Happy Sunday! Thanks to everyone who joined Oversharing’s first week back.
As we get going again, I’m curious what stories and topics you’d like to see covered. The sharing economy is always fair game and, as I said the other day, I’m also interested in writing more on the intersection of tech and urbanism. And I want to hear from you! What would you like to read more about here? There are no wrong answers. You might consider:
A great article or book you read recently
A question you’ve been thinking about
A company or business model that’s sparked your interest
One of the best things about this newsletter is its smart, thoughtful readers, so I’m looking forward to what you all have to say. –Ali
I was just visiting SF and it struck me how much tech stuff was linked to the particularities of SF: like hoodies as a default uniform (because it's never warm enough that you don't need to have an extra layer) and scooters (so many damn hills). Those aren't really the problems that need solving in, say, Atlanta.
Are there any tech urbanism things coming out of cities other than SF/Seattle/NYC?
What's the deal with Zipcar? Is it still growing?
What are the hippest new weird tech urbanism things in Munich, Marseille, Milan and Manchester (vs. Paris, London, Berlin)?
Apr 4, 2022·edited Apr 4, 2022Liked by Ali Griswold
Ali, what I loved about your original newsletter was the way you so incisively cut to the chase and got to the heart of the matter of these so-called "sharing" companies. On Uber, you called it rightly and clearly on how they were not only scamming drivers but they were scamming everyone else in sight, riders and investors as well. You seemed to be one of the only ones who saw Uber's business model wasn't sustainable. And you never backed down from saying so even when everyone else was saying they were the next great thing.
I also loved how you got to the heart of the ethics of these morally-challenged companies... like Instacart using tips to subsidize their base pay to drivers. Or, those ridiculous battery charging jobs where the scooter companies setup such an idiotic system that the "chargers" where put into a position that literally led to fist fights over who would pickup a scooter or bike for charging.
In essence you did what great journalists do - you exposed the dark deeds and the stupidities of these companies and brought them into the light. And you did so with the most entertaining sarcasm and humor.
That's what I'd like to see more of. I would also say that's what made your newsletter so popular - so don't mess too much with the winning formula!
I think it would be great to explore some of the informal mutual aid sharing systems that have started to catch on lately - neighbors sharing a car and things like that. Going back to the original roots of the "sharing economy" in an effort to actually reduce individual burdens and impacts.
A number of people on Twitter have been complaining lately about the hike in ABNB prices. With all of the fees tacked on, you can no longer make the argument, it seems, that it is a cheaper alternative to hotels. The stock has gone bananas and unlike a lot of opportunistic IPOs to hit the market over the past 24 months, the company is seemingly doing well. Still...
I’m in the middle of reading “Hella Town” by Mitchell Schwarzer. It talks about land use, economic development, and how it shaped Oakland and shapes Oakland today. Structural racism. Economic development. Redlining. All of it. And really how much Oakland’s story reflects US development as well. White flight, the declining of manufacturing…….
Oversharing is back!!! I'd love to learn more about Gopuff. We used them for rapid covid tests and were impressed by how quickly they showed up (with a free candy bar, no less). I'm seeing billboards for them all around.
The growth of e-bikes in Manhattan was astounding to me, having not been there in 2 years. Some seem to go much faster than others. Is this a growing urban issue re: regulation/safety that might be of some Oversharing interest?
Not sure if you are open to collaborations but I really like Margins (readmargins.com). Maybe a joint post with them about ZIRPs and the need to invest money somewhere leading to some of the crazy valuations we have seen.
I have been fumbling my way to develop an answer to the question “What is a “shared mobility device”?, (https://www.safewalkwaysusa.com/threats/), especially in the context of motorized scooters, where there was no initial pool of devices that someone developed a platform for to enable people to then share them. You can see my thinking, which is still developing, on the aforementioned link.
For those not in the know, unlike AirBnB, which created a platform to enable owners of homes to offer use of - “share” - rooms within them, and then entire homes themselves, with motorized scooters, offered for rent by firms like Bird or Lime, there was no pre-existing pool of privately owned vehicles. Instead those firms bought scooters and put them on the streets to offer them for rent, in the process opening the way for a market of privately owned devices as well.
So is it sharing when I buy a bunch of stuff and offer the use of it to people for a limited time via my app, and, if so, how does that differ from renting? The page on my site refers to Hertz’s attempt to define the difference between car renting and car sharing, and that seems to simply boil down to, “It’s not renting if I say it’s not, because I don’t want to be bound by the regulations that apply to renting.”
Help with this would be greatly appreciated. Many mwahs 😘 in advance.
I'd like to see some references to and discussion of academic research and quasi-academic research on "sharing" (I refuse to call taxis and ridehail "sharing," unless we define that as "I share some money with you and you share a ride with me"). Bruce Schaller's work on ridehail's impact on car ownership (in American cities) is great. But this is happy hunting ground for many economists, and there is a lot out there, some of it fascinating (e.g. the feminist perspective on ridehail). I can share (word carefully chosen) a bunch of good papers if you are interested. I think you have my email address, under subscriber name of Glenn Mercer.
I was just visiting SF and it struck me how much tech stuff was linked to the particularities of SF: like hoodies as a default uniform (because it's never warm enough that you don't need to have an extra layer) and scooters (so many damn hills). Those aren't really the problems that need solving in, say, Atlanta.
Are there any tech urbanism things coming out of cities other than SF/Seattle/NYC?
What's the deal with Zipcar? Is it still growing?
What are the hippest new weird tech urbanism things in Munich, Marseille, Milan and Manchester (vs. Paris, London, Berlin)?
Ali, what I loved about your original newsletter was the way you so incisively cut to the chase and got to the heart of the matter of these so-called "sharing" companies. On Uber, you called it rightly and clearly on how they were not only scamming drivers but they were scamming everyone else in sight, riders and investors as well. You seemed to be one of the only ones who saw Uber's business model wasn't sustainable. And you never backed down from saying so even when everyone else was saying they were the next great thing.
I also loved how you got to the heart of the ethics of these morally-challenged companies... like Instacart using tips to subsidize their base pay to drivers. Or, those ridiculous battery charging jobs where the scooter companies setup such an idiotic system that the "chargers" where put into a position that literally led to fist fights over who would pickup a scooter or bike for charging.
In essence you did what great journalists do - you exposed the dark deeds and the stupidities of these companies and brought them into the light. And you did so with the most entertaining sarcasm and humor.
That's what I'd like to see more of. I would also say that's what made your newsletter so popular - so don't mess too much with the winning formula!
Jonathan
NYC
I think it would be great to explore some of the informal mutual aid sharing systems that have started to catch on lately - neighbors sharing a car and things like that. Going back to the original roots of the "sharing economy" in an effort to actually reduce individual burdens and impacts.
The GIFs are 🔥 - 10/10 need more GIFs
A number of people on Twitter have been complaining lately about the hike in ABNB prices. With all of the fees tacked on, you can no longer make the argument, it seems, that it is a cheaper alternative to hotels. The stock has gone bananas and unlike a lot of opportunistic IPOs to hit the market over the past 24 months, the company is seemingly doing well. Still...
I’m in the middle of reading “Hella Town” by Mitchell Schwarzer. It talks about land use, economic development, and how it shaped Oakland and shapes Oakland today. Structural racism. Economic development. Redlining. All of it. And really how much Oakland’s story reflects US development as well. White flight, the declining of manufacturing…….
Oversharing is back!!! I'd love to learn more about Gopuff. We used them for rapid covid tests and were impressed by how quickly they showed up (with a free candy bar, no less). I'm seeing billboards for them all around.
I'd love to have a conversation around these topics, as well as how to create local share circles where people can thrive even if
https://lilychili.substack.com/p/inversion-in-public-schools-and-public?r=1ec82g&s=w&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
The growth of e-bikes in Manhattan was astounding to me, having not been there in 2 years. Some seem to go much faster than others. Is this a growing urban issue re: regulation/safety that might be of some Oversharing interest?
Not sure if you are open to collaborations but I really like Margins (readmargins.com). Maybe a joint post with them about ZIRPs and the need to invest money somewhere leading to some of the crazy valuations we have seen.
I have been fumbling my way to develop an answer to the question “What is a “shared mobility device”?, (https://www.safewalkwaysusa.com/threats/), especially in the context of motorized scooters, where there was no initial pool of devices that someone developed a platform for to enable people to then share them. You can see my thinking, which is still developing, on the aforementioned link.
For those not in the know, unlike AirBnB, which created a platform to enable owners of homes to offer use of - “share” - rooms within them, and then entire homes themselves, with motorized scooters, offered for rent by firms like Bird or Lime, there was no pre-existing pool of privately owned vehicles. Instead those firms bought scooters and put them on the streets to offer them for rent, in the process opening the way for a market of privately owned devices as well.
So is it sharing when I buy a bunch of stuff and offer the use of it to people for a limited time via my app, and, if so, how does that differ from renting? The page on my site refers to Hertz’s attempt to define the difference between car renting and car sharing, and that seems to simply boil down to, “It’s not renting if I say it’s not, because I don’t want to be bound by the regulations that apply to renting.”
Help with this would be greatly appreciated. Many mwahs 😘 in advance.
I'd like to see some references to and discussion of academic research and quasi-academic research on "sharing" (I refuse to call taxis and ridehail "sharing," unless we define that as "I share some money with you and you share a ride with me"). Bruce Schaller's work on ridehail's impact on car ownership (in American cities) is great. But this is happy hunting ground for many economists, and there is a lot out there, some of it fascinating (e.g. the feminist perspective on ridehail). I can share (word carefully chosen) a bunch of good papers if you are interested. I think you have my email address, under subscriber name of Glenn Mercer.
No links to paywalled content, please. At least without a TL;DR.
What’s gonna happen in cities rolling out self driving cars with no safety drivers?
What about a shared "Shed" with equipment shared?