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Sorry for being negative, but how is this innovative? Won't an existing security guard service be able to provide the same service, assuming they have a website

by damian2000 12y ago

Sorry for being negative, but how is this innovative? Won't an existing security guard service be able to provide the same service, assuming they have a website booking form?

_sentient 12y ago
There are a ton of potential improvements that can be made when you bring tech to a traditionally low-tech space. Online booking is just one of the more immediately visible improvements. Other obvious ones may include: - Intelligent routing - Better provider sourcing and screening - Improvements in ongoing quality control - Better payment systems on both the client and provider side - Reporting and other intelligence That's just to mention a few. Collectively these improvements can amount to a much better customer experience, lower prices, or both. Uber isn't just a taxi calling form rendered on a mobile device.
jonnathanson 12y ago
How many security guard services do you know of, or do you think most people know of? My guess is that the market is opaque, fragmented, highly variable, and prohibitively expensive for many needs and use cases. This service probably doesn't kill off high-end security guard businesses, so much as it puts more security guards (or other, similar personnel down the line -- valets, caterers, etc.) within reach of customers who wouldn't otherwise have considered them an option until now. It's pushing out one demand curve, while creating options for others. Bouncers look like a pretty small niche right now, but there seem to be lots of extensible paths. This isn't a cure for cancer, but it's an interesting approach to a non-obvious market. How many people have private parties every year? How many of those parties could potentially use this service? Even a fraction of that is a pretty enormous potential TAM if you think about it.
prawn 12y ago
Yes, they could, but they haven't. They haven't gone mobile first, integrated payment, put pricing up front, etc. The same thing can be applied to so many industries.

Sorry for being negative, but how is this innovative? Won't an existing security guard service be able to provide the same service, assuming they have a website booking form?

_sentient 12y ago

There are a ton of potential improvements that can be made when you bring tech to a traditionally low-tech space. Online booking is just one of the more immediately visible improvements. Other obvious ones may include: - Intelligent routing - Better provider sourcing and screening - Improvements in ongoing quality control - Better payment systems on both the client and provider side - Reporting and other intelligence That's just to mention a few. Collectively these improvements can amount to a much better customer experience, lower prices, or both. Uber isn't just a taxi calling form rendered on a mobile device.

jonnathanson 12y ago

How many security guard services do you know of, or do you think most people know of? My guess is that the market is opaque, fragmented, highly variable, and prohibitively expensive for many needs and use cases. This service probably doesn't kill off high-end security guard businesses, so much as it puts more security guards (or other, similar personnel down the line -- valets, caterers, etc.) within reach of customers who wouldn't otherwise have considered them an option until now. It's pushing out one demand curve, while creating options for others. Bouncers look like a pretty small niche right now, but there seem to be lots of extensible paths. This isn't a cure for cancer, but it's an interesting approach to a non-obvious market. How many people have private parties every year? How many of those parties could potentially use this service? Even a fraction of that is a pretty enormous potential TAM if you think about it.

prawn 12y ago

Yes, they could, but they haven't. They haven't gone mobile first, integrated payment, put pricing up front, etc. The same thing can be applied to so many industries.