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2018 was the year of the scooter. Here at RSG, one of our top posts was about how to be a Charger, and three of our top five videos on the YouTube channel were about scooters. Today, we’re going to get an update from someone who knows a ton about the industry, from charging scooters to writing about them.
If you’d like to read a transcript of this podcast, please click here.
Intro
- Today I’m chatting with Nick Abouzeid, a self-described scooter addict who lives in San Francisco
- Nick has been riding, charging, tweeting and writing about scooters since day 1 and is well-versed in the Charger communities
- Uber and Lyft are investing a ton of money right now into scooters and mobility
- If you’ve been wondering how they fit in with the rideshare industry, keep reading!
Interview with Nick Abouzeid
- Nick Abouzeid is a scooter addict living in San Francisco
- He used to cover early stage tech for Product Hunt and AngelList
- One thing people don’t realize about scooters is 80-90% of the scooters on the streets today are made by the same company – literally they’re made in the same factory in China!
- Became interested in scooters when he started seeing them on the streets, people riding them
- Signed up to become a Charger
Scooter Industry in 2019
- Coverage definitely has died down, it’s hard to cover/be excited about it if you can’t get your hands on the product
- Story also hasn’t changed much – Bird & Lime continue to raise money at bigger valuations
- Both companies are expanding rapidly, globally
- Challenges with growth (scooters in the rain/cold) but getting some of the best talent out there
Leaders in the Scooter Industry
- Bird, Lime and Uber (Jump) and Lyft
- Sleeping giants
- Skip, Scoot
- Will need to eventually see profitability in this space
Regulating the Industry
- LA – regulations to control but also grow the industry
- Santa Monica – flexible cap
- San Francisco – caps
- Many of the problems in this industry are solvable
Outro
- Big thanks to Nick for coming on the podcast and sharing his knowledge of this industry
- Nick brought a unique viewpoint and insight into this industry and definitely knows what he’s talking about
- Is this industry all hype? I don’t think so – lots of room for improvement
- Excited to see how scooter companies continue to work with cities and integrate with rideshare
Show Notes
- Defining the Peskin Ratio, and why (some) scooter networks fail
- Nick Abouzeid on Twitter
- Nick on Medium
-Harry @ RSG
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I'm Harry, the owner and founder of The Rideshare Guy Blog and Podcast. I used to be a full-time engineer but now I'm a rideshare blogger! I write about my experience driving for Uber, Lyft, and other services and my goal is to help drivers earn more money by working smarter, not harder.
