Why Uber? Let me tell you…
Today I walked into the Uber Seattle engineering office, a place I’ve been several times before, however, this time as an Uber employee. As I mentioned in my last post, I had an awesome opportunity present itself and am #superpumped to announce that I will be joining the ride hailing giant as a Product Manager on the UberFLEETs team.
My path to Uber
So how exactly did this opportunity arise? Well, one afternoon I received an inMail from an Uber recruiter asking to speak with me about Product Management opportunities in the Seattle office. This email was tactful in getting me in the door for two reasons — 1. it acknowledged recent events and the company’s commitment to change and 2. it brought awareness to the importance (and existence) of the Seattle office. If it weren’t for this email, I never would have considered the possibility of working for Uber.
I entered the process with equal parts optimism and skepticism. Given recent events, I made sure to learn as much as possible about the history and state of the company — the good and the bad. After several news articles, podcasts (love her, but wow Kara Swisher is brutal), books, and conversations with current employees, I felt like I had a holistic view upon which to evaluate.
From the initial call with the recruiter all the way to the final round interviews, Uber provided me with an overwhelmingly positive experience. Every individual I met with was not only incredibly intelligent, but extremely motivated and passionate about their work. I asked some tricky questions, and was met with truth and humility.
When it came to make my decision, my skepticism had evaporated. At the end of the day, I was nothing but thrilled to sign on!
Why I chose Uber
When I consider a role, here is what I’m evaluating:
- The people: Do I like the people I will be working with and working for? Is there an opportunity to learn from those around me and be inspired?
- The product: Do I enjoy using this product? Am I so excited about the product space that I spend time while not at work thinking about it?
- The growth potential: Will this job allow me to learn new skills and gain new experiences? Are there opportunities to be mentored by others?
- The impact: Is there a potential for product or cultural impact? Will I be empowered to push the envelope and freely innovate?
Ultimately, these were the driving forces that influenced my decision.
The Seattle office
Hidden within the core of downtown Seattle, UberSEA is a rapidly growing engineering center for several independently-run product and platform teams. The office has been structured in a way that empowers the teams to operate independently of the SF-based HQ. Several essential products and features (shout-out to scheduled rides, my personal favorite!) originated from this office and it truly is the perfect satellite office. Also an alluring element — I am the sixth product manager to join the office, which I believe to be an incredible opportunity to shape the future direction and culture of an important engineering center.
The Seattle office also features several awesome perks, such as free snacks, catered lunch, Kombucha on tap, a complimentary fitness center, and sweeping views of the Seattle skyline. These awesome additions plus being able to sit with my team in the same office makes for a very happy Meg. Also…did I mentioned that my commute is literally cut in half?? Did I also mention that we’re hiring??!! #joinus #uberSEAforever
The problem space
To be frank, a few months ago, I started to question my career in tech…Do I actually want to be in tech? Is it right for me? Am I actually passionate about this? What I ultimately concluded is that I need to explore other fields while applying my tech background.
Often times when I am introduced to somebody who works at Microsoft or Amazon, they identify themselves as someone who “works in tech.” But what does it really mean to “work in tech?” The way I see it, tech is a toolset, rather than an industry. In the next 10–15 years, many more workers will have the opportunity to bring “tech” into their line of industry in some form or another. Some will work in tech-finance, while others will be in tech-law, tech-retail, tech-automotive, etc. As someone who has spent my entire career in “tech-tech,” this scares me. I need to find my “tech-something” and at Uber, I just might find it.
What is this “tech-something” that I hope to uncover at Uber? Good question…At its core, Uber is a hybrid tech-ops company, but on top of this, my role also allows me to explore the fields of supply-chain and fleet management. Working at Uber gives me an opportunity to utilize these tech related skills and apply them to a new space and really a new industry.
The company’s future
There’s no denying it — 2017 has been a tough year for Uber. I will definitely need to dedicate a future post outlining the progress that the company has made in recent months, but let me sum up my overall sentiment on this topic. Here is why I believe in Uber and its future:
- The company recognizes and admits to its shortcomings
- The company wants to turn things around and change for the better
- The company is actively changing and iterating
Uber is currently in the process of defining Uber 2.0 and re-inventing itself from the ground up. Getting to be a part of this change is an amazing opportunity to not just change the company’s culture, but the entire industry’s culture. Also, this change is being spearheaded by some bad-ass women, such as Francis Frei and Bozoma Saint John. Not to mention, the company just got an incredibly brilliant CEO, who has already demonstrated humility, emotional intelligence, and sound leadership in his first few weeks on the job.
On top of all of this, Uber is so much more than a ride-hailing app these days. From UberEATs to UberFreight to Uber for Business, the company is finding new and innovative ways to change the way that the world operates. Working for Uber allows me to be at the forefront of both cultural and product innovation. What more could a girl want?
FAQs
I predict you may have some questions, I’ve anticipated a few, but if you have others, I will update the article with new questions.
Q: Uber? Haven’t you read the news? Ever heard of Susan Fowler?
Yes, as mentioned above, I am well aware (and likely more aware than you are) of the recent series of events. I will definitely spend more time in a later post unpacking my thoughts on this topic. Stay tuned!
Q: But wait… I thought you said you hated the aggressive culture you experienced on the Edge team? How is this any different?
Not quite, I was most concerned with the lack of cultural flexibility. In that environment, the sentiment was of a “if you don’t like it, then leave” nature. I am comfortable with this new (and arguably, much more toe-steppy than I am used to) environment because I feel empowered to employ my own tactics and work style rather than conform to a one-size-fits-all model. Once again, this is based off of the experiences I have had thus far. With a limited set of information I have, I could be completely wrong, but am optimistic.
Q: Wait a minute, Uber has a Seattle engineering office?
Yes, and it’s awesome. We are hiring!
Q: Did Uber make you write this article?
Nope, this article consists of my own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. I am just this genuinely excited…get used to it?
Q: You’re moving from Microsoft’s headquarters to an Uber satellite office. Won’t that suck?
Actually, in my previous role, I was based in a satellite office… The Outlook Mobile team was primarily located in San Francisco, with another big office in NYC. The team only had a few PMs (myself included) based out of the Redmond office. As mentioned above, the Seattle engineering office was structured to ensure that teams and all of the team members are co-located and able to operate independently of the HQ. With this move, life gets much easier for me… and I get to see my coworkers every day!
Q: Does this mean you get free Uber credit?
Yes, and it’s awesome.
