The life and death choice of a taxi app: transition or shutdown

, founder of the rocking car

The legendary policy stick volley, mobile software call car entrepreneurs face is not who can live to the last question, but who can survive. There seems to be only two left in front of the road: Shut down or transform.

July 12, the founder of Wang, a media interview said: "If I choose again, may not do this (refers to mobile phone software hire car)!" was founded in early 2012, is China's first access to mobile phone software companies, more than most competitors almost a year earlier.

Earlier this month, the Beijing Municipal Transportation Bureau and Shanghai City, respectively, issued the "Beijing Taxi phone Call service management implementation rules" and "on the standardization of the city Taxi booking service Management notice", the opponent of mechanical and electrical call industry planning, renovation.

Late May this year, the Shenzhen Traffic administration also issued a "on the strengthening of mobile phone call software supervision of the notice", clearly stipulates that "mobile phone taxi software has been installed must be unloaded, not to continue to use."

Beijing "Regulation" is regarded as another "card-issuing enclosure movement", mobile phone software hire car industry prospects become gloomy. And Shanghai, Shenzhen, the policy is more stringent, is regarded as "a stick to die in the fight."

The storm has come, in addition to the above cities, more cities will introduce similar regulations. Mobile phone software call car service popular less than half a year, they face the choice of survival. In addition to Wang, its followers must begin to think about the way out.

A live or a dead alley?

From the current Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen and other three cities issued notices, Shanghai, Shenzhen, the provisions of almost the phone call car "beat", Beijing has left the "by Amnesty" this road.

However, the "beat" approach has aroused strong dissatisfaction and is difficult to carry out. It is reported that Shanghai will revise its own practice, that is, according to Beijing to build a unified telephone service platform, Amnesty market mobile phone software car company. Shenzhen's approach cannot be formally pursued, and consideration is being given to Beijing's approach.

This reporter tries to use the mobile phone software to recruit cars in Shanghai Street, still can recruit taxi. The taxi driver told reporters: "I put a car in my mobile phone, he can not take my phone to uninstall it?"

"One of the most fundamental reasons for a stick not to die is the strong demand of the market," said one of the founders of a mobile software car company. ”

The founder believes that it is the market demand and policy regulation between the game, only for mobile phone software to win the car "amnesty" this chance. However, for entrepreneurs, this chance is not a way to live, or a dead-end.

Once, in venture capital, the combination of entrepreneurs, mobile phone software car service in a short period of time to show a prosperous.

March 22, 2012, the iOS version of the rolling recruit car officially on the line, this is the first time in China to realize the app automatic call software, then shook the car by Sequoia Capital, real funds nearly 3.5 million U.S. dollars a round of risk financing, the company valued 17.5 million U.S. dollars.

After shaking the body, dozens of of similar companies quickly hot, and access to financing. Among them, easy to use the car under the taxi software "taxi small secret" from China's broadband industry funds obtained tens of millions of of dollars of financing, tick-tock taxi to get Tencent 15 million U.S. dollars investment, Ali millions of yuan investment quick taxi.

Quick Taxi founder Chen Weixing that the current taxi application market there are three kinds of forces, most will soon die.

The first force is a variety of "relationship" with the relevant government departments of speculators; the second force is the use of taxis as a strategic project of the major taxi companies; the third force is the Internet under the birth of the taxi application company.

A variety of speculators are good at using "relationship" to carry out Government project marketing, access to government orders and high subsidies, but this kind of taxi applications will not only face the expansion of the ceiling, high costs also make its survival difficult to maintain. The lack of internet genes in the major taxi companies has led to a bottleneck in the use of taxi companies, and it will be more efficient to work with application companies.

As for the Internet under the birth of the taxi application company, Chen Weixing that all rely on venture capital transfusion, taxi application has become the giants of the game, these burning money taxi applications will face the threat of "Duanliang" at any time.

Chen Weixing think, mobile phone software recruit car market look at the heat, but as the same year's group buying market, will soon die a large.

Wang Memories, the entire 2012, in the call car application market only shake and tick these two products. But after January 2013, Wang noted that the opponents suddenly out a lot, everyone to rob drivers began to spell "subsidy policy." In the first quarter of this year, the marketing cost of the swing car to reach 300,000 yuan per month, mainly used for drivers and passengers to use the software above.

Opponents are not to be outdone. For Beijing's taxi drivers deliberately launched "8 hours a day to reward 5 yuan, every two days recharge to the mobile phone" subsidy policy. In addition, the initial installation to the frame, the month online more than 240 hours, the second month award 100 Yuan recharge cards.

The essence of "subsidy policy" turns into a game of burning money. This reporter interviewed by the founder said, unified platform, unified prices, "subsidy policy" failed, we all returned to the same starting line.

The starting line is not the same, speculators, the major taxi companies do not rely on mobile phone software car services to make money, regardless of the market, will be unscathed, and entrepreneurs are different, they burned is real gold and silver.

Another disaster is the prohibition of embedded in the software ads, advertising charges used to be mobile phone service fantasy future, this plan frustrated, the equivalent of a broken thought. Without the future, but also to burn money, even if MA, horse, still have patience to burn it?

Transition to a big test

Chen Weixing that the "transformation" of the company to prepare to survive the fate of the death.

First of all to carry out continuous and stable product innovation, for users, the future of taxi applications can not only call the taxi, but also can be called to business vehicles, driving, and even home economics, tourism and so on. Second, entrepreneurs know how to manage cash flow. Once the government is strongly involved, the high cost of market promotion should be controlled at any time, and actively cooperate with the Government to minimize losses.

Chen Weixing also mentions the dream: "Innovation always takes time and patience, and only a dream can last." ”

Do not put all the eggs in a taxi a basket, to do the preparation of the transformation is some companies, such as Tencent Investment Doodle Taxi. This January, "Doodle Taxi" due to the government's supervision, is suspended.

"Dudu Taxi" entrepreneurial team began to look for the next opportunity to O2O market, then, "Toot Taxi" the original class of people created the "E Home clean" This company, "E Home clean" to provide domestic service O2O service for the main business.

"E Jia Jie" co-founder Nate that O2O application can assume the function of domestic intermediary, Nate did an experiment, he first set up in the micro-letter a domestic service public account. Then the same day sent people to the subway distributed 2000 leaflets, in the evening, 50 users pay attention to the public account, and 12 users to the list.

This makes Nate a big surprise, in addition, the United States already have "E home clean" reference to the benchmark. Early this year, the U.S. domestic service company Homejoy received 1.7 million U.S. dollars in financing, which makes Nate and Doodle Taxi founder Yuntao More determined to enter the market confidence.

"E Jia Jie" approach and the so-called "through the call to business vehicles, driving, and even home economics, tourism" and other services, to more "O2O" project expansion, looking for policies will not "strictly controlled" the industry.