The decision by Uber and Lyft to temporarily abandon Austin (game theory suggests that both will be back, I suspect within months) may backfire on them, as the

The decision by Uber and Lyft to temporarily abandon Austin (game theory suggests that both will be back, I suspect within months) may backfire on them, as the drivers discover that they really don't need them. All the drivers need is a dispatch service to coordinate the data from their phones. What makes an Uber driver? A sticker and an app on your phone? That's precious little value to deliver for the large bite Uber takes out of the driver's earnings. My prediction is that dispatch services like Uber and Lyft will become commodities, and the events in Austin will only accelerate that process.