this post was submitted on 30 Sep 2023
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333
Drivers Co-op is doing a kickstarter to expand their Uber alternative thats owned by the drivers. (www.kickstarter.com)
submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I remember seeing this app a couple months ago and being excited about a team finally doing this. They've been available in New York City for a while and now they're trying to raise money to expand to more places. Hopefully they open source the app\server in the future since it would be great to have more co-op apps for the other "gig economy" style apps.

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[–] [email protected] 102 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

That's not really a kickstarter so much as a gofundme for a business. $50 for a stress ball? $1000 for a ride in NYC? Kickstarter rewards ought to be close to the value that you're giving, because it's analogous to an investment. Kickstarter is not a charity fundraiser.

Why not give credits as a reward? You're raising capital for a business, so theoretically you should be profitable enough to pay back investors. And if not, there are no rides because there are no drivers.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (3 children)

A Co-op Ride to anywhere you want in NYC
$1,000

Honestly today, this was competitive pricing against Lyft...

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Isn't new York flooded right now?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Not any more, but yeah, most of the trains were suspended. I paid about $80 to get home to Brooklyn.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I saw a video that was showing that it was flooded… in spots… despite media coverage that gave the impression the whole island was underwater. And that mostly cleared up last night it seems.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Might be why it's hard to get a ride

Need an amphibious vehicle to get there

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

And if I could get a ride in this service today that might be relevant

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Thanks for the correction.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It makes sense to use the kickstarter money for the development of the app/infrastructure and not to cover the costs of the kickstarter rewards. I personally think kickstarters should offer the least amount of physical rewards as possible and instead offer digital things they don’t have to worry about sourcing/shipping so the money can go to the development of the software/game/animation etc.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

Of course the money is used to invest in the startup. That's what startup money is always used for. But typical startup capital comes from investors who expect to receive a share of the profits. Kickstarter gives startups the chance to reward "investors" in other ways, like funding an initial production run or providing rewards of similar value that don't cost the company as much to produce. For example, an author might write an investor into the book, or a theater production might provide a VIP experience with the cast.

Kickstarter is not a charity. They're asking for donations. There isn't even a digital reward, because presumably the app will be free. It's more akin to PBS giving away tote bags to subscribers, but even those subscribers get a discount card supported by local businesses.

The fact that they don't understand the difference creates significant doubts regarding the competrnce and feasibility of the endeavor. I think a FOSS ride sharing app is an excellent idea, but I will not hold my breath for this one.