1/ A few months ago @BirdRide and @limebike got denied permits in San Francisco (surprising at least to this uninformed bystander). I’m genuinely just curious- why don’t I see more on the street from @ScootNetworks & @SkipScooters?
wsj.com/articles/san-f…
wsj.com/articles/san-f…
2/ Please no snarky remarks- this isn’t meant to criticize any of them.
3/ I used to see ~20 a day in my 4 block walk across Union Square. I now see 1 every 10 days. A few possible scenarios that ran through my head:
5/ Permits? Did the San Francisco authorities, in denying Bird & Lime, only give a nominal # of “tokens” to Scoot & Skip? Basically barely a prize at all while the government figures out how they want to regulate?
6/ Supply chain? Heard from an early investor in one of the big ones that the biggest constraint in this industry is getting the scooters themselves. But I would think with $25m+ they could at least get a few hundred?
7/ The larger scooter companies have been demonstrating absurd growth. And as @andrewchen has (brilliantly) pointed out- this market matters.
8/ When B&L got rejected (for a year?) I expected the others to make plays in big ways in SF. Yes- I get its just one market. But it’s a market that matters disproportionately more than its population size. So why not lean in now?
9/ Perhaps they dont think the barriers to entry are meaningful enough that it matters to lean in? (I doubt that too- just brainstorming)
10/ Anyone got insight on why the (legal) scooter co’s haven’t backed up the truck?
