tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64028775763228255.post1051967835451796029..comments2023-10-15T11:30:30.750+02:00Comments on My Power Station South Africa: Why Uber is important for South AfricaDavid Lipschitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16552017391450620612noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64028775763228255.post-50124960019718168932015-09-12T19:00:13.038+02:002015-09-12T19:00:13.038+02:00Watch Travis Kalanick, cofounder of Uber, on The L...Watch Travis Kalanick, cofounder of Uber, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert https://youtu.be/wGdjLv8neBsDavid Lipschitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16552017391450620612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64028775763228255.post-18090781301498387852015-09-11T17:34:26.212+02:002015-09-11T17:34:26.212+02:00From Shaunak:
That's a brilliant perspective ...From Shaunak:<br /><br />That's a brilliant perspective you have there David! I myself am writing a paper on why these app-based services are increasingly becoming more accepted by users in India! Most of the points you've mentioned hold true in the Indian context as well, but I do have one question: don't you think that despite its relevance and importance, it will be used by only a small segment of the society, as the service caters to nothing but a niche market?<br /><br />Dear Shaunak.<br /><br />Thank you very much for your support and encouragement.<br /><br />It might be a niche market, but I think that as "access" becomes more important than "ownership" and as "aas" (as a service) grows faster and faster, even outside the ICT environment, we will see more and more services like Uber.<br /><br />AAS means that people pay when they use the service, rather than paying all the time. If I own a car and only drive an hour a day, then I am paying for the car for 24 hours a day, but only using it for 1 hour a day. This is a huge waste of resources, on a finite planet. The fossilised car manufacturing companies might not like this, but they must also re-imagine themselves, rather than fighting progress. Even as new car companies like Tesla and Google invent themselves.<br /><br />It might be a "small segment", but even achieving 1% of worldwide transportation will be an incredible achievement, and who knows perhaps Uber will branch out into private jets and electricity (UberJets and UberPower).<br /><br />I've had some other feedback from people who are "moonlighting" as Uber drivers after work. One of them only has to work two evenings to pay off his monthly repayment of his car.<br /><br />What I'm saying is that if Uber has 100% of that small 1% segment, then it will have the biggest profits and possibilities in that segment. And as it expands its services, I think that that 1% will grow, until one day we wonder what we did before Uber.<br /><br />Do you agree?<br /><br />Regards<br />David<br />David Lipschitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16552017391450620612noreply@blogger.com