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I couldnt really read this article due to the tone beyond the introduction where they talk about the business model. They talk very dismissively about the whol

I couldnt really read this article due to the tone beyond the introduction where they talk about the business model. They talk very dismissively about the whole thing, but I believe the business model was clear for Uber. Build a new transportation network to replace our current taxis, then other things, using technology. Once self driving cars are a reality, they have a strong position to be dominant. Their real issues have been execution once (losing to doordash should have never happened) as well as the delay of self driving cars. Both started happening really once they ousted Travis. The pandemic also hurt their core business dramatically.

Marazan 5y ago
"Being a minicab firm" is a business model. It is not a multi billion pound wave of the future business model. Self driving cars doesn't help them in any way.
the_greyd 5y ago
That's Cory's whole schtick - he critiques big corps. I follow him a bit and most times his analysis is good and other times he dismisses things that don't fit in his ideological viewpoint.
disgruntledphd2 5y ago
I mean, it's easy to grow when you're selling dollars for $0.90. That's all Uber have ever done, and I find it astonishing that they haven't gone broke yet.
whakim 5y ago
> Once self driving cars are a reality, they have a strong position to be dominant. Everyone presumes this but it may not actually be true. I used to work with perhaps the most preeminent tech journalist covering Uber/Lyft/self-driving cars, and he would always point out that even if self-driving cars became a thing, would Uber now have to own a massive fleet of cars?
- bathtub365 5y ago
  Uber will set up a program where you rent your self driving car to them while you aren’t using it. This lets them have their customers keep paying maintenance and depreciation (and only the ones who actually do the math will realize it costs them money).
  - whakim 5y ago
    This seems extremely unlikely to happen. If people were truly interested in renting out their cars while they aren't using them (and letting them get driven into the ground), Turo or Getaround would be huge.
- delecti 5y ago
  Rental car companies usually have a fleet of leased vehicles, and current Uber/Lyft drivers are very often leases as well. It seems likely that future self-driving Ubers/Lyfts would continue that trend.
MengerSponge 5y ago
"then other things, using technology" is about the level of sophistication I've come to expect here. Uber had two paths to success: either invent self-driving cars and get enough of them to replace private car ownership, while costs of cleaning and maintenance are handled by riders fees. OR Use VC dollars to subsidize a taxi service, while not investing in infrastructure and simultaneously fighting against regulations that protect riders (such as background checks and commercial insurance). Guess which one they're stuck on? Because self-driving cars haven't happened yet, and won't happen in a meaningful way on city streets for some time yet. But you know what? I've ridden an autonomous vehicle in a major city. Line 14 of the Paris Metro is driverless. It's also a train, and a public good. Uber would rather not see the proliferation of that kind of self driving vehicle.
rodonn 5y ago
Yeah this article made a lot of claims that seem completely untrue. For example, CD says that Uber's money is running out. If you look at their net assets on hand it went up last year. This past year with tighter labor markets has shown that Uber does have substantial ability to increase prices without losing all of their riders. They are running losses, but the margins are not that far from profitable. For every dollar you spend on Uber, Uber's costs are $1.02 on average. A much better analysis of Uber's financial situation is this https://philo.substack.com/p/ride-hailing-is-it-sustainable https://philo.substack.com/p/ride-hailing-is-it-sustainable

Marazan 5y ago

"Being a minicab firm" is a business model. It is not a multi billion pound wave of the future business model. Self driving cars doesn't help them in any way.

the_greyd 5y ago

That's Cory's whole schtick - he critiques big corps. I follow him a bit and most times his analysis is good and other times he dismisses things that don't fit in his ideological viewpoint.

disgruntledphd2 5y ago

I mean, it's easy to grow when you're selling dollars for $0.90. That's all Uber have ever done, and I find it astonishing that they haven't gone broke yet.

whakim 5y ago

> Once self driving cars are a reality, they have a strong position to be dominant. Everyone presumes this but it may not actually be true. I used to work with perhaps the most preeminent tech journalist covering Uber/Lyft/self-driving cars, and he would always point out that even if self-driving cars became a thing, would Uber now have to own a massive fleet of cars?

bathtub365 5y ago
Uber will set up a program where you rent your self driving car to them while you aren’t using it. This lets them have their customers keep paying maintenance and depreciation (and only the ones who actually do the math will realize it costs them money).
- whakim 5y ago
  This seems extremely unlikely to happen. If people were truly interested in renting out their cars while they aren't using them (and letting them get driven into the ground), Turo or Getaround would be huge.
delecti 5y ago
Rental car companies usually have a fleet of leased vehicles, and current Uber/Lyft drivers are very often leases as well. It seems likely that future self-driving Ubers/Lyfts would continue that trend.

MengerSponge 5y ago

"then other things, using technology" is about the level of sophistication I've come to expect here. Uber had two paths to success: either invent self-driving cars and get enough of them to replace private car ownership, while costs of cleaning and maintenance are handled by riders fees. OR Use VC dollars to subsidize a taxi service, while not investing in infrastructure and simultaneously fighting against regulations that protect riders (such as background checks and commercial insurance). Guess which one they're stuck on? Because self-driving cars haven't happened yet, and won't happen in a meaningful way on city streets for some time yet. But you know what? I've ridden an autonomous vehicle in a major city. Line 14 of the Paris Metro is driverless. It's also a train, and a public good. Uber would rather not see the proliferation of that kind of self driving vehicle.

rodonn 5y ago

Yeah this article made a lot of claims that seem completely untrue. For example, CD says that Uber's money is running out. If you look at their net assets on hand it went up last year. This past year with tighter labor markets has shown that Uber does have substantial ability to increase prices without losing all of their riders. They are running losses, but the margins are not that far from profitable. For every dollar you spend on Uber, Uber's costs are $1.02 on average. A much better analysis of Uber's financial situation is this https://philo.substack.com/p/ride-hailing-is-it-sustainable https://philo.substack.com/p/ride-hailing-is-it-sustainable