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these types of events usually blow over in a month or so. but it does confirm what everyone already knows: ride hailing apps have no stickiness. at the end of t

these types of events usually blow over in a month or so. but it does confirm what everyone already knows: ride hailing apps have no stickiness. at the end of the day no one cares what service provides the car.

chillingeffect 10y ago
Can someone please help me understand why traditional taxis haven't adapted the same tech as Lyft and Uber? You're right, there really is no moat. Tech is mostly a big ol database. Is it due to disjointure among small companies?
- mistermumble 10y ago
  There's a startup called Flywheel that has been selling shovels to taxi cab companies -- in the form of electronic dispatch, payments, navigation and GPS-based metering. https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/22/flywheel-expands-uber-like-system-for-taxi-cabs-to-nyc/ https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/22/flywheel-expands-uber-like...
  - wpietri 10y ago
    And it works fine. I've been using Flywheel since 2013. Their software started out rough, but now it's solid. It may be a bit more expensive, but the average driver I get has been driving in SF more than a decade, so they're knowledgeable and competent. Plus I know they're insured and properly regulated.
- prostoalex 10y ago
  They have in a lot of markets, like Denmark and Spain. Taxi companies are not these monolithic nimble entities, and have multiple parties involved with any transaction - actual driver (independent contractor "renting" the vehicle"), medallion owner, vehicle owner, dispatch service. None have a very strong incentive to differentiate or enough financial resources to break from the pack.
- jaredsohn 10y ago
  Yellow Cab San Francisco has the YoTaxi app. (I heard about it during one of the few recent times that I took a cab instead of Uber/Lyft since my phone was dead and they advertised it on the back of the passenger seat) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yotaxi/id1046974371?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yotaxi/id1046974371?mt=8
- foolfoolz 10y ago
  there are apps for this. but as a taxi you are subject to fixed prices and regulation. uber and left can undercut them thanks to our glorious fake world of VC money. you don't see taxi drivers handing out free $25 for first time riders
andrewmchen 10y ago
People will care if and when Uber figures out autonomous taxis and can continue their ridiculously low prices without losses.
- wpietri 10y ago
  Probably not even then. Plenty of companies are in the automated-vehicle race. A number of which are a) profitable, and b) worth more than Uber. Some of them also manufacture cars and have decades of vehicle experience to draw on. Uber made a grab for dominance based mainly on brand (plus massive subsidies). Foolfoolz is right; this suggests that the market just isn't particularly sticky. Brand isn't enough.
- inimino 10y ago
  At which point that tech too will be a commodity, unless you see Uber having some edge in autonomous cars, and why would they?
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]

chillingeffect 10y ago

Can someone please help me understand why traditional taxis haven't adapted the same tech as Lyft and Uber? You're right, there really is no moat. Tech is mostly a big ol database. Is it due to disjointure among small companies?

mistermumble 10y ago
There's a startup called Flywheel that has been selling shovels to taxi cab companies -- in the form of electronic dispatch, payments, navigation and GPS-based metering. https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/22/flywheel-expands-uber-like-system-for-taxi-cabs-to-nyc/ https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/22/flywheel-expands-uber-like...
- wpietri 10y ago
  And it works fine. I've been using Flywheel since 2013. Their software started out rough, but now it's solid. It may be a bit more expensive, but the average driver I get has been driving in SF more than a decade, so they're knowledgeable and competent. Plus I know they're insured and properly regulated.
prostoalex 10y ago
They have in a lot of markets, like Denmark and Spain. Taxi companies are not these monolithic nimble entities, and have multiple parties involved with any transaction - actual driver (independent contractor "renting" the vehicle"), medallion owner, vehicle owner, dispatch service. None have a very strong incentive to differentiate or enough financial resources to break from the pack.
jaredsohn 10y ago
Yellow Cab San Francisco has the YoTaxi app. (I heard about it during one of the few recent times that I took a cab instead of Uber/Lyft since my phone was dead and they advertised it on the back of the passenger seat) https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yotaxi/id1046974371?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yotaxi/id1046974371?mt=8
foolfoolz 10y ago
there are apps for this. but as a taxi you are subject to fixed prices and regulation. uber and left can undercut them thanks to our glorious fake world of VC money. you don't see taxi drivers handing out free $25 for first time riders

andrewmchen 10y ago

People will care if and when Uber figures out autonomous taxis and can continue their ridiculously low prices without losses.

wpietri 10y ago
Probably not even then. Plenty of companies are in the automated-vehicle race. A number of which are a) profitable, and b) worth more than Uber. Some of them also manufacture cars and have decades of vehicle experience to draw on. Uber made a grab for dominance based mainly on brand (plus massive subsidies). Foolfoolz is right; this suggests that the market just isn't particularly sticky. Brand isn't enough.
inimino 10y ago
At which point that tech too will be a commodity, unless you see Uber having some edge in autonomous cars, and why would they?

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]