Lyft Is Said to Seek New Funding as Its Rival Uber Stumbles • Hacker News Board

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

#231

Post by sgustard » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:35 AM UTC

FullMtlAlcoholc wrote: post #108

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.

I've never understood why tipping, specifically when it is completely optional, threatens people or turns them off. If you don't tip a Lyft driver, they aren't going to give you a dirty look or treat you any differently, especially since you get to rate them on their service. You can complain that people should be paid a fair wage, but they aren't. I wish for many things, such as the end of warfare, but I accept the…

> bartenders will occasionally give me free drinks

Isn't this just the bartender stealing from his employer? Did he use your tip to buy the alcohol?

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

#232

Post by ryhamz » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:36 AM UTC

patrickaljord wrote: post #227

yunti wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The answer is that, you are using a service that is unsustainably too cheap. In the longer term the price will have to increase, probably quite significantly and you'll have to choose whether you think it's still worth it or take the bus. Unfortunately you, and many others are the ones benefitting from drivers being underpaid.

> Unfortunately you, and many others are the ones benefitting from drivers being underpaid. To be fair, these drivers would be out of jobs without Uber. They are not qualified enough to find better paying jobs. Being underpaid is still better than not being paid at all. However, there's a limit to how little Uber can pay its drivers before they start looking for better paying jobs elsewhere. Uber needs to balance thi…

To be even more fair, a huge factor in them being underpaid is that the average driver will have a hard time factoring in depreciation, which hits you on a delay.

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

#233

Post by CalRobert » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:40 AM UTC

IanCal wrote: post #207

Arnt wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which ones would that be? 6 miles is 10 km, that's a nice ride but I've never heard of traffic planners that expect 10km rides.

Maybe I'm totally wrong on this, I guess it just didn't seem like an odd choice in the UK and other countries have much stronger focus on cycling. "People I know" will be a hugely unrepresentative sample though. For another unrepresentative sample, cycling commuters on strava average a bit over 10 miles: http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/10-stats-pai... I can't find the stat I want for Copenhagen, they…

It may be over half commuting by bike now.

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/nov/30/cycling-revol...

I can't seem to find mode share as a function of commute distance.

Pure anecdata, but when I worked in El Segundo and lived in Santa Monica, I usually cycled the 12 miles to work. It took about 5 minutes longer than the drive.

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

#234

Post by ryhamz » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:41 AM UTC

foxfired wrote: post #127

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 t…

The services are there. Cheap and slow or expensive and fast.

Right now you're spoiled with cheap and fast, which will change eventually; I'd recommend planning for this.

>Sure I want to support those who work for a company that respect them

Do you really? Clearly not to the tune of an additional $250 for daily private car service or additional commute time on the buses.

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

#235

Post by chillydawg » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:42 AM UTC

kagamine wrote: post #150

foxfired wrote: post #127

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 t…

I have never used the any of the 3 services you describe except the bus, can you or someone else explain how the driver makes less when taking on more passengers? Surely that works in an opposite way to the bus. The more paying passengers using the bus service simultaneously, the greater the margin per vehicle. But for some reason Uber turns this on its head? Note: I am a country bumpkin who grew up in the sticks and…

Passengers in a pool ride all pay rate x.

The driver in a pool ride gets paid (not exact figures) 0.8x for passenger 1, 0.7x for 2 and 0.6x for 3 (and so on). Uber/lyft keeps the difference. Genius from ubers end.

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

#236

Post by threeseed » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:42 AM UTC

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…

Lyft has some pretty political investors e.g. Peter Thiel.

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

#237

Post by lordnacho » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:44 AM UTC

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.

It's not a great system, tipping the way it's done in cabs, restaurants, and "door-opening" (I only see those guys when I'm in America, no idea what to call them).

But people have come to rely on it, and there'd be fewer people working those types of jobs if there wasn't some extra money from the customers.

If there was a collective way to tell the tipping industry to change, I think a lot of people would be for it. But for now it feels like you're taking away something they reasonably expect if you don't tip.

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

#238

Post by kalleboo » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:44 AM UTC

trustfundbaby wrote: post #164

deusex_ wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Europe, your bus fare would be half of the price and probably you would need one or two connections. The public transport is much more developed and to me seems like a much better mass transportation alternative. More ecological, cheaper, less cars overall.

It also helps that Europe and its cities are ... smaller.

Even so, even more sparsely population areas in Europe have better public transport than many US cities.

When I started in uni in Sweden, before I found a local apartment I had to commute from my parent's place. The commute basically crossed a county with a population density of 120 ppl/km2. They lived in a village of 4000 ppl, and I commuted through farmlands, connecting in a city of 100,000 ppl to the student town of 90,000 ppl. It was about 70 km (43 mi) and 50 minutes each way (1 regional bus, 1 train, 1 city bus). Despite this, there were interlocking combinations of these trains+buses about every 20 minutes.

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

#239

Post by threeseed » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:44 AM UTC

maxander wrote: post #38

prostoalex wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Early stage private valuations tend to be focused on future potential, usually expressed in total addressable market figures. Lyft was selling slow expansion (they're still a US-only operator, and even within the US operate in relatively few markets) and most likely positive cashflow. Uber was selling rapid global expansion, where each new city could be scaled up via Uber playbooks. Then it started selling itself as…

And? What's the difference between total coverage in 2018 versus total coverage in 2020? Uber can't lock Lyft out of the market- that was abundantly proved when a bit of ham-fisted PR made Lyft one of the most popular apps of January. And Lyft can just copy any of Uber's random X-delivery schemes that actually works . Self-driving cars might be a distinguishing factor, since as far as I know Lyft has no efforts in th…

One of the most popular apps in the US. Not the world.

Here in Australia everyone uses Uber and the experience has been excellent. Which means that it's going to be that much harder for Lyft to get any traction.

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

#240

Post by sgustard » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 9:46 AM UTC

xiangmin wrote: post #90

Griffinsauce wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you explain how it's a strawman? The Muslim ban (as it has been known for a long time) is a ban on people from a particular faith.

> a ban on people from a particular faith Is it though? For example of Muslim, it does not even affect about 88% of the world's Muslims (Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Turkey, Malaysia, others) [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_by_country

It's trivial to find stories of people being detained trying to enter from any of those countries.

Bangladesh: http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2017/02/02/bangladesh...

Egypt: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/02/26...

Nigeria: http://indianexpress.com/article/world/donald-trump-travel-b...