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by tomcam 2603 days ago
Not asking this question to be rude or snarky. Can they make money at all? If not why would their prices be discounted now?

It seems to me as a layperson that they have both funded their growth by discounting rides at an unsustainable rate. The sustainable price seems to be pretty much what taxis charge. (No complaint here. I believe in paying my, ah, fare share. I’d be quite willing to pay that rate for Uber/Lyft because I don’t like taxis.)

Is that analysis unsound? What will keep them operating when they run out of investor money?

1 comments

Lots of value props here

- Cut R&D cost

- Grow in scale

- Force people out of buying their own cars by providing rides

- Carpool at work programs

- Lyft Shared rides - which taxies could not exploit efficiently, makes it a win win for riders and drivers

- Imagining auto-driving cars in the near future, that can change economics

- Cities that were generally transit heavy, can exploit this alternative, since car usage was low to go to work

- Their partnering with Rideshare programs at work, leads to a very cheap commute on demand, which cuts into the vanpool market - with flexible timings

- Even with same prices as taxis - it's put so many people and cars to work that were sitting in the driveway. I see some form of Government subsidy here too as an option ( since good for the environment, and the economy in general)

- Markets to expand in - Commercial Freight( unused capacity transportation) - basically structuring and leveling the playing field wrt rates, policies, contracts and availability via a digital centralized experience

- Food delivery

- Many more sure I'm missing