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UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

developer.uber.com

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Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#71

Post by charlesz »

chrismessina wrote: post #55
KaoruAoiShiho wrote: post #8

Can somebody give an example of a service that needs this, where Fedex wouldn't do?

The local delivery case is really where UberRUSH provides the most value. We also take pride in our developer tools and experience and invite you to check out our docs: https://developer.uber.com/docs/rush I'm curious how you might compare them to FedEx's docs? http://www.fedex.com/us/developer/web-services/index.html

Oh man, oh man. Don't get me started on the utter mess that the UPS and FedEx APIs are. I've gone through the app certification process for both, as well as Stamps.com (USPS), and I think the only other project that rivals that mess is ADP (development took over a year, certification took another 6 months and 10s of thousands in fees.)

As an example, the developer document solely for obtaining shipment rates is 98 pages long.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#72

Post by manufacturious »

jasonjayr wrote: post #21
dieselz wrote: post #2

This is a game changer - not only for what service it provides, but I think it will lead to more companies making APIs for totally non-technical tasks. Sure there are companies like task rabbit, shyp, etc etc, but this is the next level of ease. Relevant - I want an API for a cleaning service. AirBnB integration so that it can automatically track when a guest has left and the cleaner shows up within an hour to get it…

Well, isn't EDI just an API for manufacturing + supply chain management? As far as retail stores are concerned, they make an API call to a supplier, and product shows up. Granted, it's a pretty convoluted API, but I don't think it's too difficult to imagine what a supply chain algorithm would look like. Just lots of exception handling + long timeouts...

I'm working on a project involving EDI data right now. You speak as though you have some experience in manufacturing and data. Would you be willing to chat with me for a few minutes about the space?

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#73

Post by sketchthat »

nikrdc wrote: post #62
ryanto wrote: post #61

Neat. I've always wondered if Uber's ride sharing had a weak moat. As a consumer there's little difference for me between taking an Uber, Lyft, or something else. This makes it easy to compete in the consumer ride sharing market. If Uber is able to integrate with other apps this introduces a high switching cost for those apps... and that gives them a pretty solid moat. Excited to see how this API gets used.

Where did you find this term "moat"? (Genuinely curious)

I tend to hear the term "Rust on" (as in metal rusting). So the more rusted on you are the harder it is to get you off. The more integration you have across the board, the more rusted on you are and people can't be bothered trying to clean the rust off.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#75

Post by jfoster »

thesimpsons1022 wrote: post #10
sharemywin wrote: post #7

Better hope domino's doesn't enter the market. Not sure if they could since it's all franchises. But, I imagine they could price it less than $6 per delivery.

maybe not. dominos makes money from the pizza it is selling not just the delivery fee. if they had to purely make profit from delivery it might be a similar price

Also, a point-to-point delivery service requires an average of about 2 trips (pickup + dropoff) to complete a job. Pizza delivery requires an average of less than 2 trips to complete a job; the pickup trip gets spread across multiple orders.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#76

Post by BWStearns »

joshvm wrote: post #65
nikrdc wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where did you find this term "moat"? (Genuinely curious)

A moat is the trench around the outside of a castle that is often, but not always filled with water. It's a defensive structure because people have to cross it to get your castle in the middle. So Uber's castle (i.e. it's product) doesn't seem to be that well defended against competitors (it has a weak moat). They have the numbers and the user adoption, but fundamentally they're no different from Lyft et al. That's m…

> A moat is the trench around the outside of a castle that is often, but not always filled with s/water/alligators/.

Joking aside, that's a great way to describe the do-hard-things concept. I think the gp was more asking if that was a metaphor derived from some pg (or whoever) blog post.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#77

Post by sgarman »

apahwa wrote: post #68
sgarman wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has essentially been banned by MMRSA in California and has been banned in SF for a while now.

what is "this"?

Cannabis delivery by a third party, i.e. not employed the by dispensary.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#79

Post by pfarnsworth »

sharemywin wrote: post #7

Better hope domino's doesn't enter the market. Not sure if they could since it's all franchises. But, I imagine they could price it less than $6 per delivery.

Domino's might have wide coverage throughout the US, but in any single city, the number of drivers is tiny, maybe a few hundred at best. Uber has tens of thousands, you can't even compare their abilities to deliver. If anything a partnership with Uber might help Domino's because they could get rid of their own drivers, and each pizza could be delivered faster and warmer.

Re: UberRUSH API – Add on-demand delivery to your app or service

#80

Post by Animats »

From the article: "An UberRUSH delivery typically involves interaction between three parties: the customer, the business, and Uber (courier). The diagram below outlines the interaction between these parties during the delivery lifecycle."

So the drivers are not a party to the transaction? Is Uber still trying to claim they are "independent contractors"?

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