Uber's middleman dilemma: Google Maps is one PR away from being Waymo's ultimate client

doodlestein · x · 2026-09-07

The thread discusses Uber's position amid autonomous driving competition. Investors once praised Dara as the "adult in the room" who focused on margins and free cash flow instead of burning money on autonomy—and he delivered. The problem was assuming Travis's aggressive autonomy spending was wrong. The quoted post adds that Google is only one small PR away from making Google Maps the ultimate client for ordering a Waymo; Maps' distribution exceeds Uber's, and Musk will obviously push Tesla's taxi app too, leaving no need for Uber as a middleman.

Related event: Google Could Steer Waymo Rides Via Maps, Threatening Uber(2 posts)→

Original post →

More from Companies & People

Companies & People channel →