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Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

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Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#2

Post by ghaff »

I find it interesting how some types of personal service companies seem to resonate with people but a lot don't.

I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs associated with one-off only somewhat standardized tasks and the fact that, presented with a bill to assemble cheap Ikea furniture or to pickup their laundry, most people will decide they'd just as soon do it themselves.

Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#3

Post by ilamont »

If Google and Yelp were (supposedly) interested in Task Rabbit, does this mean that they might still be interested in similar companies? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Zaarly.

Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#5

Post by zitterbewegung »

ilamont wrote: post #3

If Google and Yelp were (supposedly) interested in Task Rabbit, does this mean that they might still be interested in similar companies? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Zaarly.

I think Google is interested in nearly everyone. A bunch of large acquisitions over the last 10 years probably mentioned Google at least once.

Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#6

Post by stcredzero »

ghaff wrote: post #2

I find it interesting how some types of personal service companies seem to resonate with people but a lot don't. I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs associated with one-off only somewhat standardized tasks and the fact that, presented with a bill to assemble cheap Ikea furniture or to pickup their laundry, most people will decide they'd just as soon do it the…

I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs

I was a TaskRabbit user. I'd say that they had a problem with quality control and maintaining a really good user experience. Too many of their workers were kind of meh. This was especially apparent with moving. I would be unpacking and something from storage and think to myself, "She did that!?" I also made the mistake of using them to hire someone for a move-out cleaning. Their interface was seemingly designed to generate misunderstanding.

Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#7

Post by CobrastanJorji »

ghaff wrote: post #2

I find it interesting how some types of personal service companies seem to resonate with people but a lot don't. I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs associated with one-off only somewhat standardized tasks and the fact that, presented with a bill to assemble cheap Ikea furniture or to pickup their laundry, most people will decide they'd just as soon do it the…

My personal theory is that TaskRabbit is too general purpose for people to think to use it. When I am at a bar and want to be at my house, it's really easy for me to think of an app that will solve my problem.

If I don't have time to assemble the elaborate toy train set I bought for my kid, it will probably never occur to me that I could pay someone to drop in and do that task for me, even if I would happily pay someone if they offered.

Re: Ikea has bought TaskRabbit

#9

Post by ghaff »

stcredzero wrote: post #6
ghaff wrote: post #2

I find it interesting how some types of personal service companies seem to resonate with people but a lot don't. I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs associated with one-off only somewhat standardized tasks and the fact that, presented with a bill to assemble cheap Ikea furniture or to pickup their laundry, most people will decide they'd just as soon do it the…

I suspect TaskRabbit never really made it big because of some combination of transaction costs I was a TaskRabbit user. I'd say that they had a problem with quality control and maintaining a really good user experience. Too many of their workers were kind of meh. This was especially apparent with moving. I would be unpacking and something from storage and think to myself, "She did that!? " I also made the mistake of…

I'm sure they also have the same business issue that a lot of these personal services firms do. If I come across a particularly good handyman (or whatever) when using the service, you can be sure that we'll trade cards and I'll probably be calling him directly for any relevant task in the future.
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