Dear Uber, I found you a new driver.
I know this man in his 60s. He is saving towards his final years before retirement and asked me “have you heard of this Airbnb thing?” (being a geek in this space it was hard to say NO.) The man continued, “Now that’s a good business”
This man, let’s call his Morris, loved Airbnb
After learning about it just 6 months ago he was praising it, “They take care of marketing and make things simple, you can make an extra wage with this thing.” He’s now a regular member and enjoys how Airbnb can supply him with additional income over the coming years. It was clear he was excited to tell people about his experience.
I recently moved to London and sold some furniture to a few 20 somethings. When they came for the sofas I asked one girl why she was buying them – she asked, “have you heard of this Airbnb thing?” …
It’s a good business when your brand is easily understood and appreciated by two diverse customer groups. It’s a GREAT business considering Morris is a New England suburban father that manages a restaurant + bar and doesn’t FB, consume apps or make online transactions.
Uber (if you haven't heard of it) is quite poised to make even louder noise as it transcends it’s original mission further and reaches more customers with unique opportunities.
I explained to Morris how Uber’s model works. He had a hard time with it, so I explained Uber as getting an instant taxi service without having to find a number, call someone, provide your address or payment preference.
Morris nodded, understanding a bit more
I went on, “it’s cleaner than normal taxis and could come in different varieties, e.g S-Class Benz loaded with champagne, TV, tablets, wireless, etc.” He was getting the idea even more now
I explained their brand DNA - how they are curious and give memorable experiences a boost – providing on demand rose delivery for Valentine’s day and July 4th private car services + helicopter trips to Hampton parties. To top things off, Uber’s CEO, Travis K., discussed a taxi killing pricing formula that is sure to make things interesting for competition and Uber’s users.
The best part for Morris is Uber offers folks like him the chance to use his existing car, drive it to meet interesting folks and potentially make “$2500/month for a part-time gig 3-5 hours a day”
After that, Morris finally understood, “now that’s a good business.”
If you enjoyed this, I would really appreciate a recommend or share. Thank you!
R.W. is an ex-consumer tech MD, international explorer and enjoys things Growth Oriented & SoLoMoGlo.
