Uber's Business Model

Biz Model for
Uber Technologies Inc.
A REAL-TIME RIDESHARING SERVICE
AMBRE FISCHER | ARNAUD LEGRIS | CHRISTOPHER LAURENTIUS | JOYCE LIM | KEONG PEI QUAN | RAYMOND UNG
Business models for other ride sharing companies such as Ola Cabs (http://www.slideshare.net/Funk97/presentations) and for different types of ride sharing such
as multi-passenger ride sharing (http://www.slideshare.net/Funk97/presentations) can be found on my slide share accounts.

1. Background of taxi services and real-time ridesharing
2. What does Uber Technologies Inc do?
3. Value Proposition
4. Customers and Market
5. Value Capture
6. Competition
7. Strategic Control
8. Uber, an issue?
9. Improvements & Alternatives
10. Q&A
UBER TECHNOLOGIES INC. 2
Agenda

Background – Taxi Services
More convenient than other modes of public transport
when going at a specific destination
Higher fees than other modes of public transport
 Fixed price based on base fare, distance, time, peak
hours/weekends & public holidays, advanced booking fees
Requires a government license to be a taxi driver
Car rented by the taxi operator
Taxis can be hired
 Hailing on the street
 Waiting at specific taxi stations
 For immediate booking by SMS, phone call, app
 For advanced booking by phone call, apps

1. Background of taxi services
5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

What does Uber Technologies Inc do?
Network Orchestrator, connecting passengers with drivers
 Manages a network of drivers and passengers through a phone application
 Provides options and varieties in the transportation service
Source of image: https://www.uber.com/
Toyota Camry BMW 7 series
GMC Yukon Denali
Mercedes S-Class

Uber: Real-Time Ridesharing
(FROM) RIDESHARING
Shares the same car and destination
Shares the cost of gas, toll fees, parking
Pairs passengers and drivers who are heading in
the same direction / heading to the same
destination
Time Sharing
(TO) REAL-TIME RIDESHARING
Shares the same car and destination
Individual costs
Uses latest technologies
Uses GPS and smartphones
Social Networks
Geared towards profit or commercial gain
Incremental
Evolution

Passengers
No
Destination decided byDrivers
Profit-driven
Ride Sharing:
Neighbor, Colleague, Carpool, etc…
Real-Time Ride Sharing:
Uber, Lyft, etc..
Yes
Source of image: http://marketrealist.com/analysis/stock-analysis/technology/internet/charts/?featured_post=70133&featured_chart=70136
Uber: Real-Time Ridesharing

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

EVERYONE CAN BE A DRIVER
Flexibility to drive Extra Income Drive with Assurance
Value Proposition
EVERYONE’S PRIVATE DRIVER
One tap to ride Reliable Pickup Status Sharing Ride Feedback Cashless

Value Proposition – Network Orchestrator
Passenger Driver
Request for
ride
Notification of
acceptance
Notification of
the request
Accepts
request
- Pay the ride
- Give feedback
Picks the passenger and brings him
to the destination
- Indicates navigation
- Estimates fare &
time
App
GPS

Uber’s structure is simpler, thus generating lower costs which allows them to propose a lower price
 No inventory
 Uber doesn’t have to pay fees as they are not “taxi service operators”
They are network orchestrators matching drivers and passengers
Drivers do not have to pay for professional fees to deliver the service
Uber drivers are partners not employees
 Ease of becoming driver
 More drivers than taxi drives in NYC 1
 Majority of drivers are part time , only 38% worked full time 2
 Part time driver can accept lower revenues than normal taxi drivers
Value Proposition – A cheaper ride compared to Taxis
1 http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/more-uber-cars-yellow-taxis-nyc/
2 http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/22/uber-study/

DEMAND/SUPPLY ALGORITHM
Heat mapping to indicate where the demand is
“God View” – real time aerial view of the
movement of cars1
Plenty of other data analyses, such as
 Analyzing how many times the app is open
 Analyzing accuracy of demand prediction to refine the
prediction algorithm
 Calculating probability of accurate destinations and
popular destinations2
SURGE PRICING ALGORITHM
Automatically detects situations of high demand
and low supply and adjusts price accordingly,
depending on the level of shortage.
1 http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/16/us-uber-privacy-idUSKBN0JU2DT20141216
2 http://blog.uber.com/passenger-destinations, http://blog.uber.com/2012/11/12/uberdata-mapping-a-citys-flow-using-ubers-ridership-data/
Source for both images: http://www.wired.com/2011/04/app-stars-uber/
Value Proposition – Surge Pricing: Meeting high
demand
Surge Pricing : Uber rates increase to ensure reliability when demand cannot be met
Encourage more driver to be available.

US 2013/0246207A1 (pending grant)
 System and Method for Dynamically Adjusting Prices
for Services
Pricing algorithm automatically detects situations
of high demand and low supply and hikes the price
in increments, depending on the scale of the
shortage.
 Algorithm results in increased supply and reduced
demand.
 “Through these two mechanisms, the company is able
to (a) increase supply, (b) assure reliability, a key tenet
of the company, and (c) maximize the number of
completed rides.” – Bill Gurley, Uber investor and
board member
Source of image: Patent No: US 2013/0246207A1 by Uber Technologies Inc, System and Method for Dynamically Adjusting Prices for Services
E.g. prices to be changed if
utilization rate falls below 60% or
above 80%; or demand and
supply model that compares the
number of drivers to passengers.
Price adjusted relative to a fixed
price i.e. using a multiplier
Value Proposition – Surge Pricing: Patent Pending

Value Proposition – Surge Pricing Example(1) Demand –
Supply Equilibrium
$10
Normal Fare

$10
Fare Increases
$15
Value Proposition – Surge Pricing Example(2) Demand >
Supply

$15
Fare Decreases
$10
Value Proposition – Surge Pricing Example(3) Demand <
Supply

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

So who do you think are Uber’s customers?
1) Drivers 2) Passengers 3) Both?
Source: Google Search Definitions

Uber’s definition of customer:
Individuals requesting or ordering an on-demand service, where a service provider refers to individuals
or entities that can provide the requested service e.g. car/taxi service.
Passenger Uber Driver
$$$ Commission
CUSTOMER
Paying for the service (transportation)
PARTNERS
Complementary Service Provider, NOT customer

Customer Segments (by needs)
I want a ride (Taxi, UberX, UberTaxi, Lyft)
I want a luxury ride (Limousine Taxi, UberBlack)
I’m willing to pay more to get a ride NOW (UberX,
Lyft)
 I want the highest probability of getting a ride
 I want a taxi NOW
I want to share the ride to reduce cost (UberPool)
I want a scheduled ride (Taxi)
I want a consistent good user experience (Uber,
Lyft)
Key Differentiators between the different options:
Price
Time
User experience
Options

EARLY ADOPTERS
Tech-Savvy Users
Smartphone Users
Users who value time
 People who appreciates having a ride confirmation
shortly after the need arises
Users with (limited) spending power. They are
either
 People who wish to save money but still get the
convenience or
 They have the power to hail a ride at any price
EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMERS
UberPool – Non-working group e.g. students,
young adults
UberX – e.g. working adults, people in a rush
UberTaxi – e.g. the usual taxi passenger
UberBlack (Premium) – e.g. professionals, people
who wish to show off
Targeted Customer Segments (Real-time Ridesharing)

Uber’s Estimated Market Share (NYC Jan 2015)
40% of Total NYC Taxi Market (advanced
booking taxis, Uber, Lyft)
45% of advanced booking Taxi Market 17% of
Total Taxi Market
Total Taxi Market
135 million rides
~$1.9 Bn
Target Market
55 million rides
~$1 Bn
Uber Market
Share
25 million rides
$0.4 Bn
Total Taxi market : http://www.statisticbrain.com/taxi-cab-statistics/
Uber Marke share: http://www.northjersey.com/news/move-to-regulate-ride-share-services-like-uber-lyft-advances-in-nj-video-1.1292267
Market Comparison in %: http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-revenue-rides-drivers-and-fares-2014-11?op=1

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

Value Capture
Pricing & Payment
 Uber set prices for rides
 Peak hours
 Customers pay Uber with
credit card (not the drivers)
Splitting the Proceeds
 20% of the ride go to Uber
 Commission-based
 Depends on the city and
competition
From revenues to Profits
 Uber cover expenses (R&D,
marketing…)
 Employees & infrastructure
in cities
Reinvest to Grow
 R&D and acquisition of new
business

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

Competition
Smartphone
Applications
Real-time
Ridesharing
Taxis

Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Taxi (1)
Uber Taxi
Advance Booking No Yes
Hiring Method Smart Phone App Flag/Call Center/App/Dedicated taxi queue
Payment Cashless Cash/Credit Card
Driver/Passenger Rating Available NA
Pricing Structure Flexible Structured
Fare Sharing Anyone Limited to friends
ETA to Destination Available NA
ETA of the Ride Available Available (Apps Only)
Car Self Rented from Taxi Company
Driver’s perspectives Flexible Rigid
Law & Regulation (more on this later) Grey Area Well-defined
Value Capture to Company Commission Fee Rental Fee, Advertisement

UBER
Base fare
Metered fare based on time/distance
Surge pricing
 During high/low demand
TAXI
Base fare
Metered fare based on time/distance
Additional costs
 Peak hour / midnight surcharge
 Public Holiday surcharge
 Advanced booking fee
 Luggage fees
 Area based surcharge
 City
 Airport
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Taxi (2) Pricing Structure

Graphs from: http://www.businessinsider.sg/uber-vs-taxi-pricing-by-city-2014-10/#.VQ7j7-6UfP8
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Taxi (3) Pricing Structure

UBER
Requirements
 No professional taxi license required
 Require your own vehicle
Income
 Flexible timing – part time work
 Surge pricing may provide higher hourly wages
Expenses
 Petrol
 Personal insurance
 Maintenance of personal vehicle
TAXI
Requirements
 Professional taxi license / “medallion”
Income
 Full time work (i.e cover daily rental work)
 Fixed surcharges
Expenses
 Fixed rental fees for taxi to be paid
 License fees as a taxi driver to be paid
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Taxi (4) Driver’s Perspectives

Image from: http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/22/uber-study/
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Taxi (5) Driver’s Perspectives

UBER LYFT Winner
Cost Lower on Average Higher UBER
Surge Pricing No Cap Cap at 200% LYFT (Passenger POV)
Surge Pricing No Cap Cap at 200% UBER (Driver POV)
Company Investment (2014) ~$405 Million ~$330 Million UBER
Safety Insurance/Driver Rating Insurance/Driver Rating TIE
Customer Support Online Support 24/7 Call Centre TIE
Professionalism Feels professional Feels friendly UBER
Service/Experience Passenger-Driver Relationship Friendly Ride LYFT
Legality Issues on real time ride sharing TIE
Winner UBER
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Lyft (1)

Similarities
 Demand/supply algorithm
 Both increases supply during high demand periods but
the limit of Prime Time also means that comparatively,
Uber partners would earn more during the same
period if demand is extremely high.
Differences
 Surge Pricing: no cap (except for “abnormal disruption
of the market” – more on that later)
 Prime Time: 200% price surge i.e. cap of 3x fare
 NYE 2014: 400% increase i.e. cap of 5x fare
The success of Uber’s Surge Pricing
 2 million matched rides on NYE 2014 (worldwide)
Source of image: http://blog.uber.com/cheersto2015
Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Lyft (2) Surge Pricing vs Prime Time

Competitive Analysis – Uber vs Lyft (3) Prices in different states
$0.00
$0.50
$1.00
$1.50
$2.00
$2.50
$3.00
COST
Source of image: Uber and Lyft websites

Overall Competitive Analysis
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Advance
Booking
Law &
Regulation
Hiring Method
(User
Friendliness)
Cashless
Payment
Fare Sharing Driver’s
Flexibility
Go-to Market
Car Flexibility
User
Experience
Ride
Information
RATING
Strategy Canvas for Uber, Lyft and Taxi
Uber Taxi Lyft
Uber Taxi Lyft
Advance Booking 0 5 0
Law & Regulation 3 5 3
Hiring Method (User Friendliness) 5 3 5
Cashless Payment 5 3 5
Fare Sharing 5 3 5
Driver’s Flexibility 5 3 5
Go-to Market Car Flexibility 5 3 3
User Experience 5 3 5
Ride Information 5 3 5

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

First mover advantage
 Accumulate a larger parnter installed base, and real-
time ridesharing apps thrive on the size of customer
base
Barrier to entry
 Patent applications
 If granted, Uber will be the only company in this line of business to
have related patents
 But most patents refer to business methods
Network Effects
 Customer
 Partner
Source of image: http://patentvue.com/2014/03/04/sidecar-and-uber-patent-portfolios-lead-the-ride-sharing-industry/
Strategic Control

Strategic Control
Retain
& Gain
New
Drivers
Partner rewards program
• Vehicle Financing
• Health Care Incentives
• etc
Customers
• Price promotions
• Partnerships with
local establishments
e.g. restaurants,
shops

5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

Issues (worldwide)
Issues Solutions
Trust and Safety issues
• Alleged (sexual) assaults
• Alleged Kidnapping
• Driver/Passenger information, GPS following rides
• Panic Button
• Background checks, identification of new
technologies
Legal issues
• Insurance coverage for accidents
• Regulatory laws – Illegal taxi operation?
• Metromile’s Uber Car Insurance
• Insurance Coverage for UberX
• App’s terms and conditions
• Conforming to the laws
Surge Pricing • Cap on fares for certain events

Source of image: https://www.uber.com/safety
Issues: Background checks
All drivers are screened against:
 County courthouse records
 Federal courthouse records
 Multi-State Criminal Database
 National Sex Offender Registry screen
 Social Security Trace (lifetime)
 Motor Vehicle Records (historical and ongoing)
In Nov 2014, Uber started a safety review to
identify new technologies such as
 Biometrics and
 Voice verification
Further suggestions by U.S. Congress, Mar 2015
 Adopt fingerprint-based background checks

Issues (worldwide)
Issues Solutions
• Panic Button
• Background checks, identification of new technologies
Legal issues
“You understand, therefore, that by using the application and the service, you
may be exposed to transportation that is potentially dangerous, offensive, harmful
to minors, unsafe or otherwise objectionable, and that you use the application
and the service at your own risk.” - Uber’s Terms & Conditions

UberBlack, UberSUV, or UberTAXI rides are
provided by commercially licensed and insured
partners and drivers. How about UberX?
Uber introduced insurance coverage for the UberX
rides in Mar 2014.
 $1 million of liability coverage per incident.
 $1 million of uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily
injury coverage per incident.
 Contingent comprehensive and collision insurance.
 No fault coverage (e.g., Personal Injury Protection)
 $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 of contingent coverage
between trips.
Issues: Insurance Coverage for UberX
Source of image: http://blog.uber.com/ridesharinginsurance

Covers drivers for miles in between trips
 Uses a cellular gadget that plugs into their vehicle’s
diagnostic port.
 Recognizes when drivers are working and are covered
by Uber’s insurance so it only charges them for miles
they drive for personal use.
Complements UberX Car Insurance
 $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 of contingent coverage
between trips.
As a result… Drivers do not have to fear
 Being denied coverage by personal insurance
 Potential limitations of their personal insurance
coverage while logged on to a rideshare app.
Issues: Metromile’s Uber Car Insurance
Source of image: http://blog.metromile.com/blog/2015/1/28/uber-partnership

Issues: Regulatory laws – is Uber legal?
Source of image: http://www.taxi-deutschland.net/images/presse/Infografik_Uber-legal-issues_EN_v12_RGB_2015-02-06_final.jpg, used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 Intl Licence

Issues (worldwide)
Issues Solutions
• Panic Button
• Background checks, identification of new technologies
Legal issues

Issues: Surge Pricing
Source of image: http://www.businessinsider.sg/ubers-highest-surge-price-ever-may-be-50x-2014-11/#.VRuIMO6UfP8
x normal rate
min rate
A 1km ride will cost you USD 650

Issues: Surge Pricing
Uber came under fire for the surge pricing algorithm during the events:
 Hurricane Sandy
 (elsewhere) Sydney Hostage Siege
Capped surge pricing from Jan 2015 for “abnormal disruption of the market” events
 “If Uber puts surge pricing into effect during an abnormal disruption of the market, Uber will not set the price for
any transportation option above a multiple of the base fare to the determined…based on the prices set by Uber for
the same transportation option…during the sixty days preceding the commencement of the abnormal disruption of
the market. To determine the price cap for a transportation option in a city and surrounding area, Uber shall first
identify the three highest prices it set, on different days…Price cap shall be the next highest price that was set for
the same transportation option …not including the days on which the three highest prices were set.”
i.e. If in the past 60 days, the 4 highest multipliers were 3x, 4x, 5x and 6x, Uber will charge a maximum of 3x the
normal fare for such events.

1. Background of taxi services and real-time ridesharing
5. Value Capture
6. Competition
8. Uber, an issue?
10. Q&A
Agenda

UberGarage - Experimentation
UberFRESH & UberESSENTIALS
 Delivery lunch & various products
 At an experiment stage
 No delivery fee for Essentials fixed $3 fee for Fresh, no tips to the driver
 Make money with product margin
 Based on the same business model (drivers, app: location, payment, rating)
 Create value to customers: convenient, very fast (10 minutes)
UberCARGO
UberRUSH
UberPOOL
Uber Business
 Reliable ride for your employees

Improving Existing Business
UBER
DRIVERS PASSENGERS
Extra
Insurance
Coverage
Uber Mobile App Protection
Driver/Rider
Preference
Incentive Program

Alternative Business Models – Customer Segments
UberAlternate
 Similar to UberX but using other forms of transport
e.g. bicycles or motorbikes.
 Target segment: Passengers in developing countries /
countries where public transport is not well
established
UberAlternateX
 High end luxury transport
 Target segment: Niche segment: luxury
 Available for high end car

Alternative Business Models – Customer Segments
UberTour
 UberX for tourist attractions within the city/country
 Planning of ride itinerary and following available tour
vehicles
 Target segment: Tourists with their own (flexible)
itinerary

Alternative Business Models – Value Capture
UberCredits
 Passenger can buy $100 of UberCredits and be rewarded with an extra $20.
 Entice more passengers to use Uber, which will increase demand and make drivers happy.
UberAdvertising
 Advertisements on the app and within the car
 Advertising revenue

In the Future (10-15 years)....
Driverless Uber
 Use driverless car, when driverless car is available & legalized
Uber Next
 Predict the need of a ride based on data, schedule, etc
Alternative Business Models – Long Term

Lastly, if anyone is interested….
Apply now through: https://www.uber.com/jobs/54600/apply?gh_jid=54600

Q&A
P.S. FOR QUESTIONS ON JOB APPLICATIONS, PLEASE SEND DIRECTLY TO
UBER.

UBERX UBERPOOL
Images from: http://blog.uber.com/UberPoolDriver
Backup Slide: UberPOOL

Backup Slide: Surge Pricing Technology example
In San Francisco, there can a high number of requesters at a
certain time where transportation services are requested so
that there is a spike in demand, while supply remains the
same.
In comparison, in a nearby city, such as San Jose, there is no
spike in demand for the transportation services or food
services at the same time.
Due to the limited availability (e.g., inventory) of drivers and
vehicles, the system can adjust the price for the service
(e.g., increase the cost) for the requesters in San Francisco
(or to requesters in a region within San Francisco).
For those requesters and service providers, the price for the
particular service can be adjusted (e.g., increased), while
the price (e.g., the default price value) for other requesters
and services providers in other areas remains the same. The
parsed data can also be stored in one of the system
databases, such as a pricing data database, so that the price
adjustment can retrieve previously parsed data at different
times.
Data is stored in appropriate system databases so that a
historical record can be maintained. The historical record
can include requester data and provider data received at
particular dates and times previously received.
In some examples, the historical data can also be used to
approximate the amount of requesters and the amount of
service providers at a particular geographic region at a
certain time and/or date.
In this manner, information can be collected, stored, and
maintained for future use (e.g., for price adjustment at a
later time or for predicting future supply and demand for
the service).
For example, the data collected on Friday evenings can be
useful in predicting supply and demand for future Friday
evenings (e.g., can be used to determine trends).
Forecasting future spikes in demand, for example, can be
useful in making sure a sufficient amount of service
providers are available at the future time to meet the high
demands.

Backup Slide: Surge Pricing System

Image from: http://www.cnet.com/news/uber-lyft-are-sinking-san-francisco-taxi-business/
Backup Slide: Increase vs Decline of apps to flagging

Backup Slide: Competition (Uber vs other apps)
Uber FlyWheel Lyft
Go-to Market Luxury/Private Cars/Existing
Taxi
Existing Taxi Private Car
Marketing Strategy Free credits, celebrity
endorsement, social media
No surge, non-a******
alternative to Uber
Branding(Moustache)
Tools Smartphone Taxi meter, Smartphone Smartphone
Payment Method Cashless Cashless Cashless
Taxi Fare Cheaper than traditional taxi Traditional Taxi Fee Cheaper than traditional taxi
Advance Booking Option NA Available NA
User Experience Driver/Passenger Rating NA Driver/Passenger Rating
Fare Sharing Uber Pool NA Line Lyft
Surge Pricing No limit NA Cap at 200% i.e. 3x fare

Image from: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102240065
Backup Slide: Competition (Market Share)

Backup Slide: Competition (Uber vs Lyft)

Private hire license
Commercial insurance
Back up Slide: Becoming Uber driver in Singapore

Uber's Business Model

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