Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified. Oh ye of little faith! Here are some ideas off the top of my head, I am sure the suits at Google already have a bigger list. * Ads in vehicle * Adjust route so you see partner companies or billboards * Offering alternative destinations (I see you are going to Burger King, would you rather go to our partner McDonalds?) * Listening to conversations in car * Se…
They already will be selling your ride data and there is no way they could monitor conversations in the car for commercial purposes (at least in Western countries). Ads in cars, partnerships with alternative destinations, etc. definitely would feel like enshitification for a demographic comparable to the hacker news one here. But these are all per session/user settings just like most of us have a paid Spotify account…
Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
41–50 of 348 posts
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#42I presume if you invest in Google you are indirectly (but significantly) invested in Waymo, like it is with Anthropic? Waymo is the best service I've used in many, many years. The jump from Uber->Waymo is similar to the quality jump from Taxi->Uber 12 years ago, but I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified.
> I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified. Oh ye of little faith! Here are some ideas off the top of my head, I am sure the suits at Google already have a bigger list. * Ads in vehicle * Adjust route so you see partner companies or billboards * Offering alternative destinations (I see you are going to Burger King, would you rather go to our partner McDonalds?) * Listening to conversations in car * Se…
There's all that, but you can just look at Uber for the classic model of how a company like this enshittifies, which is:
- offer a service well below market rate, gain dependent customers
- crank up the price
No need to do much of the other stuff
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#43> The parent company would provide about $13 billion to the robotaxi firm, while the rest would come from others, including new investors ... No IPO for us little people
What would you add to the company as an investor?
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified. Oh ye of little faith! Here are some ideas off the top of my head, I am sure the suits at Google already have a bigger list. * Ads in vehicle * Adjust route so you see partner companies or billboards * Offering alternative destinations (I see you are going to Burger King, would you rather go to our partner McDonalds?) * Listening to conversations in car * Se…
There's all that, but you can just look at Uber for the classic model of how a company like this enshittifies, which is: - offer a service well below market rate, gain dependent customers - crank up the price No need to do much of the other stuff
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Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#45> The parent company would provide about $13 billion to the robotaxi firm, while the rest would come from others, including new investors ... No IPO for us little people
Alphabet is already a publicly listed company. Just buy more Alphabet shares if you want to invest in Waymo.
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
They already will be selling your ride data and there is no way they could monitor conversations in the car for commercial purposes (at least in Western countries). Ads in cars, partnerships with alternative destinations, etc. definitely would feel like enshitification for a demographic comparable to the hacker news one here. But these are all per session/user settings just like most of us have a paid Spotify account…
> and there is no way they could monitor conversations in the car for commercial purposes (at least in Western countries). Why not? You can consent to having your audio recorded. They can even offer a higher “private” price and a lower “ad supported” price. I write “private” because I assume the microphones will always be listening no matter which price you pay.
I guess that's semantics. If you opt in then yes I guess they could do anything. I think the point was that enshitification would occur if they forced you to do that.
You could opt in to have blood or plasma taken on every ride if you so wanted I guess.
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#47I presume if you invest in Google you are indirectly (but significantly) invested in Waymo, like it is with Anthropic? Waymo is the best service I've used in many, many years. The jump from Uber->Waymo is similar to the quality jump from Taxi->Uber 12 years ago, but I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified.
> I don't see an obvious way for Waymo to get enshittified. Raise the price?
Enshittification is a technique to make more money _without_ raising the price by simply making the product worse.
Self-driving taxis have a high floor for 'making the product worse' because the car fundamentally has to drive itself.
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#48No product had such a fast transition from novelty to "omg i never want to interact with a human again". I feel about 100% less stressed and happier using a waymo or riding motorbike or bicycle next to a waymo than with human drivers. I hope this next phase will bring availability and prices down. We need this in europe.
> No product had such a fast transition from novelty to "omg i never want to interact with a human again".
I still recall when taxi services were the only offering, and Uber et al were marketed as ride sharing services instead of ride hailing services. It's hard to put into words the transformative effect that ride hailing services had throughout the world. Overall rides are now far safer and more reliable, to the point where the old days feel like the dark ages.
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#49Why does Google need outside investors? Is it a play to get a “serious” valuation since it would be vetted by outside parties? I guess Im questioning why Waymo doesn’t just IPO, or raise 100% private raise by Google.
a deliberate strategy to establish market-validated pricing, prepare for eventual independence, and impose governance discipline on what has been a protected moonshot project. The move signals that Alphabet is transforming Waymo from an “Other Bets” science experiment into a standalone asset with credible external valuation—likely positioning for an IPO within 2-4 years once profitability arrives.
Re: Waymo seeking about $16B near $110B valuation
#50Why does Google need outside investors? Is it a play to get a “serious” valuation since it would be vetted by outside parties? I guess Im questioning why Waymo doesn’t just IPO, or raise 100% private raise by Google.
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This reply also falls in the category. It’s easier and faster to downvote poor responses and move on.