2 Years at Uber

3 days before my second year at Uber (aka. Uberversary), the company laid off 400 people across the whole Marketing org. There are already tons of coverage in the news and mountains of responses and sentiment, so I won’t dwell on public information. Instead, I want to dedicate this post to my friends and colleagues, affected or not, who gave me their support and kindness.

I’m still here, for now.

Working at Uber is certainly stimulating, challenging, and inspiring. I’ve seen supply and demand, unit economics, and network effect come to life through the lens of real-world technology. I have witnessed the power of Uber’s platform through the products we have launched (Eats, Freight, Jump bikes and scooters, Copter). And it’s touching to see how users’ lives are changed because of Uber. Never has there been a moment that I regretted my decision to join Uber 2 years ago, when the former CEO, Travis, had just resigned. Like every job I’ve had, there have been highs and lows. I’ve never worked anywhere with people more passionate, dedicated, and deeply caring about their work or its cultural impact. I’ve worked for some of the best managers, became friends with a few teammates, and joined an amazing group of women to advocate for other women in the office.

But reality struck when the announcement came this Monday morning. Seeing friends and colleagues getting let go is devastating, and I felt so vulnerable and so little among all the chaos. What’s even more infuriating to me is the repeated questions about job titles for those who weren’t laid off. I mean, really? While it might be harsh to streamline the workforce for efficiency’s sake, I can’t rationalize why title matters so much to some at a time when others have lost their jobs simply because of business decisions. All this frustration reminds me of Amy Poelher’s book, Yes, Please. “Treat your career like a bad boyfriend. Here’s the thing. Your career won’t take care of you. It won’t call you back or introduce you to its parents.Your career will openly flirt with other people while you are around. It will forget you birthday and wreck your car.” Humor aside, the concept of career vs. reality is a wakeup call. Who am I beyond the identity (and a proud one) of “I work at Uber”?

I’m still pumped and optimistic about Uber’s future.

Conflicts aside, it is the wonderful people in the office who reminded me of friendship and togetherness. I’m flooded with the care messages: “Are you alright? How are you feeling? I’m here if you ever want to talk.” As I reflect on my second year and the recent ups and downs, I can’t help but to savor the vision to “ignite opportunity by setting the world in motion”. And I have to say, even after 2 years, I still look forward to waking up in the morning and going to such a cool place to work, where great ideas and talented people are set in motion.