Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

payup.wtf

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

421–430 of 572 posts

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#421

Post by boh »

scarface74 wrote: post #389
boh wrote: post #341

It's becoming abundantly clear the real innovation from on-demand services (including ride-sharing companies), is their ability to transfer more money from labor to capital with complex pay structures. For many if not most of these companies, its their only means towards profitability. For instance, any rise in revenue Uber experienced in the last 3 years was exclusively due to cuts in pay for drivers. Tech has long…

How could cutting drivers pay without cutting prices to increase demand raise revenue ? It would raise profit possibly or in Uber’s case reduce losses.

They increased their share of the passenger revenue, taking a greater percentage. Uber defines drivers as consumers of their app, not employees.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#422

Post by beatgammit »

fapjacks wrote: post #315
blondin wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

wow, how did you manage to get a $1k car repair? hope you sold the car!

Those repairs are the deeply-embedded, systemic problems that creep up and ambush you one day before work, forcing you to decide between a $1k car repair -- often the barest minimum-cost repair you can find and negotiate -- or forking over a few times that much for an entirely different car to drive.

I can usually get a rental for ~$20/day, which buys time to find a better vehicle. A teenager can't get a rental, but they can probably borrow a car from their parents for a few days/weeks until a decent opportunity comes up.

$2000 will get you a pretty decent vehicle and is probably a better investment than a $1000 repair.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#423

Post by umvi »

mabbo wrote: post #411

Is anyone else starting to get the feeling that "gig economy" is this generation's "multi-level marketing"? People who don't know any better get sold on the "be your own boss, earn what you put in" concept. Reality doesn't match expectations. The people work their asses off and wind up with a lot less money than they expected because costs and actual spent time aren't taken into account. The people they're working fo…

There's another disturbing trend I've seen on Facebook. It's where these moms become "entrepreneurs" but when you dig into what their business actually is, they basically host these paid sessions on how to be an entrepreneur (setting up branding, etc.). As far I can tell, no actual product or value is generated, it's like a "business virus":

"I'm an entrepreneur!"

"Cool, what does your business do?"

"Help people get started on their own businesses!"

"And what do their businesses do?"

"Help even more people get started on their businesses!"

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#424

Post by dangus »

devmunchies wrote: post #415
dangus wrote: post #403

Earlier quoted context omitted.

.

We only have one location so our overhead is too high. Once we add a couple more locations then we could afford that. We're profitable but not enough to raise wages. I'm not even getting paid from my own startup yet. >poverty wages This is the California minumum wage, but our location is in fresno which is a lower cost of living than the bay or LA. >Gee, I wonder why nobody wants to work for you? chill. Starting a co…

.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#425

Post by swiley »

dsr_ wrote: post #412
swiley wrote: post #395

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I expected to see something like this here. I had a period where I wasn't doing any class work but didn't have my degree and couldn't get a job because of that. The ability to trade time and tires for some of the extra VC money was kind of awesome honestly and I'd imagine it gives people who are in worse situations options they really need (essentially borrowing against car components.) I know in a few years it will…

The article points out that for many DoorDash workers, they aren't getting paid a positive sum, even if they count their time as worth zero. Look, we have the technical ability to handle millions of people as hourly workers on timescale granularities of seconds. Require these companies to treat their "contractors" as part-time employees being paid minimum wage: start paying them when they accept their first job on da…

I'll agree you absolutely have to watch what you're doing and count miles and whatnot, but having the option is a powerful thing (even when you're making negative money) and I wonder if regulating it too aggressively might take that away.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#426

Post by joeblau »

mabbo wrote: post #411

Is anyone else starting to get the feeling that "gig economy" is this generation's "multi-level marketing"? People who don't know any better get sold on the "be your own boss, earn what you put in" concept. Reality doesn't match expectations. The people work their asses off and wind up with a lot less money than they expected because costs and actual spent time aren't taken into account. The people they're working fo…

These businesses could still survive, but prices are going to have to start raising as subsides (Private Equity mainly) pull back. The next question will be, is the $6 dollar burger still worth it when it costs $14 to deliver?

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#427

Post by untog »

swiley wrote: post #395
boh wrote: post #341

It's becoming abundantly clear the real innovation from on-demand services (including ride-sharing companies), is their ability to transfer more money from labor to capital with complex pay structures. For many if not most of these companies, its their only means towards profitability. For instance, any rise in revenue Uber experienced in the last 3 years was exclusively due to cuts in pay for drivers. Tech has long…

I expected to see something like this here. I had a period where I wasn't doing any class work but didn't have my degree and couldn't get a job because of that. The ability to trade time and tires for some of the extra VC money was kind of awesome honestly and I'd imagine it gives people who are in worse situations options they really need (essentially borrowing against car components.) I know in a few years it will…

Both things can be true. The gig economy can provide people with the kind of flexible work that wasn't possible. It can also utterly fleece workers that would like to having full time jobs but cannot.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#428

Post by AlexandrB »

boh wrote: post #341

It's becoming abundantly clear the real innovation from on-demand services (including ride-sharing companies), is their ability to transfer more money from labor to capital with complex pay structures. For many if not most of these companies, its their only means towards profitability. For instance, any rise in revenue Uber experienced in the last 3 years was exclusively due to cuts in pay for drivers. Tech has long…

Most of the gig economy companies are Movie Pass but with a longer runway.

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#429

Post by boh »

scarface74 wrote: post #418
Lavery wrote: post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cost to Uber users is not the same as revenue to Uber corporate. Uber corporate revenue is net of driver pay.

You pay Uber and Uber pays drivers. Revenue by definition is money that Uber gets before expenses.

Uber does not pay drivers. Passengers pay drivers who pay Uber to use their platform (otherwise they'd be employees which Uber is fighting to avoid).

Re: What DoorDash pays, after expenses, and what’s happening with tips

#430

Post by fapjacks »

beatgammit wrote: post #422
fapjacks wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those repairs are the deeply-embedded, systemic problems that creep up and ambush you one day before work, forcing you to decide between a $1k car repair -- often the barest minimum-cost repair you can find and negotiate -- or forking over a few times that much for an entirely different car to drive.

I can usually get a rental for ~$20/day, which buys time to find a better vehicle. A teenager can't get a rental, but they can probably borrow a car from their parents for a few days/weeks until a decent opportunity comes up. $2000 will get you a pretty decent vehicle and is probably a better investment than a $1000 repair.

I take it you have not been poor.
Post reply on HN