Power of Mobile

Mobile has already changed the way we interact, transact or more over live life in recent years. Already we are using many apps in day-to-day life to do interactions, banking transactions, communication, transportation and many more. This is still starting and witnessing upward trend. Few features which are making difference and continue to change the way we do things today.

1. Users Physical Location: This is something that provides the developer to know where exactly the user is at given point and customize the service accordingly. Be it getting Uber / Lyft cab where you are or when you are outside Starbucks getting an alert for app service. Apple’s iOS 9 provide exact service at that given place at given time. I listen to audio books on Audible while driving to office. When I’m inside car and even before I start, my iPhone automatically provide option on-screen to start the Audible app and it’s ready for my use with just one click. Similarly there are hundreds of services currently using location features. With Hurricane Erika approaching florida, Weather apps are sending alerts with exact required details. There would be hundreds of important apps which will be built around this feature
2. Push Notification: This gives tremendous powers to push important notifications to the users. It’s customizable to the extent of individual level. Say if this is used in marketing context, brands can send unique offers to each given user depending on that users details. Mostly this feature is used for important updates only as if there are unnecessary notifications, users usually turn the notifications off for given app. so there is caution tale attached for marketers. My Fitness app, Runkeeper send me push notification if I don’t run consecutively for 3 days. It’s personalized notification, just like a reminder, event-driven. Most of the apps use this features along with location feature as together it becomes deadly combo.
3. Automated, behind the curtain task: This is something like automating your life or removing boring or sometime important activities. Its like particular app or your mobile in-built feature itself perform something even without you opening the app or using mobile. For example, When you reach office, your mobile automatically sends the notification to your dear ones, or may be in emergency you are able to send details to predefined someone on click of button. It can be used for any other chores. IFTTT App does a lot of these activities with predefined conditions.

In overall with combination of multiple features mobile apps are solving day-to-day life problem and even helping to improve the lives.

Uber vs Lyft or Uber + Lyft

Over last couple of years, peer-to-peer service/economy has been taken by storm. Specially in travel and accommodation industry. For most of the tech savvy folks Airbnb and Uber or Lyft has been way of travel. Also there is upcoming startup Flytenow for peer-to-peer flights between different locations. There are ideally two types of industries.

1. Everyone has their market share and competitiveness among similar business model
2. Winner takes all

When it comes to social networking, back in 2002 – 2006 many startups with similar model and more or less similar growth trajectory. In early 2010 Facebook took a leap forward and emerged as clear winner, leaving other social networks much behind. Its reached a place where its difficult for anyone to step in now.

Same applies to Google search, even Google started much after Altavista but it didn’t took much time for them to surpass their rivals due to their founders vision and excellent technology. Microsoft Bing and Yahoo search are distant runner-up in search in race. Google take away more than 80% search market by storm.

In peer-to-peer economy, airbnb has taken leap ahead in accommodation and taking on traditional hotel business and regulators. When it comes to most promising industry for peer-to-peer – taxi /cab service, there are two clear frontrunners – Uber and Lyft. Both started almost same time, similar business model, similar service and even some drivers drives for both Uber and Lyft.

With ongoing tussle to tap more market, Uber as well as Lyft are trying to woo riders (customers) with one or other offers all the times. It’s good for common public. In days to comes, it would be interesting to see whether both companies will continue to operate independently as they are now or become formidable company by merger/acquisition?

elance and odesk has merged recently to provide better work platform for freelancers and businesses. My take, merger of uber and Lyft in next couple of years!