My name is Chris, but you can CallMeDriver.
In the Beginning
In the middle of 2015, I attempted to start a small food company, and I was burning through money like Uber in China.
I needed cash.
Uber had come to Burlington, Vermont about a year earlier. I decided to give it a shot.
The advantages were clear:
They had a low barrier to entry, basically own a car and have a pulse.
They allowed me to work as often or as infrequently as I wished.
They deposited money into my account every week.
Love/Hate on Uber
I had heard wild tales of big money made from driving Uber, but I went into it with tempered expectations, planning on little more than withdrawing money out of the value of my car. My car is older (2008 Honda CRV), so I figured the math was in my favor.
I found driving fascinating and frustrating at the same time.
I interacted with some interesting people, who were really fun; and I carted around entitled jerks who were too lazy to take a short walk up a small hill.
Relations with Uber itself grew more frustrating over time, especially when they cut rates, claiming that it would increase work and money for drivers. I did not find that to be the case.
Frustrations multiplied:-+Ratings frustrated me. Lack of tips. Uber urging us to give out water to our non-tipping customers. Insurance gaps.
Why Another Uber Blog?
I found online communities organized around Uber and Lyft to be polarized and frequently stalked by taxi drivers and other stake holders.
Or the websites seemed like the blogging version of Times Square. Buy my book/my course. Sign up for my list. Look at this great new sponsor I have.
I don’t want to sell you any tips on driving. Driving for Uber or Lyft in most small and mid-sized markets isn’t that profitable after expenses. If I have a good tip, I will pass it along free.
Warning: I will dork out.
I am fascinated by the Uber business model, and what its success says about the economies in the countries in which it competes. I am particularly interested in the Indian market.
I will write about various markets, and issues which might at first not seem to matter to an infrequent, small-market driver like myself.
But it all matters, because if Uber burns through cash trying to compete in India and China, it will try to shore up profits in other markets by…say… raising it’s percentage (sound familiar?).
Write to me, tell me what you want to read
I’m just starting out. Write to me and tell me what to focus on.