Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near • Hacker News Board

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#201

Post by pmart123 » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 4:32 AM UTC

treis wrote: post #183

blunte wrote: post #145

Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like an…

>Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. >When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like…

I’d agree with Uber making a big positive impact, but without the iPhone, there is no Uber. I’m not sure many remember the challenges to ordering a taxi/booking a ride pre-Uber. The problem though is it is very much like the airline industry pre 2014. It is a challenging business model with a lot a capital and resources required to make it work. Ironically, Travis probably could have sold Uber Eats to Amazon now and the self driving car unit to GM! But, a pre-ipo company probably doesn’t have a great initial business model when they feel that it is necessary to pivot from it.

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#202

Post by MrStonedOne » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 4:44 AM UTC

pmart123 wrote: post #201

treis wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. >When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like…

I’d agree with Uber making a big positive impact, but without the iPhone, there is no Uber. I’m not sure many remember the challenges to ordering a taxi/booking a ride pre-Uber. The problem though is it is very much like the airline industry pre 2014. It is a challenging business model with a lot a capital and resources required to make it work. Ironically, Travis probably could have sold Uber Eats to Amazon now and…

>but without the iPhone, there is no Uber.

An Uber company that still took calls but actually accepted a cross street in downtown seattle would still be a million times better the yellow cab's "Sorry, but we can only dispatch to a full street address"

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#203

Post by starik36 » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:20 AM UTC

funkaster wrote: post #197

treis wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. >When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like…

> The taxi experience in cities other than NYC, Chicago, and SF got a million times better. It wouldn't be fair to NYC and Chicago to compare them to SF. In my mind, the completely horrible broken experience of the SF taxi system was what created Uber & friends. I've been living in SF pre-Uber and having moved from a big city, the taxi system just drove me nuts, I could not understand why it was that fucked up. If it…

The part I really disliked about the NYC cabs is that you never knew how much it going to cost you. And similarly the driver never knew where they would have to go. With Uber, both parties have this information ahead of time.

Huge improvement.

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#204

Post by dehrmann » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:21 AM UTC

dnautics wrote: post #192

treis wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. >When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like…

The worst part of the medallion story was how the industry tricked the driver's into investing back into the medallion scheme, thereby becoming small time exploiters the next generation of drivers (n=2) and in any case winding up with often negative assets when the inflated price cratered. Meanwhile the owners of say ticker TAXI and their trust fund kids are probably doing just fine

I lay most of the blame for this with the NYC TLC for restricting medallions in the first place. The real way to reduce congestion is use fees, and it puts a natural cap on the number of taxis. Ideally, the fees are used on improvements to mass transit.

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#205

Post by aviv » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:23 AM UTC

kerng wrote: post #181

aviv wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If $5 each way is a lot of money, it's a sign you are not making enough money. Optimizing life to save that $5 increase is exactly the mindset that keeps people living paycheck to paycheck. Increase the top line, expenses don't matter if you focus your effort on making more money.

A comment like this reflects being part of the privileged 10%, probably even more like top 1-2%. Many are not that privileged and will never have the opportunity or chances to reach that. In the grand scheme of things it's more like luck, then anything else. It reflects how distant some are from reality of majority of people. 5 * 2 * 5 * 4=200. For many 200 dollars per month can be a quite significant cut in their pa…

This is where you are wrong.

Anyone in the western world workforce has the opportunity or chances to change that. This is not a privilege. And certainly not luck.

I agree that for many, $200 a month is significant. That's why I'm saying - don't try to save $5, try to MAKE $5 (and much more).

There are so many ways to make money these days, you don't even need "proper" education, luck, access, none of that.

But you do need mindset and will. Most people choose to be complacent. Their mind doesn't see beyond the 9-5, beyond the concept of being a mere employee. They rather spend hours per day watching dumb Netflix content, Twitch crap, gaming, whatever it is that people do other than GROW. Just about anyone can spend a few days watching Youtube and teaching themselves the ins and outs of such things as Facebook ads, Shopify, Dropshipping, Social media management, and of course... Clickfunnels. Anyone can pick this up. You don't need to be a PhD or CS major. In fact, those are often times a hindrance. IF people only spent half the time they waste on Twitch with consuming actual knowledge - they would not care if a Starbucks cup was $5, or $50.

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#206

Post by jjeaff » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:31 AM UTC

starik36 wrote: post #203

funkaster wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The taxi experience in cities other than NYC, Chicago, and SF got a million times better. It wouldn't be fair to NYC and Chicago to compare them to SF. In my mind, the completely horrible broken experience of the SF taxi system was what created Uber & friends. I've been living in SF pre-Uber and having moved from a big city, the taxi system just drove me nuts, I could not understand why it was that fucked up. If it…

The part I really disliked about the NYC cabs is that you never knew how much it going to cost you. And similarly the driver never knew where they would have to go. With Uber, both parties have this information ahead of time. Huge improvement.

I was under the impression that Uber does not reveal the destination of the customer until they have picked them up. Is that not correct?

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#207

Post by beisner » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:42 AM UTC

jjeaff wrote: post #206

starik36 wrote: post #203

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The part I really disliked about the NYC cabs is that you never knew how much it going to cost you. And similarly the driver never knew where they would have to go. With Uber, both parties have this information ahead of time. Huge improvement.

I was under the impression that Uber does not reveal the destination of the customer until they have picked them up. Is that not correct?

For trips over a certain length (maybe 45min) they get more information about that kind of length

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#208

Post by mtnGoat » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 5:49 AM UTC

treis wrote: post #183

blunte wrote: post #145

Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like an…

>Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. >When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like…

Any source for #3? I'd be curious you read these statistics.

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#209

Post by komali2 » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 6:01 AM UTC

bamboozled wrote: post #129

komali2 wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, a bicycle. You can get a good one on craigslist for a hundred bucks if you're patient. You may get a bit sweatier but you'll get an exercise ;) Or, there's no hills, and you go your own pace, and it's fine. Having tried both I do feel bicycles are safer - those tiny scooter wheels shake me to pieces.

Another thing I like about bikes is that it can be really therapeutic to perform your own tweaks, maintenance and repairs. Yesterday fitted new break pads and it’s such a pleasure to ride and is satisfying as hell.

Hah, we're opposites. I always get frustrated trying to do it the right way and end up hacking it together shittily

Re: Uber Revenue Growth Slows, Losses Persist as 2019 IPO Draws Near

#210

Post by Axsuul » Sat, Feb 16, 2019, 6:13 AM UTC

blunte wrote: post #145

Maybe because I'm outside the unicorn bubble I can't see the magic, but I find something very warped about a business strategy that combines stratospheric valuation, intentional regulatory non-compliance, perpetual capital injections, service misrepresentation, and unprofessional corporate behavior... and results in massive financial losses year after year. When I try to balance the elements, it frankly looks like an…

The consumers won.

Before Uber, traveling abroad in another country meant getting scammed by taxi drivers. After Uber, there is now a safe, trustworthy, and familiar mode of transportation when in a foreign place.

Note: Lyft is only domestic.