Swarnadeep Debnath’s Post

Uber used accelerants to accelerate During its initial days, it picked the right cities at the right time to maximize its success. Taxi cab companies were the main competitors when they entered the arena. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱: 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟭 - 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 Uber identified the cities with the biggest discrepancy between supply and demand for taxis. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟮 - 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 They then launched during times when that demand was likely to be the highest. These are called "Accelerants". - Restaurants and Nightlife - Holidays and events - Weather - Sports Uber focused on executing in cities where these accelerant problems were near-constants to drive accelerated adoption. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝟯 - 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 They figured out how to get customers all in one night using accelerants, and then it was all about the experience. “𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱-𝗼𝗳-𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵.” Takeaway 1: Launching your product during high demand and low supply helps you acquire the right set of customers and early adopters. Takeaway 2: Nothing fancy is required to build a great product. 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲: The unsung hero & the man behind "𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗸"

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 - #𝟭𝟮: 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🚗 How did Uber redefine the way we move? Uber's journey began in 2009 with a disruptive idea: making urban transportation accessible through an app. This ride-hailing model introduced convenience, dynamic pricing, and seamless user experience, shaking up the traditional taxi industry. What made Uber's strategy exceptional? ✅ Scalability: Rapid expansion into new markets, adapting to local nuances. ✅ Diversification: Extending into food delivery with Uber Eats, creating a service ecosystem. ✅ Inspiration: Leading the way for platforms like Grab and Ola, which localized the model for regional success. 💡 Takeaway Questions : 1️⃣ How can technology enable disruption in your industry? 2️⃣ Are you building a platform that can scale globally while adapting locally? 3️⃣ What services can your core offering inspire to create an ecosystem? Uber’s story, and those of its followers, demonstrates that innovation often creates ripples, inspiring others to refine and localize the idea to fit their markets. #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #TechnologyLeadership #PlatformEconomy #RideHailing #DigitalTransformation

Behind the Rides: A Look at Uber 🔍 What makes Uber a global leader in mobility, yet still face the persistent challenge of ride cancellations? I explored this problem from both the rider’s and driver’s perspectives and came up with two innovative feature suggestions to tackle cancellations head-on and create a smoother experience for everyone. Thanks to Coding Ninjas, Ankush Singla Sir, Nishant Goel, and Diksha Dhiman for giving me the opportunity to dive deep into this challenge and propose actionable solutions! My Feature Suggestions to Reduce Ride Cancellations: 1️⃣ AI-Based Matchmaking: An advanced algorithm that factors in driver preferences, real-time traffic, trip durations, and rider behavior to ensure a better match. This would minimize mismatches and cancellations by pairing riders and drivers who are more likely to align on the trip's specifics. ~How it helps: - Reduces frustration for drivers by aligning trips with their preferences. - Improves reliability for riders by lowering the chance of cancellations. 2️⃣ Gamifying the Wait for Riders: A feature that rewards riders for being patient, like earning small credits (e.g., ₹20 for every 5 minutes of waiting) or unlocking perks (like discounts on the next ride) for choosing not to cancel a trip. This builds positive reinforcement and reduces rider cancellations during peak times or delays. ~How it helps: -Riders feel incentivized to wait rather than cancel. -Keeps the experience engaging and builds brand loyalty through rewards. Why These Ideas Matter: Ride cancellations frustrate both riders and drivers, impacting their experience and Uber’s efficiency. These features focus on improving communication, trust, and incentives, making rides smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved. Kudos to the visionaries at Uber - Vamsi Sunnapu, Anmol Bansal, Rucha Pallewar, Ravi Sridharan, Vishal Hirani, Vinayak Gupta, Somesh Jain, Ananya Das What do YOU think? What’s your experience with ride cancellations? Would these ideas make Uber better for you? What other features could Uber explore to improve the ride-hailing experience? Explore more: https://lnkd.in/gT8Cj-UM #product #uber #teardown #ridesharing #featuresuggestions #mobility #ai #gamification #innovation #howtoreducecancellations #codingninjas #cn #productmanagement #productspace #productschool

Uber is mastering ecosystems with precision. They're focused. They don't chase quantity. Instead, they’re winning with smart, strategic execution that grows and maximizes the power of their ecosystem. Two key strategies of Uber that offer valuable lessons: 1. Build a Platform Business: Connect users (buyers, sellers, service providers) without owning the assets. 2. Join or Create an Ecosystem: Growing and scaling beyond a single product by forming a network of companies collaborating through data, services, and shared value (facilitated through the platform). Uber Car Rental as an Example: ✅ Expanded Services: Uber expanded their product offering and ecosystem through partnership with Avis and Hertz, letting users rent cars directly from the app, whether you're driving for Uber or just need it for personal use. ✅ Integrated Rentals into the Platform: Renting directly from the Uber app (without having to leave the platform), offering convenience and incentives. ✅ Maintained Asset-Light Model: Uber can leverage excess supply of cars already in circulation without creating new demand. ✅ Benefited All Stakeholders: The ecosystem partnership wasn’t just beneficial for Uber—it created value for rental companies, drivers, and riders, aligning with their mission of enabling people “to go anywhere, get anything, and earn their way.” ✅ Reinforced Core Values: By embedding these services into their platform, Uber delivered on its mission and values with every interaction, ensuring that both convenience and opportunity were central to their offerings. 💡 Key Takeaway: Successful companies build platforms that facilitate through ecosystems, connecting people and products to meet shared customer goals, benefiting everyone involved. #platforms #ecosystems #growth #innovation #tech

Few days ago, I was about to request a ride on Uber around 8 AM, but when I saw the price options, I had to switch over to Lyft to see if I could get a better deal. Several years back, I had the privilege to share the 'Product Platform' playbook to the Product community in a large enterprise. 🎯 #Platforms like Uber are more than just apps that connect riders to drivers. They are intermediaries that bring together multiple user groups and create #network effects. These network effects can be same-side, where buyers benefit from having more buyers, or cross-side, where buyers benefit from having more sellers (or drivers, in my example). The challenge for platforms, however, is overcoming the chicken and egg dilemma, growing both sides of the #user base simultaneously. Once they hit critical mass, platforms often evolve into 'winner-takes-all' markets. They drive down unit costs and create strong network effects and switching costs, making it tough for competitors to lure users away. 🔥 Businesses should consider having roles like 'Platform owner' or a 'Product Platform owner' besides the generic product roles. 💯 Is there a way to get the best of both the worlds - #Products and Platforms? Yes. 'Product platforms' can in fact connect two or more user groups, but should be built on a strong underlying product that provides value independent of the platform. Key benefits of Product Platforms are:  1️⃣ Reduced risks of multi-homing (users engaging with multiple platforms). 2️⃣ Less risk of #disintermediation (users bypassing the platform to interact directly). To transition from product to platform, 'Platform owners' should consider: 1️⃣ Start with a good product: The product must be defensible and attract a critical mass of users to entice third-party developers and sellers. 2️⃣ Hybrid #business model: Combine product and platform, enabling more sources of value creation, value capture, and defensibility. 3️⃣ Accelerate the tip: Drive rapid user adoption and overcome the chicken-and-egg problem by using techniques such as preemptive pricing or killer apps. 4️⃣ Deter competitive imitation: Once the platform gains traction, take defensive measures to secure the competitive advantage, such as adding unique features or increasing platform functionality. Platforms that scale usually have: 1️⃣ Network effects: The more drivers and riders they have, the more valuable the platform becomes, just like Uber. 2️⃣ Uber operates globally ('Global clustering') 🌏 3️⃣ What really sets Uber apart is how it keeps users from bypassing the platform ('Low disintermediation'), I have never contacted a driver directly. 4️⃣ Mostly I don’t juggle multiple ride apps all the time ('Low multi-homing'). 5️⃣ And Uber bridges the gap with related services like Uber Eats, strengthening its position and boosting value creation ('Network bridging'). 🔗 What other #offense and #defense strategies would you recommend for Platforms?

🚀 Decoupling in Business: A Simple Strategy That Changed How We Use Services 🚀 Curious about how companies like Uber transformed the landscape of customer experiences? 🤔 The secret lies in a smart business strategy called decoupling, particularly the concept of ⭐ decoupling value-creating ⭐ activities in the customer value chain. 🧐  What’s Decoupling? In simple terms, decoupling means breaking down the steps in a process and focusing only on what truly adds value for the customer. Think of a traditional taxi service: one must hail a cab, explain their location, deal with pricing, and hope the driver takes the best route. So many steps, right? But not all of them directly add value—they’re just bundled together. 📱 Enter Uber. Uber "decoupled" the ride-hailing process by concentrating on the value-creating activity: getting a ride with the tap of a button. No more hailing cabs, negotiating fares, or explaining directions. This decoupling allowed Uber to avoid the costs of owning a fleet, scale quickly by adding more drivers without logistical headaches, and invest heavily in improving user experience through app innovation, pricing transparency, and ratings. 💡 Key Takeaway: Uber's success came from decoupling unnecessary steps in the taxi service process, delivering value where it matters most to customers. By focusing only on the ride and making everything else seamless, they created a revolutionary business model. 📈 What Can We Learn? As we explore this concept, it’s essential to consider what activities truly add value for customers. Can processes be simplified by eliminating unnecessary steps? The less friction in the customer journey, the more value is created. But this is just the tip of the iceberg! Decoupling applies across various industries, from retail to software services. Reflecting on how it can streamline operations and enhance customer experiences opens up exciting possibilities. . . . . . . #Decoupling #CustomerExperience #Uber 

There's a gap, between the products we design and what our customers want. Let me challenge you with this: Uber is not a taxi company. Uber is a software company with a marketplace platform. One upon which taxi drivers and riders can find each other and 𝗱𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹. Did they think, we're going to build another taxi company? Or did they design the business around customer empathy? Did they think: Taxis are ubiquitous. The taxi experience is far from ideal. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿. Think about it.... Pre-Uber, you would have to: * Find a local taxi company * Call them, try to explain where you are and where you want to go * Wait, without info * Get in a car with a complete stranger * Make sure you had the cash to pay * Not be quite sure where you were going If you're a 6'4" stocky rugby player, this may be inconvenient. If you just happen to be in a more vulnerable demographic, this experience can ride with much anxiety. How to change that: How to 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿: * remove the problem of finding a taxi company, * remove language problems * remove location problems * remove lack of info problems * remove 'stranger' problems (to some extent) * remove payment problems * remove 'where you're going' problems Uber's marketplace platform for taxi's does this. The business scaled rapidly, spawned copycat businesses. Now people want to use Uber. And Uber has extended to other businesses (food delivery). So, think: Are you focused on product? Or are you focused on customer empathy? 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. #partnerships #value #growth  

🚗 Use Case Study #3: Uber - Rides Completed per Week 🔍 What this Enhancement means: Improve the reliability and convenience of the service. What you can do: 1️⃣ Driver Incentives: Implement better incentives for drivers during peak hours to ensure availability. 💸 2️⃣ Dynamic Pricing Optimization: Refine dynamic pricing algorithms to balance demand and supply effectively without alienating customers. ⚖️ 3️⃣ User Experience: Improve the user interface and user experience to make booking rides quicker and more intuitive. 📱 4️⃣ Loyalty Programs: Introduce or enhance loyalty programs that reward frequent users with discounts, priority booking, or other perks. 🎁 5️⃣ Safety Features: Continuously enhance safety features, such as real-time tracking and SOS alerts, to build trust and encourage more frequent use. 🛡️ How you can replicate in your product: ✅ Focus on enhancing the core service reliability in your product. ✅ Implement or improve loyalty programs that incentivize repeated use. ✅ Optimize pricing models or any equivalent mechanism to balance value and demand in your product. 💡 Keep learning from the best! Stay tuned for more insights on how top tech companies leverage their North Star Metrics to drive growth and how you can apply these strategies to your own products. #ProductManagement #GrowthStrategy #UserEngagement #TechInsights #CaseStudy #ProductFirstMindset #GrowthStrategy #TechInnovation #AppliedAI

I was taking an Uber ride recently and found something #interesting. Between me requesting a ride and Uber sending the request to a driver there is a gap. Remember that loading is kind of a screen where Uber shows the different stages of ride-booking (ride sent, waiting for the rider to accept). Now, this sounds counterintuitive, right? Why would Uber increase my waiting time by taking time to even send the request to the driver? That’s because of its interesting ride-matching #algorithm. Until a very long time, Uber used to follow a first-to-match algorithm. What this means is every time a user requests a ride, #uber would immediately send it to the nearest driver. This would work very well for places that already have a lot of drivers available nearby. But for people who don’t have a lot of riders close by, they face problems like a longer wait time. That's when Uber changed its algorithm to a Batched Matching algorithm. Batching is used by a lot of other ride-hailing #apps like Ola, Rapido or even food delivery #startups like Swiggy, Zomato to assign riders. So every time you request a ride, Uber waits for a short period of time before it sends out the request. In this time Uber creates batches of riders who request for a ride(see image) and drivers in a region. It then finds the best matches that will collectively reduce the wait times for the entire batch. Just by increasing the wait time for a few seconds, Uber creates a win-win situation for a lot of stakeholders. Think it from the driver's perspective, will a driver want to drive for 10 minutes to reach a ride or 5 minutes to reach a ride? Hence this also increases the number of potential matches between riders and drivers. Now, obviously, this wait time for batching can’t be very high. There is a sweet time that is the right balance between reducing costs/time for drivers & #customerexperience which is called the Goldilocks value. One more important consideration is the boundary for batching i.e. the region for which the rides should be batched together. Increasing this boundary will increase chances for better matching but again it comes with a negative of increasing wait time. The more #data Uber gets the more efficient the batching process gets. #strategy #technology #kneeledge

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀? 𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 Uber didn’t just scale - it exploded onto the global stage, transforming urban mobility and redefining convenience. But scaling at this pace didn’t happen by accident. Here’s how Uber scaled rapidly across continents: 1. Aggressive Market Expansion - Uber entered new markets at lightning speed, outpacing local competition by prioritizing growth over profit. 2. Localized Solutions - From UberMoto in Asia to UberBoat in Europe, Uber adapts to local needs, ensuring relevance in every market. 3. Network Effects - More drivers attract more riders, creating a self-reinforcing loop that scales naturally. 4. Data-Driven Decisions - Uber uses real-time data to optimize routes, pricing, and driver-rider matching, enhancing efficiency at scale. 5. Strategic Partnerships - By partnering with car manufacturers, delivery services, and governments, Uber diversified into areas like Uber Eats and freight logistics. Scaling isn’t just about speed - it’s about smart, data-driven decisions and adapting to local markets while thinking globally. #uber #mnc #business #marketing