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Comment by Cherian | Hacker News Reader

I’ve been a regular Lyft Line user. Except for some cars that show up in pretty bad shape and smell, it’s a good experience. And I’ve had to wait much longer on an average.

It’s heartening to see a company just focused on the “user” and not just world domination.

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I'm assuming you mean Uber is after "world domination"? But don't fool yourself, Lyft is the same, Uber is just better at it so Lyft has no choice but to fight back with $2.50 to Uber's $5 bucks flat.

This isn't because the company is "focused on the user", it's because the company is focused on the competition. If that goes away (unlikely for Lyft to see Uber go away) don't expect high standards.

Do you believe this because you know some inside information, or is this just a generic "All any company cares about is your money"-type platitude?

I'm saying all companies HAVE to care about your money but they don't have to care about you. Not unless you have competition.

Laissez-faire

Companies exist to make money. Some don't say it outright and focus on the user experience, which brings more money (i.e. Apple). Others focus directly on the bottom line (Uber). There's nothing wrong with either mindset, but I believe it's naive to say that companies don't care about money. Without money, you can't pour it into R&D, expansion, or improvements.

Companies need to make money to keep existing, the same way we need to breathe.

If you've ever had a tyrannical boss, you'll see sometimes the company is just their fiefdom. Feeding their ego is their prime motivation and organizing principle for the company - not generating money.

I still don't understand why people are under the impression that Uber doesn't care about its customers while Lyft somehow does.

I've watched a few of Kalanick's talks and he seems like a motivated engineer who actually cares about efficient transportation.

Was your worst Lyft Line car better or worse than your worst MUNI vehicle?

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