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Lyft Files for IPO

reuters.com

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Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#311

Post by mpweiher »

mpweiher wrote: post #71

Shrewd move to get it done before Uber. As many others here have noted (and other disputed) there doesn't seem to be an actual viable business model here. So there would be a distinct first mover advantage for getting in your IPO in, lest the other one tank the market for you as it starts to hit reality, such as actually having to have a sustainable business no longer fueled almost exclusively by investor money.

And...drumroll...Uber also just filed. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18633211

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#312

Post by zygotic12 »

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Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#313

Post by rayshan »

perlgeek wrote: post #197

How unusual is a confidential S-1?

It's becoming more common now with the 2012 JOBs act, which allows companies to qualify as an Emerging Growth Company (EGC). Companies can then file confidentially and enjoy some other benefits that lower the IPO barrier. Here's info from the SEC about the confidential submission process [1]. $1B revenue is usually the bar to say under to qualify. I built an app to help startups assess their IPO readiness [2]. If you look under Legal & Compliance -> SEC -> EGC qualification tracking, it has a bunch of details.

[1] https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/cfjumpstartfa...

[2] https://ipo-ready.com/#legal-compliance

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#314

Post by QML »

pbreit wrote: post #263
hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Whether these companies have the unit economics to succeed is, remarkably, still an open question. I don't think there are many people who doubt that ride hailing apps can be done profitably. I think the big question is (a) is it a commodity business (I personally believe it is) and (b) can potential profit margins support their astronomical valuations. I think the main problem (though MUCH more so for Uber than fo…

When you say you think it's a commodity business could you imagine a new entrant in a mature Lyft/Uber market? I couldn't. Pockets would have to be very deep. The basic economics of Uber/Lyft-style transportation is very profitable. The biggest economic challenges are 1) entering a market and 2) pools. And Lyft & Uber fighting each other.

Do you think Waymo will build its own network or hitchhike onto someone else’s? If they choose the former, I can see them being a contender.

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#315

Post by pbreit »

rorykoehler wrote: post #305
pbreit wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Setting up an airline is easier. You can lease a plane or two and fly one cherry-picked route. There’s no chicken/egg hurdle.

Buy a bunch of self driving cars and deploy in a city. No chicken egg there either.

Except self driving cars don’t exist.

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#316

Post by baddox »

pbreit wrote: post #303
baddox wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can imagine it. I’ve lived in San Francisco since 2011, and I remember using Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar. I have had long periods where I was “loyal” to each of those three, with Lyft being the current and longest-lived loyalty. At various times in the past I would comparison shop between all three, looking for the cheapest or quickest option.

So you’ve witnessed zero new successful entrants in 7 years despite a huge market.

On the contrary, Lyft and Sidecar both launched after I moved to SF, and I believe Uber was only a black car service when I moved there.

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#317

Post by rhizome »

kochikame wrote: post #244
rhizome wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are more susceptible to economic conditions in a single country Taking Lyft to be a single-purpose undiversified company, isn't the opposite true? I'm no economist nor MBA, but aside from cashflow wouldn't a smaller company be more resilient to conditions due to lower resource demands? every point of marketshare they get is a zero-sum game against Uber Is this...true? First, because there's more than two players…

Regarding your first point, the idea is that if the US economy tanked or crashed Lyft would be utterly screwed but Uber might be able to ride (haha) it out with revenue from its non-US markets. In reality, if anything that bad happened to the US the rest of the developed is most likely screwed too, but that's the concept. As for your second point, you might be right. It's not EVERY point of market share, but it must…

but Uber might be able to ride (haha) it out with revenue from its non-US markets

Does Uber operate in any markets that wouldn't be catastrophically affected by a crash of the US economy?

Re: Lyft Files for IPO

#318

Post by jazzdev »

gaius wrote: post #278
baddox wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like you’re talking about the price elasticity of demand. You describe airline travel (at least for personal economy class flights) to be fairly inelastic, meaning that if the price rises even a little bit, a lot of people will just drive or not take the trip. That certainly rings true to me. I recently bought US domestic flights home for Christmas, and I certainly chose the absolute cheapest flight that fit t…

very elastic use cases, like a ride home from the bar or a rescue from the rain They manage demand via surge pricing, I thought. So is it really elastic?

They also manage availability by surge pricing. It not only discourages riders, but it also encourages more drivers to work.
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