What are your thoughts on businesses like Uber? I've only

Incredibly useful.

>>1025204
I should have been more specific in my OP. I meant investment wise. I think they're a smart deal and should grow, but what I saw in my town has me worried. I'm worried other cities might follow suit and kill the whole concept while it's still young.

They will be overtaken by DAOs. There is competitive disadvantage to being centralised.

>>1025209
>DAO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_access_object


This?

>>1025218
Distributed Autonomous Organisation

They shift a lot of tax burden onto "independent contractors" who are too ignorant to know what that entails and who are willing to take on insurance liability and associated costs and risks. They're likely to thrive in labor markets where they can undercut existing transportation because of their low overhead and able to move into markets where transportation services are scarce due to smaller markets that couldn't support a larger service.

However, as the labor market figures out that they're putting lots of miles on their vehicles (a direct but invisible cost), assuming the cost of insurance, and assuming a higher tax rate Uber will quickly become non-competitive.

>>1025201
Uber in Europe could never compete. They are trying but their prices are the same as a normal cab and they have lesser legal responsibilities for their passangers. At least in Vienna that is the case.

>>1025201
This is by-product of a weak economy. Whether or not the economy ever rebounds will determine if services like this stay in existence. Past that, I can still see this being heavily used in big cities, as you mentioned.

>>1025208
If you have enough VC backing you, you can buy enough local politicians to make it legal. (Which is more or less how Uber got into NYC and Vegas.)

>>1025204

this. people that can capitalize on inneficiencies in the market like UBER has, can become millionaires pretty fcuking fast.

Better than the fucking taxi service in Los Angeles, which needs to be completely reformed and deregulted

Even if uber becomes uncompetitively priced as already present in my city during peak hours, it is still more convenient from ordering to paying.
It's here to stay.

>>1025201
They will be banned from many countries where transport syndicates are powerful.

Ultimately Wealth is measured in Time.
Efficient use of time is the critical aspect of success.
Cabs do not capture this at a full scale, uber is multiple services in one gigantic independent fleet.

They are experimenting with some very interesting technology that will wholly improve lives in a productive economy.

once automatic cars are go, imagine this.
All kids go to school in ubers, parents don't need to do much. and large chunks of new work are accessed.

Uber is currently experimenting with errand running services, they did it small scale with Christmas shopping this year, but soon, even min wage workers will trade an 8$ hour to uber for a 5$ hour of errands. Uber however can do 3 of these easily and with denser populations much more. Tremendous value for uber.

With further integration into existing distribution hubs like amazon and supermarkets and walmarts uber will encroach on existing Logistics giants like UPS and several Micro economies of personal delivery.

Further should uber become integrated into the population at large, people with gap time can further trade an hour or two for a few shekels with massively online organized carpools.

>>1025322

Uber is kicking seven shades of shit out of established taxi firms in London (and I presume other UK cities). There's quite a bit of muttering that they're dodging the regulations that other taxis have to follow, and some kind of proposal was made that would shit all over them, but I don't think they're going anywhere. We believe in a free market here in the UK.

>>1025498

Unlike America. Politicians for sale, laws made by vested interests. Top kek.

>>1025322
What mate. I live in Vienna and Uber X is a good 5-8 EUR cheaper than a normal cab. (going from the 23th to the first district, paying 17 usually instead of 25)

>>1026859
>Politicians for sale, laws made by vested interests. Top kek.
A product of free and unregulated markets, ironically enough.

I have an Uber like idea. Think about how often people go to the bathroom. Multiple times a day. So why not have people bring a bathroom to you?