3 ms·

I think the thing to watch for Uber et al is Austin. If a good local alternative is created that is content to make $100m/year with no real ambitions of growin

by x0x0 10y ago

I think the thing to watch for Uber et al is Austin. If a good local alternative is created that is content to make $100m/year with no real ambitions of growing, then they will have to continue to fight city by city.

vosper 10y ago
I was in Austin just after Uber and Lyft had left. There was a company called Fasten which had promo codes on seemingly every lamppost in the city. It worked just like Uber, and I believe it pays the drivers better. I don't know if they're still around and still have the market to themselves, but if they do I imagine they could become entrenched there.
dopamean 10y ago
I live in Austin and I'd be shocked if all the new ride share companies (Fare, Fasten, GetMe, RideShare Austin, etc) did 100mm a year in revenue combined. I think RideShare Austin has the best chance of sticking around here. They're set up to be a non-profit. So their intent is to follow local regulations carefully and stick around for the long haul. We'll see what happens.
- x0x0 10y ago
  fyi uber's revenue was leaked in 2014 and it generated $18m in sf in whatever month got out http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-revenue-rides-drivers-and-fares-2014-11 http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-revenue-rides-drivers-an... That's a $212m run rate; with moderate growth a $350m+ run rate seems entirely reasonable. sf is about the size of Austin. If Uber keeps 25%, that's an $87.5m business. Some extra growth on top of that (run a local delivery service; do some transit deals for elderly/kids/handicapped; etc) and you've built yourself a nice $100m business.
  - dopamean 10y ago
    I don't doubt that Uber could do it. I think the current players in the market here cannot.
    - x0x0 10y ago
      I misunderstood; thanks for clarifying! I would be happy to see a worker owned co-op emerge in a city like Austin. It would probably be better for the city and for the drivers.

by x0x0 10y ago

vosper 10y ago

I was in Austin just after Uber and Lyft had left. There was a company called Fasten which had promo codes on seemingly every lamppost in the city. It worked just like Uber, and I believe it pays the drivers better. I don't know if they're still around and still have the market to themselves, but if they do I imagine they could become entrenched there.

dopamean 10y ago

I live in Austin and I'd be shocked if all the new ride share companies (Fare, Fasten, GetMe, RideShare Austin, etc) did 100mm a year in revenue combined. I think RideShare Austin has the best chance of sticking around here. They're set up to be a non-profit. So their intent is to follow local regulations carefully and stick around for the long haul. We'll see what happens.

x0x0 10y ago
fyi uber's revenue was leaked in 2014 and it generated $18m in sf in whatever month got out http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-revenue-rides-drivers-and-fares-2014-11 http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-revenue-rides-drivers-an... That's a $212m run rate; with moderate growth a $350m+ run rate seems entirely reasonable. sf is about the size of Austin. If Uber keeps 25%, that's an $87.5m business. Some extra growth on top of that (run a local delivery service; do some transit deals for elderly/kids/handicapped; etc) and you've built yourself a nice $100m business.
- dopamean 10y ago
  I don't doubt that Uber could do it. I think the current players in the market here cannot.
  - x0x0 10y ago
    I misunderstood; thanks for clarifying! I would be happy to see a worker owned co-op emerge in a city like Austin. It would probably be better for the city and for the drivers.