UberCab’s deck opens by attacking the supply side of taxis. Slide 2 shows aging cabs with radio dispatch and 14mpg Crown Victorias, and slide 3 blames the medallion system: medallions cost about $500k while drivers make $31k. The slide ends with “Digital Hail can now make street hail unnecessary,” which tells investors why this is possible now.
The evidence is the weakest part. The medallion price chart and the slide 12 claim that 35% of NYC cab time is spent looking for fares are real data, but they describe drivers, not riders. On slide 11, claims like “pickup can take 45 minutes” and “cabs aren’t as safe or clean” have no source or customer quote, even though riders are the ones who would pay.
The deck never gives a market size. Slide 4 only says “professionals in American cities” and calls UberCab “the NetJets of car services.” That hints at a premium market but gives no number of customers or trips.
An investor would still ask how many people would pay limo-like prices and how often, how UberCab would find drivers and riders at the same time, whether skipping medallions creates legal risk, and whether a Mercedes fleet can be profitable.
For my Sanity Check pitch, I’m stealing three things. First, I’ll end my problem slide with a “why now” line like slide 3 does. Second, I’ll explain my product with one short analogy, like NetJets. Third, I’ll borrow slide 11’s positioning, “faster and cheaper than a limo, but nicer and safer than a taxicab,” to define my idea by the two alternatives it beats. I’ll also fix UberCab’s gaps by adding a real customer quote and a bottom-up market number.
