[Fricken]

Scale and mindshare, more data, and the ability to operate with slimmer margins, or to operate at a loss in any local market long enough to muscle out competition- which they already do.

Uber has the same kinds of advantages that Google, Amazon, Facebook and Starbucks have in their respective domains.

[prostoalex]

Existing taxi industry got upended by Lyft, which then got upended by UberX. I think the value of mindshare is overestimated, and most consumers will happily jump the ship for whatever is more convenient.

Scale is a competitive advantage in homogeneous markets. But even if you're the most efficient ride facilitator on the streets of New York, this does very little to someone looking for a ride in Des Moines or San Sebastian.