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

#281

Post by kobeya » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:02 AM UTC

pseud0r wrote: post #196

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…

Damn Uber is cheap where you live. For me to go to work it would be Uber: $1000 a month, 15 minute drive. Train: $75 a month, takes 5 minutes

Damn trains are fast and frequent and subsidized where you live.

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

#282

Post by vacri » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:02 AM UTC

semi-extrinsic wrote: post #176

trustfundbaby wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

I don't know if you're thinking about area or population, but by either metric London is bigger than any city in the US, and has a much better public transport system.

The conurbation that New York is part of is much bigger than London. The London metropolitan area is about 8.5k square kilometers. The New York metropolitan area is about 35k.

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

#283

Post by kobeya » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:05 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…

> No major revelations of political support

Why is this one a thing? Almost every business out there beyond a certain size eventually grows into politics, in every industry.

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

#284

Post by vacri » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:06 AM UTC

pseud0r wrote: post #196

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…

Damn Uber is cheap where you live. For me to go to work it would be Uber: $1000 a month, 15 minute drive. Train: $75 a month, takes 5 minutes

Is the train door-to-door?

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

#285

Post by johnsea » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:06 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…

In the end you are the reason that uber drivers are being paid so little and have such bad working conditions!

Btw, couldn't you ride a bike sometimes? 6 miles sounds doable and would, likely, benefit your health.

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

#286

Post by kobeya » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:06 AM UTC

duiker101 wrote: post #258

mc32 wrote: post #153

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Uber. It's just mentally easier to deal with. After spending time in other countries, I have come to dislike tipping. Having to decide --do they deserve it, do they not? I don't want to deal with it. Tipping used to be an optional thing in transactions but it has become pervasive. Tipping jars. Just charge me more and pay the barista a wage a highschooler or recent graduate can live on.

But that is what Lyft is doing... they charge your more to give a little more to the driver. And on top of that they offer the tipping. On the other hand Uber pays less and doesn't offer tipping. The worse of both worlds. I agree with you on tipping but your reasoning seems to need some work.

You assume he cares more about the driver than his own internal state.

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

#287

Post by conanbatt » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:08 AM UTC

johnsea wrote: post #285

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…

In the end you are the reason that uber drivers are being paid so little and have such bad working conditions! Btw, couldn't you ride a bike sometimes? 6 miles sounds doable and would, likely, benefit your health.

If you meant to be sarcastic I still dont get it. If you didnt, why do you attribute the first to the op?

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

#288

Post by vacri » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:08 AM UTC

aedron wrote: post #261

disiplus wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

thats the price of acquiring a customer. for my saas the cost to acquire a customer is X, X is multiple of montly fees. so only after couple of months im going to be on 0. The cost for me could be adwords, running a free plan, or something else. how is this different. I assume that they hope to convert some of those to regular customers.

"We'll sell at a loss but we'll make it up in volume."

Selling at 1% under market price is only a loss if you're acquiring from the same market.

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

#289

Post by mbrock » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:09 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…

As a counterweight against drivers competing for customers on price, maybe customers should compete for social status through publicly verifiable tipping?

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

#290

Post by conanbatt » Thu, Mar 02, 2017, 11:09 AM UTC

deusex_ wrote: post #160

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…

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.

And yet its been commonly limited or forbidden to let services like Uber operate the way they do in the US. Berlin has uber with taxis only, for example.