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I agree with you. In my mind, if you have to market your app/service/startup as "uber for X" you've already lost the marketing battle, and possibly the entire

I agree with you. In my mind, if you have to market your app/service/startup as "uber for X" you've already lost the marketing battle, and possibly the entire fight to get your product to market. For one, it's lazy. As a consumer - if you tell me your product is like another product, I will automatically and repeatedly compare your product to the original. And no, your product will not ever take the place as the "original", even if they exist to serve different functions. It's also lazy because you (the dev) can't be bothered to explain your product/app/service in a meaningful, simple way. Instead, you make me (the user) draw comparisons and try to parse what it actually does. This sets the user up for disappointment when the functionality doesn't match up to the "uber" in the equation. The best way to get around this is to stop using Uber as the golden standard for comparison. "Service platform", "peer to peer service", "on demand service", etc.. are all better choices IMO. Every time I see the "Uber for X" tagline anywhere near a product I immediately lose interest. It's a shame, because I'm sure there are a ton of good products being over shadowed by the over saturation of Uber in popular vernacular, media, and gossip.

sillysaurus3 9y ago
This exclusionary mindset isn't helpful. No matter how much we wish the term would go away, it won't. The article has "Uber for X" in the title for a reason.
- goialoq 9y ago
  The term will go away the same way it came in: through people using it.
- nxsynonym 9y ago
  Could you explain how it's exclusionary? Not following. As much as I wish it would go away, I understand it wont because it's low hanging fruit. That's my issue - is that it's lazy marketing at best.
  - sillysaurus3 9y ago
    Well, you're looking for reasons to exclude someone. Instead of judging each case on its own merits, you apply a sweeping filter to all cases. Think of all the things that make you instantly hate someone vs instantly like someone. Which list is longer? It's easy to argue abstractly that a whole class of ideas are bad just because one instance is unfashionable. But if you only use terms because they're trendy instead of accurate, you're restricting yourself from coming up with the best ideas. If "Uber for X" is the best way to describe something, then it's the best way. There's no reason to use euphemisms unless you're nervous about public opinion. I think it's more respectable to stick with "Uber for X" even when it's unpopular. People will always hate you for one reason or another, but at least you can resist bullies.
    - nxsynonym 9y ago
      ah I see. Thanks for elaborating. I get the point you're making, and in general I would agree. However, in this case ("uber for x") the term is so prevalent in tech/start up culture that I find it hard to believe it's the best way to describe every single product it's getting slapped on. To me it would be the same as labelling every single new fast food chain as "The McDonalds of clam cakes" or "The McDonalds of pizza".

sillysaurus3 9y ago

This exclusionary mindset isn't helpful. No matter how much we wish the term would go away, it won't. The article has "Uber for X" in the title for a reason.

goialoq 9y ago
The term will go away the same way it came in: through people using it.
nxsynonym 9y ago
Could you explain how it's exclusionary? Not following. As much as I wish it would go away, I understand it wont because it's low hanging fruit. That's my issue - is that it's lazy marketing at best.
- sillysaurus3 9y ago
  Well, you're looking for reasons to exclude someone. Instead of judging each case on its own merits, you apply a sweeping filter to all cases. Think of all the things that make you instantly hate someone vs instantly like someone. Which list is longer? It's easy to argue abstractly that a whole class of ideas are bad just because one instance is unfashionable. But if you only use terms because they're trendy instead of accurate, you're restricting yourself from coming up with the best ideas. If "Uber for X" is the best way to describe something, then it's the best way. There's no reason to use euphemisms unless you're nervous about public opinion. I think it's more respectable to stick with "Uber for X" even when it's unpopular. People will always hate you for one reason or another, but at least you can resist bullies.
  - nxsynonym 9y ago
    ah I see. Thanks for elaborating. I get the point you're making, and in general I would agree. However, in this case ("uber for x") the term is so prevalent in tech/start up culture that I find it hard to believe it's the best way to describe every single product it's getting slapped on. To me it would be the same as labelling every single new fast food chain as "The McDonalds of clam cakes" or "The McDonalds of pizza".