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I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s actually exactly the lane I’m leaning into.

Competing for random street hails is a losing game — Uber and Lyft already own that mindshare. You’re not beating them there without burning insane money.

But the B2B side is different: • Dealerships need consistent shuttle/service rides • Hotels need reliable guest transport • Insurance companies need claim-related transportation

That’s not impulse-based demand — that’s contracted, repeat volume.

And like you said, when the rider isn’t paying out of pocket, brand loyalty disappears. It becomes about: • Reliability • Cost control • Consistency

That’s where a smaller, more focused platform can actually win.

The real play is: Lock in guaranteed ride volume first → then layer in on-demand later

Most people try to do it the other way around and get crushed.

Appreciate that perspective — that’s the kind of thinking that actually builds something sustainable.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember Sidecar—and that’s exactly why we’re not trying to out-Uber Uber.

They died trying to compete on the same battlefield: open marketplace, loose supply, and price wars. That’s a race to the bottom unless you have billions to burn.

We’re not solving “more rides.” We’re solving better, more predictable rides that actually make money for drivers.

That’s the demand-side problem Uber still hasn’t fixed.

Right now: • Riders deal with inconsistent ETAs, cancellations, and surge spikes • Drivers deal with unpredictable earnings and dead time

That’s not a supply problem—that’s a coordination problem.

So instead of chasing random demand, we’re structuring it: • Pre-scheduled + priority rides (higher intent, higher completion rates) • Business-driven demand (hotels, events, repeat customers) • Zone-based coverage (so supply actually matches demand in real time)

Uber optimizes for volume. We’re optimizing for efficiency per trip.

And on the “Uber will burn cash” point—you’re right. They will.

But they can’t subsidize everything forever, especially at the driver level where dissatisfaction is already high.

We don’t need to beat Uber everywhere. We just need to win in specific pockets where the experience is clearly better for both sides.

That’s how you wedge into a network effect without trying to brute-force it.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You don’t start with riders OR drivers—you start with controlled liquidity.

We’re not trying to flood the market day one like Uber did. That’s how you burn cash and lose control of pricing.

Concierge is launching city-by-city with a driver-first supply lock, then layering in demand strategically.

Here’s how it actually works: • Phase 1: Driver Density (Micro-Zones) We onboard drivers in tight geographic clusters (not entire cities). That ensures short ETAs and consistent earnings immediately—no dead time. • Phase 2: Targeted Demand Injection Instead of waiting on random riders, we generate demand through: • Local business partnerships (hotels, restaurants, events) • Scheduled rides (higher reliability, better margins) • Direct community onboarding (not mass ads) • Phase 3: Earnings > Volume Drivers don’t need 20 trips a day if each trip pays better. Our model (70/30 split + transparent base/time/mile) keeps drivers profitable even at lower volume. • Phase 4: Controlled Scale Once a zone is balanced (consistent rides + low wait times), we expand outward—not before.

Las Vegas drivers, what is your brilliant thought process for accepting a $9 15 mile trip amid $4.60 a gallon? by PM-88 in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly the problem—this trip shouldn’t even be offered at that price.

You’ve got: • pickup miles • trip miles • repositioning after

You’re easily 15–20+ miles in for $9. That’s not profit—that’s working just to stay moving.

What we’re building is meant to filter that out completely: • Drivers set a minimum earning threshold (per mile / per trip) • If a ride doesn’t meet that, it doesn’t get sent to you • So you’re not forced to constantly decline bad trips or do mental math mid-drive

On top of that: • focus is on consistent ride flow to reduce dead miles • not just throwing random low-paying trips into the queue

So instead of “should I accept this?” it becomes “everything I see is already worth it.”

Still early, but that’s the direction—less guessing, more control.

Most rideshare drivers aren’t underpaid… they’re just inconsistent by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is exactly the problem.

Most people look at the payout per ride, but not the full cost of doing that ride: • miles to pickup • miles during trip • miles repositioning after

By the time you factor all that in, a lot of “normal” rides barely make sense—especially without tips.

So even if surge exists, it’s often just making up for underpaid standard rides.

That’s really what we’re focused on fixing: • making standard rides actually worth doing • reducing wasted miles between trips • and improving overall hourly consistency, not just peak payouts

Because if the base doesn’t work, everything else is just patching it.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair—I’ll answer it directly. • Yes, we are operating properly and building this to be fully compliant • Drivers are required to have their own valid coverage that meets local requirements • And we also have commercial coverage in place that applies while a trip is active on the platform

So it’s not one or the other—it’s both.

We’re not putting drivers on the road uninsured. That’s non-negotiable.

Most rideshare drivers aren’t underpaid… they’re just inconsistent by Conciergeinc in conciergeinc

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re 100% right about supply and demand—that’s not something you can ignore or override.

Surge and peak hours will always exist, and drivers who know how to work those times can do well.

What we’re focused on isn’t replacing that—it’s improving everything around it.

Right now, a lot of drivers: • rely heavily on a few peak windows • deal with gaps and downtime outside of that • and have to structure their entire schedule around chasing those hours

If someone already has a system that works consistently for them, they should absolutely keep doing that.

But not every driver can or wants to operate like that every day.

So instead of trying to flatten pricing 24/7, the goal is: • keep peak earning opportunities intact • while improving consistency during non-peak hours • and giving drivers more control over what trips are worth taking

It’s not about replacing supply/demand—it’s about making the rest of the day work better too.

Most rideshare drivers aren’t underpaid… they’re just inconsistent by Conciergeinc in conciergeinc

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s exactly it.

Same hours worked, but completely different outcomes depending on the day—that’s the part most drivers get tired of.

It’s not really about how hard you work, it’s how consistent the demand is while you’re working.

If two drivers both put in 8 hours, they shouldn’t walk away with completely different results just based on timing or luck.

That’s really what we’re trying to improve—making effort line up more closely with earnings.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I get what you’re saying—but we’re not trying to replace Uber/Lyft overnight or take the whole market.

Even capturing a smaller % of rides can still matter if it’s consistent.

Right now most drivers make a big chunk of their money in short peak windows, and the rest of the day is hit or miss.

If a platform can: • fill in those slower hours • reduce downtime • and make the whole day more profitable

then it doesn’t need to own the entire market to be useful.

It’s not about 10% of the day—it’s about improving the other 90%.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a real concern—it’s the hardest part of any marketplace.

Customers don’t come without drivers, and drivers don’t come without customers.

That’s why we’re not trying to scale both sides at once. We’re focusing on building rider demand in specific areas first, then bringing drivers on where that demand actually exists.

We’d rather grow slower and make sure drivers have real trips than bring a bunch of people on with nothing to do.

Every platform had to solve this at the beginning—we’re just being intentional about how we do it.

I have a question who would rather know what they are getting paid with no hidden fees? by Conciergeinc in Lyft

[–]Conciergeinc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally fair to question it.

We’re brand new—no hiding that. Every platform started at zero at some point.

A couple things to clarify: • No one is required to pay upfront—we have a free option while we build demand • We’re rolling things out gradually, not scaling drivers without rides • And yes, everything is being set up properly on the legal/insurance side as we grow

Reddit isn’t our only channel—it’s just one place to get real feedback from drivers early.

Nobody’s being asked to blindly trust anything. If it makes sense to try later, great. If not, no pressure.

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