221–230 of 318 posts
Where I was during uber's ascent, uber's defining value proposition was circumventing the artificial monopoly created by the taxi medallion system. This "disruption" was actually great, it shook up an industry that needed shaking up (ironically I now use cabs because they have become better than uber where I am. This would not be the case if uber never existed). But even if it did some good "disrupting", I think the…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It sounds more like a banking problem than an innovation problem.
I agree with that. Money seems to flow to "safe" products. Some minor iteration of payments, CRM, taxis or fitness. How do you fix it when the incentives are skewed towards quick bucks? Government pushing certain industries has worked for China. There'll be a lot of opposition to that in the US I'd imagine.
I’ve been using delivery apps on and off for the past few months. Between the promos I’ve received, I’ve gotten groceries delivered for less than the items cost let alone the gas and time to deliver them. I’ve had multiple food items delivered at a lower cost than me walking there and buying in store as well. Talking to a few drivers for the companies - its tough, but they make a decent amount in the city (4-7k a mon…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> but in many other cases, they can do things that taxis can't. Like what?
Easily coordinate pre-paid transportation limited to your event as one: https://help.uber.com/riders/article/vouchers-for-events-faq...
Where I was during uber's ascent, uber's defining value proposition was circumventing the artificial monopoly created by the taxi medallion system. This "disruption" was actually great, it shook up an industry that needed shaking up (ironically I now use cabs because they have become better than uber where I am. This would not be the case if uber never existed). But even if it did some good "disrupting", I think the…
When the basic building model is to break the law, chances are the law had a point and people are going to want a return to normal eventually. The only way they survive long term is if the general population feels it’s the new normal is a useful tradeoff. In the short term they can massively subsidize users, but long term the same basic economic reality sets in so they need some actual innovation.
The problem is incumbents get lazy and start profit-seeking. Competition is the only way we know to have a chance of fighting it. The taxi industry got away with ripping off customers and having terrible service for ages. In my country they would regularly overcharge or take longer routes. Or you call and they decide not to come, or you walk around waving your hands frantically at a taxi hoping they stop. As a touris…
And we have always been at war with Eastasia.
The Shuttle program was started in the 1970s. Reusable launch vehicles have never been considered impossible, merely inefficient.
The problem is incumbents get lazy and start profit-seeking. Competition is the only way we know to have a chance of fighting it. The taxi industry got away with ripping off customers and having terrible service for ages. In my country they would regularly overcharge or take longer routes. Or you call and they decide not to come, or you walk around waving your hands frantically at a taxi hoping they stop. As a touris…
Difficult to the article seriously when reading this. (And I did follow the link to read the academic paper referenced. Though I am not in the field, I thought it was terrible. By defining food insecurity down and needlessly conflating categories it attempts to make a real problem seem worse than it is by viewing it through an ill conceived lens.)
I’ve been using delivery apps on and off for the past few months. Between the promos I’ve received, I’ve gotten groceries delivered for less than the items cost let alone the gas and time to deliver them. I’ve had multiple food items delivered at a lower cost than me walking there and buying in store as well. Talking to a few drivers for the companies - its tough, but they make a decent amount in the city (4-7k a mon…
I've done gig driving work in the past and still pop in on driver forums once in a while. The majority of these people are lucky to make $10-15 an hour after expenses (less now with rising gas prices, which they don't get compensated for), and a large percentage of them are operating below that. The ones making actually decent money have either figured out how to game the system - which is a transitory phenomenon as operators figure out ways to claw that profit margin back - or found some kind of luxury niche which requires having an upfront advantage like an expensive vehicle.
The perks of 'setting your own hours' (which is basically a lie, if you're relying on this income you have to drive when there's demand) or 'not dealing with a boss/co-workers' (your clients are your bosses and plenty of them are horrible) really pale when you look at the overall reality. Such so-called perks are how they keep suckering math challenged drivers into a crap job with abysmal pay and no benefits, though, and despite the fact that they're an illusion it keeps working. There are huge numbers of drivers whose actual compensation is so low it would nauseate you.
The problem is incumbents get lazy and start profit-seeking. Competition is the only way we know to have a chance of fighting it. The taxi industry got away with ripping off customers and having terrible service for ages. In my country they would regularly overcharge or take longer routes. Or you call and they decide not to come, or you walk around waving your hands frantically at a taxi hoping they stop. As a touris…