Reply to post: Re: PT Barnum

What's that? Uber isn't actually worth $82bn? Reverse-gear IPO shows the gig (economy) is up

NATTtrash
Mushroom

Re: PT Barnum

Uber's primary 'advantage' is their app...

Yeah, maybe that's what people want to believe when they think Uber. But by now many taxi companies have an app, and, let's be honest, that's the marketing cool-aid Uber wants everybody to believe. Sure, their app was new. But what (they figured should) really bring(s) the profits is... the fact that they found a biz model that cuts cost. To the max. And since somebody, anywhere always pays (NOTHING is for free), they made a science of letting somebody else pay their bill. Just like other alternatives elsewhere (think about the changes in postal services, construction workers, logistics/ trucks, and so on), if you can cut pesky obligations, like employment contracts, social security obligations, local labour law stipulations, or even other cost (just ask a cabby what a license costs), it means money in the bank. For Uber. Not their "personnel" of course. And, as always, customers don't give a toss who pays the bills, as long as it's not them. That's how much humans care about anything if it involves themselves. And yes, Ubers genius was to "have an app for that" so they can line everybody up efficiently to be picked up by an "independent entrepreneur". Oh, and this of course without risk for, or guarantees by Uber. Smelly car? Detour to inflate price? Got raped? "Oh, sorry, we're just providing a service..."

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