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Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

nytimes.com

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Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#121

Post by paulddraper »

erispoe wrote: post #103
hueving wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That very name is the strawman. The ban doesn't even target the largest Muslim countries.

Yet it was sold as a Muslim ban by the administration, which is a major reason for San Francisco's federal appeal court to suspend it. The fact that it's not an effective Muslim ban is a different question.

> The fact that it's not an effective Muslim ban is a different question.

It is precisely the question. What the ban is is much more important that what it purports to be.

For example, if it purported to be a ban on terrorists but actually was as ban on Muslims (and I mean, a bonafide ban on all Muslims), would that not matter?

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#122

Post by balladeer »

freyr wrote: post #72
smileysteve wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key points are - CEO never blackmailed journalists - No major revelations of sexual harassment - ~~No major revelations of political support~~ Related to core business - Surge Limit has prevented complaints about emergency pricing vs Uber. - Lyft takes a lower commission capped at 20%/25% - Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). Uber's tip policy encourages cash, which is an often cited comp…

> Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). One of the reasons I don't like Lyft. How about this system: pay the drivers a fair wage up front, so they don't need to subsist on the generosity of strangers. If they get great ratings, you can give them a bonus.

Why is that sentiment (general sentiment, not just yours) different in case of restaurants?

When I meet Americans and when I leave w/o tipping, which is not common but normal where I live, they feel really offended and sometimes, I suspect, they might have thought they have to hangout with stingy persons like me. I am not sure whether I am meeting a very different kind of Americans or it's ingrained in the culture there in US.

Problem is they are usually not even willing to see that it's a different culture here, or that we tip based on the service and/or the fact whether the restaurant charges a "service charge" or not (it's additional to service tax).

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#123

Post by pfarnsworth »

smileysteve wrote: post #22
techsupporter wrote: post #3

Forgive me if this is me being dense, but from an outsider's perspective I don't understand what makes Lyft any better than Uber. Neither company properly categorizes their drivers (as employees), both have a rather sizeable cut from fares, both depended on being basically illegal cabs--except for Uber Black, which uses licensed black car services--to get started, and neither has a financially viable business model.…

The key points are - CEO never blackmailed journalists - No major revelations of sexual harassment - ~~No major revelations of political support~~ Related to core business - Surge Limit has prevented complaints about emergency pricing vs Uber. - Lyft takes a lower commission capped at 20%/25% - Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). Uber's tip policy encourages cash, which is an often cited comp…

> - CEO never blackmailed journalists

Neither did Uber

> - Lyft takes a lower commission capped at 20%/25%

Same as Uber

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#124

Post by lightcatcher »

freyr wrote: post #72
smileysteve wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The key points are - CEO never blackmailed journalists - No major revelations of sexual harassment - ~~No major revelations of political support~~ Related to core business - Surge Limit has prevented complaints about emergency pricing vs Uber. - Lyft takes a lower commission capped at 20%/25% - Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). Uber's tip policy encourages cash, which is an often cited comp…

> Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). One of the reasons I don't like Lyft. How about this system: pay the drivers a fair wage up front, so they don't need to subsist on the generosity of strangers. If they get great ratings, you can give them a bonus.

I give about 30% of my Lyft drivers a tip, and I'm glad Lyft includes the option in their app. I've occasionally wanted to tip an Uber driver but then not had cash on me.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect ride share companies to pay their drivers a fair wage when they are in fierce competition with each other and self-driving cars are on the horizon.

I agree "mandatory" tipping like in US restaurants isn't a great system. I don't think including tipping in an app with a default of $0 makes it close to mandatory. Lyft could give stats on what fractions of rides have a tip given; my bet is it that it's relatively low. Making optional tipping easier is a good thing.

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#125

Post by cwp »

techsupporter wrote: post #3

Forgive me if this is me being dense, but from an outsider's perspective I don't understand what makes Lyft any better than Uber. Neither company properly categorizes their drivers (as employees), both have a rather sizeable cut from fares, both depended on being basically illegal cabs--except for Uber Black, which uses licensed black car services--to get started, and neither has a financially viable business model.…

I don't feel Lyft is some paragon of virtue. AFAICT they're a regular Silicon Valley tech company with all of the usual tensions associated with that. The service they provide is a huge improvement on what came before, but there are privacy concerns related to the data they collect and use for business purposes. They'll probably push the envelope a bit on what they can do with that information, and then back down whenever there's significant pushback.

Uber, on the other hand, is a cesspool. It's run by sociopaths who think business success confers moral authority, and are quite annoyed with all the hullaballoo about "right" and "wrong" that their actions periodically provoke.

I have no problem with their business model, but I will not use Uber. I don't trust them with my credit card, and I don't want them tracking my movements.

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#126

Post by dwg »

nhf wrote: post #82
dwg wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you give an example of large companies which operate on a "ethics first" model?

Patagonia is famous for this in the clothing industry. They are a premium brand so they can get away with higher prices and a lot of it gets reinvested in supply chain sustainability /ethics.

Thanks for this example. I wonder how much ethics contributes to Patagonia's success. I own at least a few things from Patagonia, but I wasn't aware of anything to do with their ethics. I bought them because of (perceived) quality.

My point being that, in response to the original comment, I think it would be pretty difficult to disrupt the space by "being more ethical."

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#127

Post by foxfired »

Here is how I see it. I rely on those rides to go to work every single day and here what it (would) costs me.

Uber: $250 a month.(Majority)

Lyft: $500 a month (Whenever Uber is too expensive)

Bus : $100 a month (1h:15 for 6 miles and 3 buses... No)

Politics and all internal conflicts aside, there is a need for these services whether we like it or not.

When I need to make a decision in the morning I take whatever is the least expensive and more convenient. I don't want to spend hours on the bus and I do not want a good chunk of my paycheck to go to simply getting to work.

Speaking with drivers everyday, I understand their frustration of driving all around town only for very small profit. Just today, I took a ride with a driver that seemed very frustrated. I didn't want to intrude but he ended up tell me how much he hates UberPool (that's what I use). 70 cents per mile, and when a second rider joins the rate goes down, and for the next even lower. We were 3 different riders.

In the riders perspective, we want the cheapest and most reliable. Sure I want to support those who work for a company that respect them but at the end of the day it is not a charity.

What is the answer in the consumer's perspective?

Edit: Formatting

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#128

Post by MichaelApproved »

lightcatcher wrote: post #124
freyr wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Lyft has in app digital tipping (drivers keep 100% of tips). One of the reasons I don't like Lyft. How about this system: pay the drivers a fair wage up front, so they don't need to subsist on the generosity of strangers. If they get great ratings, you can give them a bonus.

I give about 30% of my Lyft drivers a tip, and I'm glad Lyft includes the option in their app. I've occasionally wanted to tip an Uber driver but then not had cash on me. I don't think it's reasonable to expect ride share companies to pay their drivers a fair wage when they are in fierce competition with each other and self-driving cars are on the horizon. I agree "mandatory" tipping like in US restaurants isn't a gr…

> I don't think it's reasonable to expect ride share companies to pay their drivers a fair wage

It's always reasonable to expect companies to pay their people a fair wage.

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#129

Post by dwg »

throwaway2048 wrote: post #56
dwg wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you give an example of large companies which operate on a "ethics first" model?

costco and mars incorporated both have long histories of ethical, sustainable practices, and a strong reputation for resisting the quality lowering death spirals that infect many consumer goods focused companies.

Costco is probably the best example that comes to mind for me to, considering the scale at which they operate and the fact that they are actually widely reputed for their ethical practices.

Nonetheless I think they are an exception and, while not impossible, it would be pretty difficult to disrupt the disruptor with a business model based on being more ethical.

Re: Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles

#130

Post by mypalmike »

rubicon33 wrote: post #62
mdorazio wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterpoint: one of the reasons I prefer Uber is that it doesn't allow or encourage in-app tipping. Tipping sucks, is economically dysfunctional, and socially awkward. If the drivers aren't making enough from base fares then the fares need to go up - it's not my job to be a charity.

Couldn't agree more. It's THE reason I use Uber, instead of lift. Tipping has gotten out of control in this country. It's supposed to be reserved for when someone performs an exceptional service, not to subsidize their wage.

Mr. Pink, just cough in your goddamn buck like everybody else.
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