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Uber of cooking, scale issue

Elliot Stenquist

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I'm thinking about starting a company similar to Uber but I have a scaling issue.

My idea is to build a platform where people cook and earn some cash and others buy the food from the producers.

I need some overall feedback on the idea and I'm wondering how I will get enough cookers to sustain the demand (if there will be any...). Perhaps I could start to cook myself in my local community and then try to get others to cook?

Thanks in advance.
 
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jpanarra

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Start doing it yourself. Cook for others, put yourself out there. Make the money and figure out the kinks.

Then when you make enough money pay for a developer on upwork/fiverr and work on the concept that it's to make your life easier. If it makes your life easier, it'll work for others too.

Make sure you pay good money for a UI/UX designer, that is critical for making or breaking an app.
 

Coalission

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Are the cooks driving around waiting for someone to ping them, then they go to the person's house and cook there? Or are the chefs in a central location, and people just order cooked meals to be delivered? Or do the chefs cook from their own homes?

I think Munchery uses the central location method, you can try and find out how they solved the scale issue if that's the strategy you'll be using: How It Works
 
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Elliot Stenquist

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Are the cooks driving around waiting for someone to ping them, then they go to the person's house and cook there? Or are the chefs in a central location, and people just order cooked meals to be delivered? Or do the chefs cook from their own homes?

I think Munchery uses the central location method, you can try and find out how they solved the scale issue if that's the strategy you'll be using: How It Works
Hi,

my plan is that people will cook and others and pick up the food from the people cooking, however, this would mean that you would have to go to someone else house to pick up the food, which kinda makes this idea worse than a restaurant.
But perhaps there can be drivers delivering the food to the customers.

What do you think?
Maybe this concept isn't much better than restaurants and isn't really worth pursuing since it doesn't greatly improve something, or how can I make it better?
 

Andy Black

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What about starting by getting the leads of people looking to buy a certain food?

Maybe then get the food delivered by a local restaurant?

And see where that goes?
 

@RayUK

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Hi,

my plan is that people will cook and others and pick up the food from the people cooking, however, this would mean that you would have to go to someone else house to pick up the food, which kinda makes this idea worse than a restaurant.
But perhaps there can be drivers delivering the food to the customers.

What do you think?
Maybe this concept isn't much better than restaurants and isn't really worth pursuing since it doesn't greatly improve something, or how can I make it better?

Perhaps partner with a food delivery service such as deliveroo.

Also might be useful to have a look into the business model of hungryhouse or justeat (both UK listed) as they provide a platform for customers to find restaurants and provide online ordering and delivery


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Dave E RDN

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This is a cool idea! I've done cooking classes for people wanting to learn how to meal prep. A lot of people just want someone to do it for them.

How did uber get its first few cabs? Or Airbnb get its first few places?

I would totally meal prep for people to make a little extra cash.
 

OlivierMo

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I'm thinking about starting a company similar to Uber but I have a scaling issue.

My idea is to build a platform where people cook and earn some cash and others buy the food from the producers.

I need some overall feedback on the idea and I'm wondering how I will get enough cookers to sustain the demand (if there will be any...). Perhaps I could start to cook myself in my local community and then try to get others to cook?

Thanks in advance.
I like it and I thought about it too myself b/c I'm a techie that loves cooking. If I had to do it I'd take a private chef angle for parties first.
 

Your Boy George

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I worked with a company who had private chefs come to people's home for cheap. Sorta similar but not really.

It's gonna be hard for "chefs" starting out because they'll have no reviews or anything. Other sites like Fiverr have that problem too but it's different b/c on fiverr if someone messes up you can charge them back but with your app, if the chef messes up, welcome to food poisoning.

Also, why is this better than ordering delivery from a restaurant? If you live in a city with a decent amount of people you can pretty much get any type of food you like delivered.
 

theag

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In my country food inspection is very strict though, might be a dealbreaker.
Be careful to make sure you're not held responsible if there is a case of food poisoning.
The idea sounds nice in theory (not including the usual problems of getting both supply and demand with building a marketplace), but is probably a liability nightmare in reality..
 

Fpm9

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The idea sounds nice in theory (not including the usual problems of getting both supply and demand with building a marketplace), but is probably a liability nightmare in reality..

True. Uber probably had the same problem back in the days.. what happens if your driver is drunk, crashes his car, and you end up with an injury?
 
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csalvato

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I’m in the space and working for a company about 6 years ahead of you. DM me if interested in talking shop
 

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