Insider Transportation: Uber's plan to stop losing money, auto stocks to bet on, and how to get a Rivian job
Ever since Uber burst onto the global stage a few years ago led by the brash Travis Kalanick, scrapping with regulators the world over and winning over legions of fans, one little thing has nagged at its backers: its apparent inability to make any money. Since going public in 2019, Uber has lost money in every quarter.
Turning that trend around is the job of Kalanick's replacement, Dara Khosrowshahi. And it starts with stemming the flow of red ink on Uber's balance sheet. As Khosrowshahi works to get Uber into the black, we took a look at the biggest moves he's made, from casting off self-driving and flying car programs to pulling out of unprofitable markets.
Read the full story of Uber's quest to prove its doubters wrong here, get more of the week's transportation news below, and if you haven't yet, sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox every week.
These 5 auto stocks are better bets than Tesla in 2021, according to Bank of America
Sure, if you'd invested in Tesla at the time of its 2010 IPO, you'd be reading this on a diamond-encrusted screen while your butler polished your Fabergé eggs. But while Elon Musk's automaker looks poised to have another great year, the brains at Bank of America say that the crusty old auto industry may be a better bet for would-be investors.
How to get a job at Jeff Bezos-backed Rivian
Rivian stands a very good chance of becoming the next Tesla, which is as good a reason as any to pursue a career at the Amazon-backed automaker. To help out prospective employees, we quizzed Rivian execs about the top five traits they look for in job candidates - and their tips for nailing an interview.
The crazy bonus structure that motivated Google's self-driving superstars
In 2011, Google had a problem: Some of its superstar self-driving car engineers were threatening to leave and launch a startup where they could reap greater benefits from the technology they were pioneering. The tech giant's leadership, eager to keep them in-house, responded with an unconventional bonus structure. The setup incentivized innovation and turned most of those involved into millionaires, but ultimately backfired.