How Uber Got Lost
The infrastructure they&#x27;ve built their business on is crumbling.  Every so often I&#x27;m running late and think to myself &quot;I should just drive&quot; (by which I mean take an Uber).  I check the driving times in Google Maps and it&#x27;s as long as waiting for the subway and walking.  There are just too many people on the roads for cars to be a competitive mode of transport; people only drive when there is absolutely no other option.<p>The product has also gotten worse.  People used to be happy driving for Uber, and you didn&#x27;t have to pay a fare to both the taxi company and the driver directly (&quot;tip&quot;).  Now Uber is just like taking a taxi; the driver is miserable (and let you know it), and they don&#x27;t get paid unless you pay the fare AND give them extra money.  It&#x27;s a pain.  I pretty much never use a taxi or Uber for this reason; it just seems evil to force someone to do work they don&#x27;t like for very little money.  That can&#x27;t be good for Uber&#x27;s growth.<p>(I love their open-source contributions, though!)