The Drivers Cooperative

Post by chakaChaka26 » Sat, Mar 27, 2021, 8:53 AM UTC

bob1029 wrote: post #305

kbos87 wrote: post #176

It's always surprised me that we haven't seem more attempts at co-op like models in spaces like this, and I'm happy to see it. Uber/Lyft strike me as thin businesses in the value that they actually provide both to riders and drivers. Yes, they were responsible for some initial innovation, but now the cat is out of the bag, and the concept could absolutely be applied in a business structure that is more profitable and…

I've been considering unconventional business models for software development teams, and something like this has crossed my mind a few times. What I ultimately dream of doing is assembling something like what seal team 6 is to the US armed forces. How do you build an organization around that model? It takes many layers to filter the talent appropriately and protect the most capable players throughout. How do you achi…

Post by satyrnein » Sat, Mar 27, 2021, 10:46 AM UTC

killerstorm wrote: post #267

toast0 wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You can get off an airplane just about anywhere in the world and get an Uber. That’s huge value. You can get off an airplane just about anywhere and get a taxi at the taxi stand, but that never enabled a global company. Airports with local unlicensed taxi services generally have advertising in the airport for arrivals. Installing a new app in each city, and putting in payment information is more hassle (especially…

With a local taxi stand, you don't know if that would be over-priced, if they accept your card, etc. I've been in a situation where card should accepted in theory, but driver insists on cash, and I'm a kind of a person who doesn't like arguing. Using a global brand which handles shit smoothly is valuable to consumers.

Post by MrMan » Sat, Mar 27, 2021, 12:24 PM UTC

aerosmile wrote: post #229

agloeregrets wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My numbers were talking app expenses, obviously a company of Uber's scale would need 100+ employees. I broke down below that if they worked at their current scale and charged just a penny, they could pay their employees an average of $100K per year and still make millions in profit after spending millions on Infrastructure. Uber bills on average more than 100-200 times that and spends insane numbers on unprofitable p…

Nope, your words were clear - you were flat out wrong, and are now trying to save face. I don't have a tendency to call people out, but blindly applying the "two devs in a garage" axiom is not only wrong when it comes to labor marketplaces, but it also unnecessarily spreads discontent to the point that we have to stop this silliness. I don't care one bit about your recalculated math from now on - for me, you're just…

Post by sm4rk0 » Sat, Mar 27, 2021, 12:39 PM UTC

yholio wrote: post #72

sm4rk0 wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What keeps Uber competitive is access to a relatively cheap reservoir of labor force. Cheap labor force means someone is underpaid. If the coop cuts the middlemen out and transfer the extra to drivers then it's a win-win: drivers get more and customers pay the same for a better service because well-paid driver => good service.

Underpaid compared to what? If people are willing to do the work to a high professional standard for a certain wage, than that is the right compensation for that job. When you setup arbitrary fair wages above market, you must also somehow protect them from intruders from other fields willing to change jobs and benefit from the higher wages in your field. This is exactly what a co-op ends up doing most of the time - i…

Post by treis » Sat, Mar 27, 2021, 1:36 PM UTC

bayindirh wrote: post #184

njoubert wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The single benefit of Uber having a global presence likely already outweighs the value of these local coops. You can get off an airplane just about anywhere in the world and get an Uber. That’s huge value.

A local coop doesn't have to go worldwide to be meaningful. Not all businesses shall grow indefinitely. If they can get a core customer base and hold it steady, it'd be much more valuable and impressive over time. They try to make a living, not to dominate the world for money.