41: Implications of a Zero $ per Mile Marginal Cost

In this episode, Oliver and Horace talk about cost-per-mile calculations for micromobility, and the implications of the recent blogpost that Horace published on the Micromobility.io blog (https://micromobility.io/blog/2019/9/9/the-cost-of-a-mile). In short - what happens when the marginal cost per additional km collapses towards zero with Micromobility. We think there are lots of lessons we can take from the telecom industry. Specifically, we cover: - The cost-per-mile calculations from New York for both Citi-Bike and taxis and how they compare to private owned cars - The comparison of shared vs. owned micromobility, and why Horace is far more bullish than Oliver on shared platforms - The jobs-to-be-done of shared vs owned micromobility, and why they’re in many ways different markets - What new behaviours and business opportunities we’re seeing emerge on shared platforms and why scooter trains validate our early thesis about why micromobility is disruptive. - Why Lime and Bird are likely to become the equivalent of Vodafone or Verizon over time - A discussion about whether the social layer for micromobility transport will sit on the vehicle or on the phone of the user. It’s a great discussion with lots of sparring. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did making it!

Ride AI · Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu