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Doing it our way now

Doing it our way now: the approach this company pioneered is becoming the market's way

Calls Tested
500
Answered YES
6
Hit Rate
1.2%
rare by design

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) — this company's answers

NO on the Q4 2022 call 2023-01-18 B
The model's full reasoning — Q4 2022 call → NOWe need to determine if management describes that their way of doing things is being adopted by others in the market, and that they treat this as validation. Let's analyze the transcript. Key points from Scott Kirby's opening remarks: He talks about structural changes in the industry, cost convergence, and that United was ahead in preparing for recovery. He mentions that United invested early in technology, infrastructure, staffing buffers, etc. He says "we think we may be the only airline that’s actually figured this out" regarding the new math for pilots and ASMs. He also says "I think margins across the board are going to be higher in the airline industry. But because of the unique steps we took to prepare for exactly this kind of recovery, you’re also already seeing United’s relative performance is strong and I expect that lead to just expand." That suggests they are ahead, but not necessarily that others are adopting their methods. Later, Scott Kirby says: "I think what it’s going to lead to one way or another is less capacity. You just -- it’s not mathematically possible for all the airlines to achieve their aspirations." He talks about other airlines having operational issues, and says "watch completion factor" as a forward indicator. He says "we were right all this year with capacity coming in 7 points lower, and I feel even more confident that we’re right today." This is about predicting capacity, not about others adopting their approach. He also says: "I think the answer to that question is never. It isn’t a new environment, it’s a new industry. And that creates higher costs. It does, but it’s also creating higher revenues. And I think it’s going to lead to across the board higher margins, but particularly for United." This is about industry-wide changes, not specifically about others copying United. There is a mention of cost convergence: "I believe a world where ULCCs pay their pilots significantly less than us, yet, they can still hire and retain pilots, and they can somehow operate with previous staffing and utilization levels is just the null set. It’s not a realistic scenario. And with cost convergence, if I were a betting man, and actually I am, I’d bet that the revenue to GDP ratio is going back to the mid 5s." This is about cost convergence happening, but it's not explicitly about others adopting United's specific methods.

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Show the exact prompt the model was given
Using ONLY the supplied earnings call transcript and no outside information: On this call, does management describe that the WAY THIS COMPANY DOES THINGS — an approach, product design, technology, method, business model, or way of serving customers that the company pioneered, built, or is identified with — is NOW BEING ADOPTED, COPIED, OR MOVED TOWARD BY OTHERS IN ITS MARKET, so that the company's own way of doing things is becoming the market's way? Answer YES when management's own words convey, in whatever form fits the business, ONE coherent phenomenon: others are now following the company's lead, and management treats that following as present-day validation of what the company built. Any genuine expression of this counts, and the form varies widely across industries. For example — competitors or new entrants launching products, services, pricing models, or strategies that follow the company's; management noting that an approach the company was once doubted, dismissed, or criticized for is now becoming common practice; customers, partners, or suppliers telling the company that others are trying to replicate what it does; industry standards, specifications, architectures, formats, or norms converging on the company's design or method; suppliers, manufacturers, or platforms retooling themselves around the company's requirements; new entrants explicitly modeling themselves on the company; or management describing that the conversation in its market has shifted from whether the company's way works to how others can catch up. Two things should come through in management's own voice. First, the following must be REAL AND ALREADY OBSERVABLE — described as behavior happening now, grounded in something concrete (who is following, or what specifically is being adopted), not a bare claim that the company is "the leader," "the standard," or "best in class," and not a prediction that the world will someday come around. Second, management must treat the convergence as CONFIRMING the company's position — its lead, head start, or next move described as intact or advancing — not as a threat that is eroding its results or forcing it onto the defensive. The essence is ONE phenomenon: the market is validating, by imitation, what this company built first — and the company is describing it while still ahead. The industry, the thing being followed, and the form of the following may vary widely. Answer NO if management merely claims the company is different, differentiated, innovative, a leader, or well positioned, without describing others actually adopting or moving toward its way. NO if the movement described is the company adopting OTHERS' approaches, or the whole industry shifting for reasons unrelated to this company's example — a general trend the company is simply riding. NO if the copying or following is described chiefly as a competitive threat that is hurting the company — eroding its pricing, taking its share, or forcing defensive responses. NO if the adoption by others is only anticipated, predicted, or hoped for rather than already happening. NO if the idea appears only in an analyst's question or characterization that management does not itself affirm. Use only the supplied transcript. Answer only YES or NO.

Companies that answered YES

TickerCompanyCallDateCall grade
AES The AES Corporation Q1 2024 2024-05-03 C+
GGR Gogoro Inc. Q1 2023 2023-05-11 D
TGT Target Corporation Q4 2022 2023-02-28 C
ORAN Orange SA Q2 2018 2018-07-26 B
USFD US Foods Holding Corp. Q1 2018 2018-05-12 C
SHOO Steven Madden, Ltd. Q1 2017 2017-04-21 C

How the model reasoned

AES · Q1 2024 → YESThe question is: Does management describe that the WAY THIS COMPANY DOES THINGS is NOW BEING ADOPTED, COPIED, OR MOVED TOWARD BY OTHERS IN ITS MARKET, so that the company's own way of doing things is ...
GGR · Q1 2023 → YESThe question is: Does management describe that the way this company does things is now being adopted, copied, or moved toward by others in its market?
TGT · Q4 2022 → YESThe question is: Does management describe that the way this company does things is now being adopted, copied, or moved toward by others in its market?

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Not investment advice. Artul.ai publishes AI-generated earnings-call quality grades and expected-volatility estimates — never buy or sell recommendations. We tested over 1,600 predictive hypotheses against 165,000 transcripts; the honest result, including what failed, is documented in our methodology.