One of Uber’s first employees blames the breakneck pace of growth for the ride-hailing company’s recent scandals.
“There was a focus on growing as quickly as possible, and with that sometimes you miss the infrastructure that you need for a company the size that Uber is today,” Chris Taylor, who is now the U.S. head of bike-sharing company Ofo, told Cheddar.
Uber has faced a string of stumbles over the past year, from allegations of sexual harassment to a $100,000 payoff to hackers. More recently news emerged that the company had instituted an elaborate system to evade regulatory inspections called “Ripley”.
The company’s struggles come as competitors such as Lyft have been gaining momentum. That start-up reportedly saw revenues more than triple in the first half of last year.
Both companies are preparing IPOs. Taylor, who owns shares of his former company says he hopes Uber goes public first.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/bike-share-battle-ofo-takes-on-mobike-and-didi-chuxing).
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
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