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

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

#211

Post by sangnoir »

jessriedel wrote: post #116
nostromo wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's fairly rude to make them wait at all. They're not being paid while they're waiting for you.

When you order an Uber, you are buying an included 2 minutes of wait time plus the option to pay by-the-minute for wait time thereafter. This is part of the contract. One way you can tell is that if they wait 90 seconds for you and then you cancel, you get a bill for ~$5. Shared rides (Uber Pool) is different. In that case, you're making other riders wait and, unlike the driver, there's no reasonable way to compensat…

It's entirely possible for something to be both legal and rude. In some jurisdictions, passers-by (e.g. hikers) have right-of-way on private land, yet not saying "hello" to the farmer whose land you're on would still be rude, should you cross paths.

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

#213

Post by kinkrtyavimoodh »

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 agree. This is even more true in countries other than the US, so ironically, places far away from the unicorn bubble.

I travel a lot internationally, and in so many countries I have been able to just get out of the airport, open my app, and hop on a ride—it's fascinating and amazing what a revolution it has been in barely 5 or so years.

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

#214

Post by therein »

aplummer wrote: post #199
da02 wrote: post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you mean by, "and only then this challenge came to an end."? You simply stopped calling him?

They mean: only after befriending the cab driver did the challenge of getting to the airport become easy.

Exactly.

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

#215

Post by makeitstop »

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…

“desperately”

Are you sure you’re outside the bubble? Because the taxi industry could have done with some improvement, but it didn’t “desperately” need “disruption”. People got from a to b just fine, and drivers got paid.

The only thing that desperately needs disruption is the destructive influence SV has on societies that were doing just fine before its “disruption”.

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

#216

Post by zby »

I really like this analysis: https://thinkgrowth.org/uber-is-going-to-0-and-benchmark-kno... :

Taxi service is not a good candidate for a global monopoly - because most rides are for local population and there is no need for a global trust. Each dispatcher needs to compete locally. This is different from for ecample AirBnb - where the customers come from away and need some global entity to trust.

---

Uber also does not seem to do very well in the self-driving car competition, which could potentially save it. What is left is maybe some data play and maybe being useful for spy agencies - a global entity knowing, and also being able to manipulate, delay or maybe even deny in some cases, communication in remote states (but that probably would rely on it being a monopoly). But I am waiting for this to end bad. The SoftBank way of growing the valuation by doubling their investments seems really crazy.

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

#217

Post by xixixao »

makeitstop wrote: post #215
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…

“desperately” Are you sure you’re outside the bubble? Because the taxi industry could have done with some improvement, but it didn’t “desperately” need “disruption”. People got from a to b just fine, and drivers got paid. The only thing that desperately needs disruption is the destructive influence SV has on societies that were doing just fine before its “disruption”.

Don't know where you've been getting taxis, but they were literally one of the worst services anywhere I've ever been to. Prague: ton of documented defrauding of customers, taxi drivers making little money otherwise, fights over stations, literally mafia stuff. London: You know how everyone is lovely and polite, say in restaurants? Not so in London taxis, you'd hardly get a hello, drivers would always purposefully drive you as long as possible to make the most amount of money, etc etc

It was heavily unionized and the only people winning were at the top of unions, everyone else was losing. Yes, it desparately needed disruption.

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

#218

Post by bambax »

komali2 wrote: post #118
burlesona wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I highly recommmend the electric scooter. So fast and so fun. I got this one: https://ecorecoscooter.com/product/l5

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.

I built an electric bike from an inexpensive normal bike + Bafang motor. Total cost <$1000. I have never been happier with a vehicle. This is really the best of all worlds.

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

#219

Post by blub »

NoblePublius wrote: post #70

Saudi Arabia owns 10% of Uber and executes people for being gay.

Yes, let's ask individuals to constrain SA's influence by not using Uber, when the US and many European governments continue to support them.

One must be stuck in the 50s to think that individual buyers have any power over corporations.

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

#220

Post by ghaff »

xixixao wrote: post #217
makeitstop wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“desperately” Are you sure you’re outside the bubble? Because the taxi industry could have done with some improvement, but it didn’t “desperately” need “disruption”. People got from a to b just fine, and drivers got paid. The only thing that desperately needs disruption is the destructive influence SV has on societies that were doing just fine before its “disruption”.

Don't know where you've been getting taxis, but they were literally one of the worst services anywhere I've ever been to. Prague: ton of documented defrauding of customers, taxi drivers making little money otherwise, fights over stations, literally mafia stuff. London: You know how everyone is lovely and polite, say in restaurants? Not so in London taxis, you'd hardly get a hello, drivers would always purposefully dr…

London is one of the last cities I would complain about taxis in—and one city where I don’t use Uber. (Not that I use a lot of cabs because the transit system is good.)
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