News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Uber loses $2.9B, offloads bike and scooter business by clairity on Friday May 08, 2020 @05:13PM (#23119530)
even long-term, it's tempting to think that synergies and market consolidation would lead to higher utilization rates through stacking (making multiple delveries at once), but indications from current players in the space are discouraging in that regard.

last-mile logistics is an exceedingly tough nut. i think it's really going to take a wholesale reconfiguration of cities around much more density and mixed-use where shared industrial kitchens and warehouses can make the synergies work out, but of course that's decades in the making.

Re:Uber loses $2.9B, offloads bike and scooter business by deminature on Friday May 08, 2020 @05:49PM (#23119905)
>i think it's really going to take a wholesale reconfiguration of cities around much more density and mixed-use where shared industrial kitchens and warehouses can make the synergies work out, but of course that's decades in the making.

It's actually closer than it seems if this bet plays out: https://www.cloudkitchens.com/

Re:Uber loses $2.9B, offloads bike and scooter business by clairity on Friday May 08, 2020 @07:12PM (#23120540)
yes, that's the easiest part and where there has been some activity, but even then, it's a capital-intensive business without obvious super-scalar competitive advantages.

shared industrial kitchens become advantageous only with density, proximity (mixed-use), and (unfortunately) high land values.