurial sense because it keeps people powering through inevitable failures without giving up, but when it comes to interpersonal skills it absolutely can cause problems.

Of course, not all companies are like that and there are some really great ones, too. I'm happy to see that she got out of such a toxic environment, and also that she's willing to share her experience. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Sun Feb 26, 2017 4:13 pm

sunlight- One of my favorite sayings.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Mr Vacuum » Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:06 pm

I'm amazed she went to the trouble to write this all down. She did such a great job covering her bases and wrote very clearly. It seems to be working, because there has been a ton of press this week. Some investors have spoken out, there's a report of a hundred female engineers gathering together and asking management some difficult questions, and social media is watching like a hawk for any moves by Uber to smear the author.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:08 pm

Ha. I did not know that about the social media watch.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by ochotona » Sun Feb 26, 2017 8:59 pm

I just installed Lyft
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Mr Vacuum » Sun Feb 26, 2017 9:01 pm

https://twitter.com/susanthesquark/stat ... 1814392833
Research for the smear campaign has begun. If you are contacted by anyone asking for personal and intimate info about me, please report asap.
This writer has been through it with Uber in the past https://twitter.com/sarahcuda/status/835208614927196160:
I hope someone sends Susan a good security team. Huge for my peace of mind with everything that came next.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Tortoise » Mon Feb 27, 2017 3:31 pm

How in the world does one get a "perfect performance review" at a company?

My manager at one of my previous employers used to say, "Even the CEO of this company doesn't get a perfect performance review. We all have ways in which we can continue to improve and grow, even at the level of president and CEO."

I would say that if an employee ever supposedly gets a "perfect" performance review, the review process for that person has failed in the sense that it didn't provide constructive feedback to help the employee continue to grow.

But maybe that's just me.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Feb 27, 2017 4:38 pm

Tortoise wrote:How in the world does one get a "perfect performance review" at a company?

My manager at one of my previous employers used to say, "Even the CEO of this company doesn't get a perfect performance review. We all have ways in which we can continue to improve and grow, even at the level of president and CEO."

I would say that if an employee ever supposedly gets a "perfect" performance review, the review process for that person has failed in the sense that it didn't provide constructive feedback to help the employee continue to grow.

But maybe that's just me.
Must have been a total self-assessment. ;D
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Mon Feb 27, 2017 5:45 pm

I don't know, guys. Seems like a strange thing to harp on, given the context.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Pointedstick » Mon Feb 27, 2017 5:57 pm

I got a perfect performance review right before my contract was terminated. Silicon Valley is weird.

...But man, those are some pretty awful stories. What a sucky work environment. I wonder how long they thought they'd be able to conceal it in this day and age?
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Tortoise » Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:59 pm

dualstow wrote:I don't know, guys. Seems like a strange thing to harp on, given the context.
Unfortunately, I often get distracted by tangential details since I'm an INTJ. Sorry about that.

If most of what she wrote is true, then it sounds like Uber's company culture is pretty rotten. I'm glad that we live in the Internet age, where grievances like this can get aired much more easily and quickly than they previously could. Doesn't guarantee that justice will be served, but it helps.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:02 pm

No worries, but
I thought INTJs never believed in Myers Briggs O0
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Tyler » Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:05 am

dualstow wrote:I thought INTJs never believed in Myers Briggs O0
I've always thought the opposite -- look for any conversation about Myers-Briggs, and there are very strong odds that you're talking to a group of INTJs. The temptation to rationally categorize everything is too strong to resist.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:07 am

Ha, that may be, Tyler. I would have made the same joke if he'd said he was an ENFP,
in the same way I always say Libras never believe in horoscopes.

Now you've got me thinking, though: there must be some group of that test that *is* less likely to believe in it.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Maddy » Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:10 am

I recall a poll a few years back on the-forum-which-shall-not-be-named which revealed a predominance of INTJs, though the incidence of INTJs in the general population is something like 2 percent. Has a poll ever been taken on this forum? I'm guessing that there are more "feelers" here than on the other forum, but I'd suspect that there is a predominance of INTJs here as well.

But further to the subject of this thread: It's interesting how the young progressive culture has a split personality when it comes to things like this. While sexual harassment is viewed in the abstract as the quintessential expression of oppression and alpha-male domination, this idea is eclipsed in practice by the strong narcissistic conviction that you should have whatever you want.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:14 am

Maddy wrote:I recall a poll a few years back on the-forum-which-shall-not-be-named
https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewto ... =11&t=2234
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Pointedstick » Tue Feb 28, 2017 11:16 am

I think the conclusion a while back was the same for this forum. I'm an INTJ, too. :P
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by l82start » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:43 pm

Pointedstick wrote:I think the conclusion a while back was the same for this forum. I'm an INTJ, too. :P
if i remember correctly the results were the same when the topic came up here, INTJ was most common by a fair bit...
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:27 am

I guess you guys saw the latest news about CEO Travis Kalanick.
This just gets better and better, doesn't it?
I think we'll be switching to Lyft as well.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Tyler » Wed Mar 01, 2017 12:06 pm

And don't forget about Amit Singhal, the new SVP of engineering they just fired for "not disclosing" he was forced out of Google for... sexual harassment.

Uber fired a top engineer for covering up allegations of sexual harassment

Uber is a hot mess right now.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by dualstow » Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:21 am

I feel bad for founder and former CEO Travis K, as he lost his mother recently in a boating accident.
In the context of this forum, I guess I should specify that this is real and not a joke.
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Re: Susan Fowler and Uber

Post by Kriegsspiel » Sat Jun 24, 2017 10:07 am

Gallows humor; the highest and best humor.
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