Maybe not at the same scale but imo their core system has a lot of tech challenges:
* Lots of realtime
* Resource scheduling problems
* Route optimization problems (especially with shared uber or shared lyft rides)
* Lots of realtime
* Resource scheduling problems
* Route optimization problems (especially with shared uber or shared lyft rides)
* Everything they do is low data (no video, image or anything high bandwith).
* Their whole model can be subdivided into smaller local problems (all users//drivers in the bay area have nothing to do with the users//drivers currently in NYC).
yes there is a couple of algorithms to develop for Uber Pool, and for the real time matching but everything else looks like a fairly simple app backend to me.
So is everyone else? Storage and CDN isn't nearly as complex as ad serving on Facebook (Which is like Uber's matching - it's a realtime marketplace). Ad serving takes up relatively little bits.