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Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

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Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#151

Post by jedberg »

threeseed wrote: post #127
softdev12 wrote: post #85

I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…

Uber can simply license their maps from various third parties the same way every car company does today for their GPS. Google has added some decent additions to Google Maps but really 95% of what they had they purchased. For example Whereis/Yellow Pages data here in Australia.

Licensed maps are great for GPS units telling a human where to go, but a self driving car needs much more detailed information that most likely only google has.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#152

Post by trvlngwlbry »

billsimpson wrote: post #96
fidotron wrote: post #31

Uber have struck me before as a bigger potential headache for Google than even Facebook were/are, and I suspect this is all an effort to acquire them and drive the price down. There is something about the automated dispatch at giant scale business which overlaps with the search as interface idea. "Get me to [wherever]" is a natural extension of what you might do after searching. Furthermore, the act of finding a driv…

Facebook was viewed as a threat to Google for two primary reasons: - Facebook had access to tremendous amounts of personal information, and it was assumed they could leverage this data to improve ads and search and beat Google at their own game. - Everyone sat at their desktop computer staring at Facebook for hours on end, making it valuable ad real estate. Again, this cut into Google's core business. So is Uber a co…

> I doubt Google wants to be reliant on a third-party company with reputation problems to introduce these cars to the world.

This is a great point that may not be getting enough play in this conversation. You could easily imagine Larry being nervous that Uber won't not be evil (pardon the double negative). I know people can probably point to examples where Google has lost their way on the 'Don't Be Evil' front, but I'm sure it's still a big part of their decision-making process. I use Uber and love the experience, but you have to think there's some truth to the horrible reputation they're earning themselves; Uber doesn't scream 'Don't Be Evil' to me.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#153

Post by drgath »

lpolovets wrote: post #14
k-mcgrady wrote: post #8

If Google competes directly with a company they are invested in via GV they're going to really damage the reputation of GV. Why would you accept investment from them if they're going to get access to your private info and then turn around and screw you.

I don't have insider knowledge, but I believe Google claims that there's a wall between Google and GV, and they act completely independently. This makes sense to me -- otherwise, no one would pitch ideas to GV that Google might one day implement (i.e. basically all ideas that have a software angle). To me, if Google uses insider knowledge to copy Uber, then that would be huge mistake and credibility killer; if they w…

Despite the "wall" between the two organizations from a knowledge-standpoint, there isn't one from a financial standpoint. If you had ambitions to be a $100+ billion company (see: Uber), and think Google might eventually want to compete with you, why would you want to fuel your competitor via your own success?

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#156

Post by jedberg »

xivzgrev wrote: post #145

I'm really surprised. G ventures puts ton of money into uber, uber makes a huge pre order for google cars, uber gets put into google maps. And now this. I guess google is like "well we got the hard part, self driving cars. Why not just go after this ourselves?" What is the thing google really wants? Is it more valuable to try to directly monetize all this vehicle traffic, or be the platform every else uses? Google co…

I suspect it is more like "this part of the company wants to invest" and "this part of the company wants to build" and they are too big and dysfunctional to get both parts to talk to each other to come up with a single strategy. Or they are doing the Microsoft thing and pitting the departments against each other.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#157

Post by jlarocco »

softdev12 wrote: post #85

I'm glad that the article highlighted how valuable the mapping information is that Google collects. While Uber probably could still run its current operations without Google map data, there is a much smaller probability that they would be able to run a self-driving car service without a highly accurate mapping product. And to build a mapping product is really difficult and expensive. I was surprised when Google start…

One possibility, is that if they can get good enough inital mapping data, and good enough self-driving cars, the cars could update the mapping data while they're working.

That's a lot of trust on the self-driving cars, though.

Re: Google Is Developing Its Own Uber Competitor

#158

Post by username223 »

k-mcgrady wrote: post #8

If Google competes directly with a company they are invested in via GV they're going to really damage the reputation of GV. Why would you accept investment from them if they're going to get access to your private info and then turn around and screw you.

It has worked out alright for Goldman so far:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/books/money-and-power-abou...

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