4 ms·

Which part is innovative? The business model of random people using their own vehicle and taxiing others or the app to coordinate dispatching? I wholeheartedly

by pfranz 5y ago

Which part is innovative? The business model of random people using their own vehicle and taxiing others or the app to coordinate dispatching? I wholeheartedly agree the system wasn't great in many cities before Uber, but it's just a sleek version of what was obvious at the time--it just hadn't been built and the incentives weren't there. I think you can look at bus/train systems as a comparison. In many cities you can download their app, set a destination, and it shows you what tickets you need to buy. You wave your phone to prove you bought your ticket. In many cities you can see the actual buses live on a map. Many bus stops show when the next bus arrives live. Uber was founded in 2009 and iPhone released in 2007. Google Maps was released in 2005, added traffic info in 2007, and Google Maps shipped with the first iPhone. It wasn't hard to see these pieces coming together--it just needed a lot of work, coordination, and a few generations of hardware and software improvements. I do think they were the first and were innovative in a lot of aspects. I think their impact on the business of taxiing is way more "innovative" than the app and tech--but innovative doesn't necessarily mean "good" or a great use of resources.

ceilingcorner 5y ago
To me, design and ease of use counts as innovative. Whether it was inevitable or not isn't particularly relevant. As I said, if you had to regularly use cabs prior to ±2009, they were a nightmare. Uber is a massive improvement.
- axelroze 5y ago
  I wish people who dislike Uber as a service lived in places with bad cabs and bad public transit. Uber is a blessing for the user in such areas. Pricewise it is sketchy and likely unethical but on the service level it is 10x and well worth of existing. I am not saying that Uber as employer is good, but damn the service level blew me off first time I went to another city that had Uber.
didntknowya 5y ago
Uber is far from perfect, but when they first started it was a very welcomed approach in contrast to the taxi cartels with their rude drivers who would readily decline your trips if it wasn't at their convenience. sadly uber has declined quite a bit since- but it was a good kick in the butt to the taxi industries to step up their game.

by pfranz 5y ago

ceilingcorner 5y ago

To me, design and ease of use counts as innovative. Whether it was inevitable or not isn't particularly relevant. As I said, if you had to regularly use cabs prior to ±2009, they were a nightmare. Uber is a massive improvement.

axelroze 5y ago
I wish people who dislike Uber as a service lived in places with bad cabs and bad public transit. Uber is a blessing for the user in such areas. Pricewise it is sketchy and likely unethical but on the service level it is 10x and well worth of existing. I am not saying that Uber as employer is good, but damn the service level blew me off first time I went to another city that had Uber.

didntknowya 5y ago

Uber is far from perfect, but when they first started it was a very welcomed approach in contrast to the taxi cartels with their rude drivers who would readily decline your trips if it wasn't at their convenience. sadly uber has declined quite a bit since- but it was a good kick in the butt to the taxi industries to step up their game.