4 ms·

On the face of it, it seems like a worrying idea. Uber's success has been about evolving a core product in an emerging category. Product-market fit or whatever

On the face of it, it seems like a worrying idea. Uber's success has been about evolving a core product in an emerging category. Product-market fit or whatever you like to call that kind of narrow, aggressive focus. As little "hair" as possible. Market share. Simply defined product. Simply defined (and bull-headed) strategy. Basically, make uber a significant mode of transport (again!). Expedia is all about maximizing revenue from the existing mess of travel product categories. Finding ways of inserting themselves between consumers and: hotels, flights, rentals, tours.... Basically, people are going places and doing things. Get expedia a piece of it. Very different approaches. If uber starts to retain customers with miles or try to diversify revenue sources, I think it'd be a bad sign. But, who knows.

adameast9000 9y ago
I respectfully disagree. I think that Uber has done a great job of hooking a large volume of consumers on their core product, and now there is a huge opportunity to leverage that base to create income streams all over the travel space. Considering their trouble with reaching profitability, I think this makes too much sense to avoid doing it due to concerns of losing focus on the core product. Uber is a not a startup anymore!
- beager 9y ago
  It also creates large swaths of potentially lucrative revenue opportunities based on the size of the Uber user base, without the quantifiability of those swaths that you would see in core-product market expansion, or core-product optimization. The cynic in me says that you can juice Uber with a bunch of these tie-ins, box out competitors by creating these partnerships, and IPO at a valuation based on aspirational performance of these partnerships that would make most people happy.
- dalbasal 9y ago
  I can certainly see our two positions sitting on the table with a strong, conventional business case for yours. It might even be right. (btw, thanks for the friendly disagreement. Much appreciated)

adameast9000 9y ago

I respectfully disagree. I think that Uber has done a great job of hooking a large volume of consumers on their core product, and now there is a huge opportunity to leverage that base to create income streams all over the travel space. Considering their trouble with reaching profitability, I think this makes too much sense to avoid doing it due to concerns of losing focus on the core product. Uber is a not a startup anymore!

beager 9y ago
It also creates large swaths of potentially lucrative revenue opportunities based on the size of the Uber user base, without the quantifiability of those swaths that you would see in core-product market expansion, or core-product optimization. The cynic in me says that you can juice Uber with a bunch of these tie-ins, box out competitors by creating these partnerships, and IPO at a valuation based on aspirational performance of these partnerships that would make most people happy.
dalbasal 9y ago
I can certainly see our two positions sitting on the table with a strong, conventional business case for yours. It might even be right. (btw, thanks for the friendly disagreement. Much appreciated)