To Make Amends, Uber Looks Ahead, and Facebook Looks Back
*By Madison Alworth*
Uber's new [national TV ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMZyw5lPKgE) doesn't tout new services or offer limited-time discounts. This minute-long video makes a solemn promise, from Uber's new CEO himself, Dara Khosrowshahi, "to always do the right thing."
It's part of Uber's effort since Khosrowshahi took over last August to present the company as a better, more caring corporate citizen of the world. After years of bad news about Uber's cutthroat strategy to grow at any cost, this ad represents a carefully crafted pivot.
"I do think its effective," said Jon Swartz, a senior reporter at Barron's. "I actually think of it as kind of a State of the Union address from Dara."
Khosrowshahi inherited from the founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick a company dealing with investor lawsuits, a federal investigation into stolen trade secrets, and software used to hide its vehicles from law enforcement. Not to mention an incriminating video of Kalanick [berating an Uber driver](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-02-28/in-video-uber-ceo-argues-with-driver-over-falling-fares). The advertisement serves as a reset of public expectations.
"I think what Dara is doing is really, really good," said Swartz. "In fact, what he's doing is he's starting his administration, so to speak, on a positive angle."
Uber is not the only company looking to publicly make amends for past transgressions. Facebook has also released an advertisement, ["Here Together,"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4zd7X98eOs) which promises a return to what users may have first liked about Facebook.
Swartz said the Facebook ad is different from Uber's because the social media company is in a different stage of the so-called public apology tour.
"The difference between the two is that Uber is trying to take a first wave of the new administration and set a precedent," Swartz said in an interview Thursday on Cheddar. "While Facebook is kind of retrenching and trying to correct what has been a problem and what will continue to probably be a problem when we hear about other data breaches or problems that occur there."
It remains to be see how the public ー and investors ー will respond to the companies' new promises.
"I think there's this general sense that tech is not well liked throughout the rest of the country," Swartz said, adding that these ads cold have a broad impact with consumers who have impressions of the companies shaped by what they hear as much as what they experience.
"You're resetting the company and its expectations, because again, in Silicon Valley, the companies are reflected by their CEOs," Swartz said. "That's the personality of the company, whether good, or bad, or indifferent."
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/silicon-valley-is-sorry).
Following sales tech startup Scratchpad raising $33 million in Series B Funding, CEO and co-founder Pouyan Salehi joined Cheddar to discuss how his company's software works to help salespeople with an all-in-one workspace, integrating with Salesforce to optimize notes, spreadsheets, and other relevant information so businesses can forecast and make the best decisions. "If you look at other crafts like artists, they'll have studios; chefs, they'll have kitchens; scientists will have labs, and we just asked, well, if you look at sales as a craft, why doesn't something exist that is designed solely for a salesperson?" Salehi said about his workspace app.
Google could be gearing up to release its own wearable device as rumors swirl about a potential smartwatch with the Pixel brand. Jon Prosser, the creator of Front Page Tech, who tweeted a possible leak about the product, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to discuss potential the benefits of it entering the same space as the Apple Watch. Prosser said, while he doesn't expect it to launch until at least 2023, the Pixel Watch will be "one of the most vital, most important wearables that we can have on the market," noting that it won't likely challenge Apple for much market share but will set the standard for other Android wearables to come.
Members of Congress have voted to advance a bill meant to address antitrust concerns related to tech giants including Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta. The 'American Innovation and Choice Online Act' is largely seen as one of the best chances for the government to reign in Big Tech's dominance
Seth Schachner, Managing Director StratAmericas; Digital Business Executive joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
The Federal Reserve released its highly-anticipated research weighing the pros and cons of a digital dollar in the U.S. The report comes as economic rivals like china have already piloted their own central bank digital currencies. Edward Moya, Senior Market Analyst, The Americas, Oanda, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Verizon and AT&T officially launched their 5G wireless services Wednesday across the U.S. Despite pushback from U.S. airlines and the FAA over safety concerns, the telecom giants rolled out the next generation of wireless cellular technology, with speeds up to 20 times faster than 4G LTE. John Biggs, Editor, Tech Crunch joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Earnings season kicks into high gear this week as big players are on tap to report their Q4 numbers, including Microsoft, Apple, and Tesla. Investors will be watching for key indicators on how the companies are dealing with inflation, Omicron and interest rates. Christine Short, VP of Research, Wall Street Horizon joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Stan Farnsworth, chief marketing officer at PulseForge, joined Cheddar to talk about his company's debut at CES 2022 and how it plans to innovate the sustainable tech manufacturing space. PulseForge is bringing a new approach to industrial thermal processing, which contributes to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to Farnsworth. "By using 85 percent less energy in the processing of materials through a variety of manufacturing processes, we can make a direct impact in reducing carbon output and reducing carbon footprint associated with manufacturing," he said.
