Slate Hires New CEO Peter Faricy. Ex-CEO Chris Barman appointed new role

[bloo]

None of these have anything to do with gender. The video you linked said nothing about women on the design team not liking the key blade. Maybe you got that from another source but regardless, how about toning down the misogyny.

...

EDIT: I found the source linked later in that thread, I hadn't read it yet just watched the video in the OP. So I stand corrected there... but still, I don't really think that has anything to do with gender.

Tell that to Chris Barman. These are her words...

But we had this discussion, myself and other members of the team, about as a single female at night in a dimly lit parking lot, I would not feel safe. There’s a twofold reason we did the fob. One is from the security perspective: you can unlock it from the remote. It lights up, and you can see everything’s safe and secure. We also have a secure key ignition module through that — you put the fob into a slot and through that, it passes a code in order to start the car. We didn’t want people to think, “Well, if it’s affordable, was it not secure?”

She made a design decision based on gender. Pointing it out does not make me a misogynist. You don't even know me, yet accuse me even before bothering to dig into the links I provided.

If I run down the battery in my ICE car, I can unlock the door with a key, pop the hood, and jump it. I won't be able to do that in a Slate because of personal bias from the CEO. The head of the design gave at least tacit approval for this decision.

BTW... DIN is hardly dead. There's lots of aftermarket stuff on Amazon or Crutchfield - or the local junkyard. Otherwise, I'll install a marine radio, as most can be mounted without DIN.

 

[SparkYellow]

Bezos is worth north of $240B. In 2025 he dropped $100M on his girlfriend just to get married and fly her into space. He gave $100M to Eva Longoria. He drops gifts of $100M all over the place to people.

Funding should not be Slate's issue with Uncle Jeff around.

I am glad that you brought this up. Bezos is a smart business man with a team of business/legal advisors. I'd like to think that these gifts are in fact investments, i.e., that he's getting something of value in return tangible and intangible, sooner or later. 🙆 Slate has got to be a promising business for him to pour more money in.

 

[clofan]

Tell that to Chris Barman. These are her words...

But we had this discussion, myself and other members of the team, about as a single female at night in a dimly lit parking lot, I would not feel safe. There’s a twofold reason we did the fob. One is from the security perspective: you can unlock it from the remote. It lights up, and you can see everything’s safe and secure. We also have a secure key ignition module through that — you put the fob into a slot and through that, it passes a code in order to start the car. We didn’t want people to think, “Well, if it’s affordable, was it not secure?”

She made a design decision based on gender. Pointing it out does not make me a misogynist. You don't even know me, yet accuse me even before bothering to dig into the links I provided.

They did not make a decision based on gender. She talks about one data point they considered while making the decision. Many other considerations went into the decision to use a fob over a blade, don't you think?

I called you misogynist because of this comment:

It's partly because she's making decisions that alienate half of Slate's potential customers (guys).

I'm a guy, but I don't feel alienated by this design decision. And yes, I did read the thread you linked and even watched the youtube video. Tone is hard to read on the internet and maybe I misunderstood you on that one.

If I run down the battery in my ICE car, I can unlock the door with a key, pop the hood, and jump it. I won't be able to do that in a Slate because of personal bias from the CEO. The head of the design gave at least tacit approval for this decision.

Are you sure? Where has that been said? I've been digging in and can't find anywhere they've said they won't have a way to access the vehicle in event of 12v failure.

BTW... DIN is hardly dead. There's lots of aftermarket stuff on Amazon or Crutchfield - or the local junkyard. Otherwise, I'll install a marine radio, as most can be mounted without DIN.

As long as their are older cars on the road Pioneer will make DIN radios. And sure, a lot of cars (even new ones) have aftermarket kits that will accept a DIN unit. But the reality is, replacing your head unit on your new car is much more rare today than 20 years ago.

 

[clofan]

BTW... DIN is hardly dead. There's lots of aftermarket stuff on Amazon or Crutchfield - or the local junkyard. Otherwise, I'll install a marine radio, as most can be mounted without DIN.

He's dead, Jim.

 

[bloo]

He's dead, Jim.

Auto manufacturers don't support DIN coz they'd rather lock users into their own ecosystems. Would you rather Slate adopt a proprietary system too? Hardly the open source ethos they've been pushing.

How else but DIN would most people install an aftermarket car stereo? I'll prolly install a marine radio, but realistically how many would go through the trouble?

Just did a search on Amazon for DIN stereos and got 20 pages of results. So it's alive and well.

*** EDITED for clarity ***

 

[clofan]

You seem to be missing my point. People aren't installing aftermarket stereos in new cars. As older cars are abandoned, there are that many fewer DIN-compatible vehicles on the road. Eventually, it will no longer be profitable to make DIN stereos because fewer people are buying them because there are fewer vehicles to put them in.

 

[bloo]

They did not make a decision based on gender. She talks about one data point they considered while making the decision. Many other considerations went into the decision to use a fob over a blade, don't you think?

She doesn't mention any other reasons in that clip. Just safety and security prefaced by "...as a single female at night in a dimly lit parking lot, I would not feel safe." If you can find other reasons behind her decision, please post them.

I called you misogynist because of this comment:

It's partly because she's making decisions that alienate half of Slate's potential customers (guys).

I'm a guy, but I don't feel alienated by this design decision. And yes, I did read the thread you linked and even watched the youtube video. Tone is hard to read on the internet and maybe I misunderstood you on that one.

Chris Barmin implies that a bladed key would alienate female buyers. Not much different than what I'm saying, just from the other side.

I've been digging in and can't find anywhere they've said they won't have a way to access the vehicle in event of 12v failure.

Other than getting into the vehicle to open the frunk, how else would you get to the battery?

As long as their are older cars on the road Pioneer will make DIN radios. And sure, a lot of cars (even new ones) have aftermarket kits that will accept a DIN unit. But the reality is, replacing your head unit on your new car is much more rare today than 20 years ago.

Yes, but how else would you easily install a stereo on a Slate?

 

[AZFox]

None of these have anything to do with gender. The video you linked said nothing about women on the design team not liking the key blade. Maybe you got that from another source but regardless, how about toning down the misogyny.

The elephant in the room is that Slate Automotive is a very low-T / feminine company through and through, at least it has been thus far.

A Blank Slate is nothing like a real-life Tonka Toy Pickup. It more like a real-life Barbie Pickup you can decorate with wraps, Slatelet dashboard charms, and Wheel Decals.

For the record this doesn't bother me. It's an observation, not a criticism.

I've noticed it from the very beginning when I saw that the second article they chose to list on their Media page of their website was about women running the company. Way back then I accepted how it was probably going to be.

Also for the record I think Tisha Johnson is brilliant. She, Eric Keipper, and their teams of designers and engineers have done an exceptional job.

She has taken risks and given the Slate its "timeless and familiar form" that adds a lot of value to what otherwise could have turned out to be a boring-but-affordable Transportation Appliance.

 

[Johnologue]

I would also note that I was on board for the women in leadership. I took it to mean there would be less problems with ego and, based on what I've seen from Tisha, a more well-rounded, approachable, usable product.

I think it's one of the things that gives the Slate a chance to be more than a niche enthusiast and cheap fleet vehicle, to actually work as real transportation that people will enjoy using.

 

[Johnologue]

Auto manufacturers don't support DIN coz it locks users into their ecosystem. Would you rather Slate adopt a proprietary system too? Hardly the open source ethos they've been pushing.

I think that's a very bad-faith argument. DIN is a proprietary hole, and automakers aren't opposed to lock-in. That's like arguing Apple was looking out for users by not "forcing" them to use USB.

Automakers don't support DIN because they want to put their own heavily-controlled UX and tech where it would go otherwise. It wouldn't make sense for Slate to "adopt" DIN because they have a much larger and more flexible space to begin with, which can then have a DIN-shaped bracket or whatever put into it.

 

[clofan]

Thinking on it further, DIN is not dead and probably won't die. Sorry for talking out of my ass!

Like says above, it will be the already existing standard adapted where possible. Significantly smaller market than it used to be I imagine

Are the Slate gloveboxes deep enough for a DIN unit?

 

[clofan]

It more like a real-life Barbie Pickup you can decorate

Wait, I thought that was the Bronco!

 

[bloo]

The elephant in the room is that Slate Automotive is a very low-T / feminine company through and through, at least it has been thus far.

Other than the key-blade nonsense, I hadn't noticed the elephant - feminine or otherwise. In fact, I only found out Chris is a woman three weeks after I reserved my Slate. I'll hazard a guess her truncated first name is deliberate. We really should be past the need for obfiscation like this, but unfortunately no. Not too long ago, female sci-fi authors used only their first initial in agent queries for the same reason.

I'm cool with the low-T vibe coz macho bullshit is a big factor in the supersized truck craze we're in now.

A Blank Slate is nothing like a real-life Tonka Toy Pickup. It more like a real-life Barbie Pickup you can decorate with wraps, Slatelet dashboard charms, and Wheel Decals.

I pegged Slate as the spiritual successor to an 00 Ranger, not a Barbie truck. I'm not crazy about wraps or wheel decals, but charms are cool. My current ride has a Badtz Maru headrest, seatbelt covers, and a rearview mirror charm. My keychain is likewise adorned

For the record this doesn't bother me. It's an observation, not a criticism.

Some of my observarions are criticisms. Unfortunately, one in particular has been misidentified as misogyny. I hope you fare better.

I've noticed it from the very beginning when I saw that the second article they chose to list on their Media page of their website was about women running the company. Way back then I accepted how it was probably going to be.

Media pages tend to be trite, so I seldom read them.

Also for the record I think Tisha Johnson is brilliant. She, Eric Keipper, and their teams of designers and engineers have done an exceptional job.

I think one of the few things they did right was build a decontented and inexpensive small truck. Otherwise, design and execution have been less than brilliant. Many of us here have pointed out shortcomings in both.

She has taken risks and given the Slate its "timeless and familiar form" that adds a lot of value to what otherwise could have turned out to be a boring-but-affordable Transportation Appliance.

Mostly agree, but a little more aero up front would've been a bigger risk with tangible benefits.

 

[cadblu]

I would also note that I was on board for the women in leadership. I took it to mean there would be less problems with ego and, based on what I've seen from Tisha, a more well-rounded, approachable, usable product.

I recall reading an article that the Slate’s front grille exemplifies this “lack of ego” design philosophy. It’s a simple, non-aggressive affair with a lack chrome accents, large fake vents, and flashy bits.

One just needs to look at the oversized and disproportionately sized spindle grilles from Lexus, the large nostrils on some BMWs, or the GMC Sierra or Dodge Ram behemoths to appreciate the contrast.

I also appreciate that folks can change out the grille to a more bold design to suit their own style. It’s really the best of both worlds.

 

[bloo]

I think that's a very bad-faith argument. DIN is a proprietary hole, and automakers aren't opposed to lock-in. That's like arguing Apple was looking out for users by not "forcing" them to use USB.

Automakers don't support DIN because they want to put their own heavily-controlled UX and tech where it would go otherwise. It wouldn't make sense for Slate to "adopt" DIN because they have a much larger and more flexible space to begin with, which can then have a DIN-shaped bracket or whatever put into it.

DIN is a nonprofit standards orginization based in Germany. It's about as open source as you're going to get in the car stereo space. Can you suggest something better and less "bad-faith argument" that is as universal as DIN?