Gig work in general and food delivery specifically is the poster child for the tragedy of ZIRP. These companies somehow took what pizza shops and Chinese restaurants have been doing profitably for decades and with the power of unlimited free money… made it a losing proposition for restaurants, couriers, customers, governments, and even themselves.
Food delivery isn’t a technology problem. It’s a trivial hiring and logistics problem. One that can literally be solved successfully by teenagers. There might have been a market for an ultra-lean driver-as-a-service with an SLA suitable for pizza delivery but I’m not even sure that’s viable.
Pizza shops are vertically integrated, staffed by entry level workers, and still have razor thin margins. It’s not a career, it’s a way to build skills and get a better job.
Food delivery isn’t a technology problem. It’s a trivial hiring and logistics problem. One that can literally be solved successfully by teenagers. There might have been a market for an ultra-lean driver-as-a-service with an SLA suitable for pizza delivery but I’m not even sure that’s viable.
Pizza shops are vertically integrated, staffed by entry level workers, and still have razor thin margins. It’s not a career, it’s a way to build skills and get a better job.
What an incredible blunder.