On the surface, it seems like the ride-sharing market is oversaturated. 🚘
There's already category leaders Uber and Lyft, as well as countless others — Gett, Grab, Via, Didi, etc., etc.
The problem: These ride-sharing companies have the potential to create a monopoly, and ultimate raise the price of how much it costs to get you from point A to point B. 🤔
Yesterday, a new app called SoMo launched to combat this — and ultimately give riders some freedom when it comes to getting around.
How it works: SoMo is a “social transport” app that combines all modes of transport that are not a ride-hailing service. It allows people to create free rides (yes, free) through “social circles” around a specific destinations — from sporting events to concerts to the daily commute. It's kind of like Uber meets Google Maps meets your neighborhood carpool.
Some responses from the community today:
“I love the idea of sharing rides with a network that I know” - Tal
“One of those things where you say 'why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?' Great App, great concept and a great solution. I’m hooked.” - Gabby
“My 12-year-old was SUPER excited about this app. And going to tell her friends about it. Which means that me and other moms are going to use it a lot.” - Inna
SoMo will be available in 15 cities to start, including London, Athens, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Brussels, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Nice, Los Angeles, Helsinki, Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Almere Stad, Haarlem, and the Hague. If you don't live in one of those places, don't worry. The app's makers (Here Technologies) plan to launch in 10 new cities every month.
We'll be watching where this goes — but you have to try it out for yourself.
In this week's episode of Product Hunt Radio, Floodgate’s Ann Miura-Ko and our own Abadesi Osunsade join us to chat about:
🤔 Why a “career path” is a misnomer
📱 How to manage childrens' relationships with social media
📝 An old-fashioned note-taking system for the digital age
Listen now and big thanks to our sponsors Rally Rd and AngelList for their support. 😸
