57: The Trough of Disillusionment - unpacking hype, adoption and funding

This week, Horace joins Oliver on the podcast to talk about hype cycles, capital formation and transport funding patterns historically, and what we can learn from them about the micromobility space now. Specifically: The parallels between the hype cycles for MP3 players, the internet and personal computers vs. micromobility. The perils of ‘being early’ in large scale technology adoptions. The history of funding for the auto, railway and canal sectors transport systems, and parallels to micromobility and the infrastructure required. Why pioneers for traditional transport innovations largely end up with arrows in their back. Why we’re unlikely to see large scale infrastructure deployments like we used to in democratic countries.

Ride AI · Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu