Should Uber Eats be a different app from Uber Rides?

Introduction

The question at hand is whether Uber Eats should be a separate app from Uber Rides. This trade-off involves considering the user experience, technical implications, and business strategy of maintaining a unified app versus splitting into two distinct applications. I'll analyze this problem by examining the current product ecosystem, identifying key metrics, designing experiments, and providing a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Context: I'm assuming this question arises from user feedback or internal discussions about app complexity. Could you share what prompted this consideration? Why it matters: Understanding the catalyst helps prioritize our approach. Expected answer: User complaints about app navigation or strategic push for food delivery growth. Impact: Would influence whether we focus more on UX improvements or business expansion in our analysis.

• Business Context: Based on public data, I believe Uber Eats contributes significantly to overall revenue. Can you confirm the current revenue split between Rides and Eats? Why it matters: Helps assess the business impact of potentially separating the apps. Expected answer: Roughly 40-50% from Eats. Impact: A higher Eats percentage would make me more cautious about separation due to potential cross-promotion loss.

• User Impact: I'm thinking about user segments who frequently use both services. Do we have data on the percentage of users who regularly use both Rides and Eats? Why it matters: Crucial for understanding the impact on our most valuable users. Expected answer: Around 20-30% use both regularly. Impact: A higher percentage would make me lean towards keeping a unified app to maintain a seamless experience for these power users.

• Technical: Considering our current app architecture, how challenging would it be to separate Eats into a standalone app? Why it matters: Affects feasibility and timeline of potential separation. Expected answer: Moderately complex, requiring 3-6 months of development. Impact: A longer timeline might make us consider phased approaches or alternative solutions.

• Resources: What's our current team structure – do we have separate teams for Rides and Eats already? Why it matters: Influences organizational impact of app separation. Expected answer: Partially separated teams with some shared resources. Impact: Fully separated teams might make app separation more feasible from an operational standpoint.