Companies grow into new products, services, markets, etc.
Microsoft and Amazon have multiple profitable lines of business.
Is Uber more like Google or more like Amazon? Is "Uber Eats" (underpaid contractors drive around takeaway dinners) distinct from "Uber" (underpaid contractors drive around people), or "Uber Black" (underpaid contractors with unwise car leases drive people around)?
It's not like people would go and visit a page with just a list of ads; no matter how little revenue the other products around ads bring in, they bring eyeballs to the ads, and serve as a moat around ads.
It's not like people would go and visit a page with just a bunch of ads; no matter how little revenue the other Alphabet products bring in, they bring eyeballs to the ads, and serve as a moat around ads.
You're not answering the question except as a tautology:
- Q: Why is Uber's engineering team so ridiculous and bloated?
- A: Because they need a ridiculous bloated team to make this ridiculous bloated app.