Can I just say how upsetting it is to see so much money wasted by the micromobility-sharing industry? And maybe provide some advice for the future?
And no, it’s not the wasted VC money that makes me emotional. But all the potential is lost by blowing all that money. The resources wasted, the time lost, the extra fuel burned. And so much public goodwill gone.
How many sharing companies did we see come and go? How much money did they blow all together and how many vehicles only fulfilled a fraction of what they could have done if built and used right? I don’t really have the patience to dive into these numbers, but I am assuming that they are mind-blowing and rather sobering. Just think of what could have been achieved with billions of $$$ in a more coordinated and sensible approach.
But why didn’t these sweet VC dreams become a reality? Why didn’t the euphoric Excel sheets turn into reality? Personally, I see these main reasons:
1) Digital companies don’t understand hardware and dramatically underestimate the challenges. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.
2) Public tenders become “suicide missions” where one player overpromises and then underdelivers.
3) Bicycles and e-bikes are more complex than usually anticipated.
4) The bike industry is highly fragmented and there are no real holistic “vehicle architects” that could provide the quality and performance needed for sharing. Scooters are doing better there because the industry is vertically integrated.
5) The bike industry really is more of a fashion industry and not a mobility industry (yet).
6) Local user behaviours differ vastly, making it difficult for scalable generic global solutions.
7) Sharing (if done right) is part of public transport and should be subsidised accordingly
My hope is, that the learnings from a lot of failed projects will result in improved approaches in the field. There are some great positive examples out there that work well and could lead the way.
But the whole industry should move away from being the VC-fuelled shark tank to a collaborative public transport ecosystem that adds value to cities. Do you agree?