Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#171

Post by TAForObvReasons » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:13 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #133

jngreenlee wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"In some cases, no jobs is better than subsistence/dead-end/exploitative jobs" Sure, but neither you or I get to decide that qualification. Only the person doing the job does. We don't really know what fits their lives or what options they have. I don't like gig stuff/sharing economy (or the big 'unicorns' associated with it) either...but it is "another option" for many people that wouldn't have one, esp. lower skill…

It's time to stop assuming startups are the solution to poor public policy. This is a thread topic in itself, but I cannot let the assertion stand ("any job is better than no job, what are you going to do about it?").

You're on a site where a large number of people are either running their own startups, employed by other startups or thinking about building their own startup. Shouldn't be surprised that many people here believe that startups are a panacea

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#172

Post by kbenson » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:13 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #95

Glad they're down, and hope the whole "gig economy" burns down too. Where gig economy = padding the loss of decent jobs by replacing the bottom end with desperate deals where "non employed" employees, without regular salary, benefits, company provided work tools, etc., make a pittance, while the organizing company gets a cut from millions of transactions. In some cases, no jobs is better than subsistence/dead-end/exp…

Uber and Lyft did the hard work of making ride-sharing mainstream, but there's really very little they have to offer other than name recognition) over any other player that tries to enter this play. I still strongly believe that some aggregating service like Expedia, Travelocity or Kayak for ride sharing the treats Uber, Lyft or any other player in the market as the equivalent of an airline would work fine in the vast majority of cases.

That, and I firmly believe Uber still deserves to be punished for its past bad behavior on so many fronts. I used to feel for the people working there that didn't contribute to the problem, and worry that any punishment too draconian would hurt them, but Uber got away with stuff so bad for so long, that I think anyone that didn't vote with their conscience and try to find somewhere else to work was taking a calculated risk, and it's not a risk if there's no chance of a negative outcome, so they reap what they sow. Anyone that didn't make the choice to leave ended up contributing to the problem by allowing Uber to ignore the consequences.

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#173

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:14 PM UTC

izzydata wrote: post #33

bluetidepro wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't speak to SF, but here in Chicago, they have been gradually getting higher each year. I have consistently taken an Uber to work every morning for about 5 years now, and I used to pay $5-7 for the ride, but now it is $9-12. I will say though, the huge benefit now is their rewards have a "price protection" [1] for some tiers that allow for a cap on that ride price, so I think it can no longer go above $10.99 or…

That seems more expensive than owning a car. Assuming 5 workdays a week and 2 rides per day then that is 40 rides a month on average which could be anywhere from $360 to $480 a month.

[deleted]

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#174

Post by bsder » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

toasterlovin wrote: post #38

catacombs wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> among my friends we all stopped using Uber (unless we really have to). It simply became way too expensive. What's been the alternative? Regular taxis? Aren't they just as expensive?

There’s a reason nobody cares about the taxi industry before ride sharing: it was small because it was too expensive for most people to use outside of special circumstances.

I disagree. Expense was never really an issue for me.

My issue was always summoning the taxi. I was generally operating in secondary markets like Las Vegas off-strip, San Diego, or Pittsburgh. You couldn't schedule your trip to the airport because you never knew when the stupid taxi would show up.

While I hate many things about Uber/Lyft/ridesharing, they changed the customer service expectation of the whole field. Even if the prices go back to taxi levels, that's a massive improvement.

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#175

Post by dylan604 » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

Kye wrote: post #84

iamatworknow wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get a lease on something like a Toyota Corolla with no money down and ~$250 per month. That plus gas plus maybe having to pay for a parking space would probably break even, if not save a little money. Not to mention any rides that aren't part of the commute.

Don't forget insurance, maintenance, tag, and other fees associated with owning a car.

Like the occasional overzealous towing that seems to happen

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#176

Post by toomuchtodo » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

TAForObvReasons wrote: post #171

toomuchtodo wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's time to stop assuming startups are the solution to poor public policy. This is a thread topic in itself, but I cannot let the assertion stand ("any job is better than no job, what are you going to do about it?").

You're on a site where a large number of people are either running their own startups, employed by other startups or thinking about building their own startup. Shouldn't be surprised that many people here believe that startups are a panacea

One mustn't be from the village to state the emperor has no clothes. Lots of smart people here, people who could be putting their effort into something with more leverage and impact.

In the words of Toni Morrison (who recently left us): “When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#177

Post by kart23 » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #95

Glad they're down, and hope the whole "gig economy" burns down too. Where gig economy = padding the loss of decent jobs by replacing the bottom end with desperate deals where "non employed" employees, without regular salary, benefits, company provided work tools, etc., make a pittance, while the organizing company gets a cut from millions of transactions. In some cases, no jobs is better than subsistence/dead-end/exp…

The stocks going up for some reason.

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#178

Post by WoopDaddy » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:15 PM UTC

TuringNYC wrote: post #73

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People were willing to pay taxi rates all along Baloney. The market size of people willing to pay taxi rates for transportation is much smaller that the market sizes currently implied by Uber and Lyft's valuation. Before Uber and Lyft, most people I know would only take taxis very occasionally, for special occasions or emergencies. Once Uber and Lyft started offering such good rates they would use ride sharing much…

Consider pool rides -- which were never part of the traditional offerings. Pool rides from Uber/Lyft lowered cost while expanding the market. Consider all the places where you needed a taxi but wouldnt know how to hail one -- Uber/Lyft expanded the market here. I was recently in Taiwan and needed a ride, but could not describe the address to a driver who did not speak English. Uber to the rescue -- again the market g…

Yes, I loved sharing the car with teenage drug addict mothers holding a baby and getting dropped off at a gas station in the hood. Wonderful experience.

Gig economy needs to die in a fire.

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#179

Post by taurath » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:16 PM UTC

coldtea wrote: post #95

Glad they're down, and hope the whole "gig economy" burns down too. Where gig economy = padding the loss of decent jobs by replacing the bottom end with desperate deals where "non employed" employees, without regular salary, benefits, company provided work tools, etc., make a pittance, while the organizing company gets a cut from millions of transactions. In some cases, no jobs is better than subsistence/dead-end/exp…

In a weird way, if you don’t work for those companies it’s basically that billionaires are subsidizing you. I wish they’d just build some parks, cathedrals, affordable housing and directly spend their ungodly amounts of money directly to benefit society though. We should be living in a gilded society for how much we make.

Re: Uber Posts $5.2B Loss and Slowest Ever Growth Rate

#180

Post by xyzzyz » Thu, Aug 08, 2019, 9:16 PM UTC

lacker wrote: post #132

munk-a wrote: post #75

Uber emerged into the market as a disruptor in the absolute worst sense of the world - it was challenging an entrenched industry with low efficiency (cab companies make ungodly amounts of money in some markets) but it did so by playing by a different set of rules - skirting both the disingenuous regulations put in to protect cab companies' profit and those in place for the safety of the general public. Even disregard…

You are missing the part where Uber let you get a cab through an app rather than hoping a taxi was driving by and waving your hands at them. It really is a far, far better product when you can get a cab wherever you want, instead of just in a few areas.

Did you know that in most places where cab are operating, you could order a cab to pick you up at your house by calling a cab company and talking to the operator? Flagging down a cab as it drives by is a New York City thing.