this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2024
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The CEO of Intuit (who make financial software) did an interview, and it seems a pretty normal interview. But some senior guy at the company asked for part of the interview to be deleted, after it took place.

By putting in that unusual request (rather angrily), more attention is being drawn to the interview.

Thoughts?

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[–] Wrench@lemmy.world 8 points 2 hours ago

Eh. Honestly, the line of "questions" was rather stupid.

"Why aren't you lobbying to make your business irrelevant" is essentially what the interviewer pushed aggressively.

Sure, I get calling out a CEO for deflecting tough questions with corporate BS. But it was a pretty dumb line of questioning in the first place.

Why isn't Google lobbying for privacy protections?

Why isn't Comcast lobbying for net neutrality?

Just make your statement and ask for comment. "Our listeners consider Intuits lobbying against tax reform that would benefit tax payers to be adversarial to their customers. What would you say to them?"

[–] MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world 11 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Decoder podcast which this is from and specifically Nilay Patel is awesome, if you're not subscribed check it out

https://pca.st/podcast/01a33f10-fcfe-0132-18b7-059c869cc4eb

There's a good episode a few months back where the CEO of Logitech tries to justify the mouse subscription.

He's also one of the hosts of the Vergecast https://pca.st/podcast/5cda9490-4117-012e-1622-00163e1b201c

[–] lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone 130 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

As another comment said, I also dropped everything and read the article. So yeah I guess that'd mean Streisand effect is coming into play.

Regarding the topic at hand: I don't care what these companies say at this point. The fact is that in the past, I have used their services, clicked the "free" button, did some things, and then ended up having to pay them money.

Until the day comes that I get a letter in the mail from the government saying, "Here's how much you paid in taxes, if you're cool with that then please disregard", I will not be satisfied.

[–] SomeoneSomewhere@lemmy.nz 37 points 5 hours ago

Until the day comes that I get a letter in the mail from the government saying, "Here's how much you paid in taxes, if you're cool with that then please disregard", I will not be satisfied.

NZ does that. More accurately, they email you to tell you that there's a letter available online - I don't think they send physical mail by default.

Then they pay any refund straight into your nominated bank account.

[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 10 points 4 hours ago

Maybe every six months or something so I can keep track of it yes. Also if you are a registered charity and offer tax deductions, why can't you just submit the credit directly to my tax account so I can see that on the six month statement? Trying to make me Remember it and submit receipts feels like one of those stupid rebate deals where they make the process unnecessarily cumbersome just as a barrier to entry.

[–] deegeese@sopuli.xyz 64 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Most of that interview is deadly dull and there’s no way I would have read to the end.

Very nice of Intuit to highlight the juicy parts.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 3 hours ago

Tbh the exchange is a bit testy. Even if they didn't request it to be removed, I have a feeling it would have gone viral.

But the Streisand effect is going to show the coverup and the juicy parts. It's just....amazing

[–] Computerchairgeneral@fedia.io 10 points 4 hours ago

Considering I would have never heard of this otherwise, yeah I think it's the Streisand Effect at work. But what a bizarre thing to want scrubbed from the Internet. Like it's not a particularly hard-hitting question and the CEO clearly had a prepared, corporate-speak answer ready. It feels like something that wouldn't have attracted any attention if they hadn't called attention to it. So, classic Streisand Effect I guess.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 42 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

No one from Intuit has any business asking an interviewer to, essentially, falsify data that can easily influence share price. If Goodarzi can't take the heat in an important interview, then her minions failed to prep her adequately. That's a "you" problem, Miss "I am Intuit", not the reporter's problem.

[–] Mozingo@lemmy.world 18 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

Sasan Goodarzi is a man, btw.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 6 points 4 hours ago

Ah, thank you.

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 51 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

[Drops everything to read the article. ]

[–] thesmokingman@programming.dev 17 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I have more important things to do than to lobby the government to send a tax bill.

Why would the CEO be dumb enough to say this in an interview? If your business model is fucking people, your CEO has to have a cool head when asked if he’s fucking people!

[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 3 points 4 hours ago

There are people who have never heard of the Streisand Effect.

[–] moonlight@fedia.io 31 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Absolutely, these corporate types are so clueless when it comes to public messaging.

They realized that it's obvious that they're the bad guys, and the interview response wasn't convincing. But then to try to bully the interviewer into deleting it? That just seems stupid.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 15 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

There's a reason they do it. For every time we hear about it, there are 100 stories that got buried using the same strategy

[–] T156@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

And chances are, the company has got away with it before. It just didn't work this time.

[–] shoulderoforion@fedia.io 22 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

hahahahahahaha they don't like it one bit when their dirt is put on display for all to see

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 24 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Objection!

On what grounds?

It's devastating to my case!

[–] bobs_monkey@lemm.ee 13 points 5 hours ago (1 children)
[–] verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 hours ago

Yeah, in your bra.