Street Fight Daily: Tech Helps Small Business, Inside Uber’s War Machine
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology
Startups’ Modern Tools Help Small Merchants Compete (New York Times)
With an explicit focus on the underdogs, these start-ups reverse the perception that web companies seek to put mom-and-pop operations out of business. Instead, they say they want to help small, local businesses take on corporate giants and juggernauts like Uber.
Local’s Sleeping Giants; A Tale of Two Keynotes (Street Fight)
Michael Boland: We’re at the height of keynote season, and in the past month Apple, Amazon and Google, have all carted out their wares. Local was understated at each, but below the surface were huge implications.
Google Hooks Up with Aisle411 to Map Stores (Street Fight)
The company will partner with Walgreens to test an in-store service that helps shoppers navigate store aisles. Throughout the shopping experience, shoppers can be introduced to personalized coupons and other promotional offers, as well as rewards that can be accrued just by browsing
Inside Uber’s Political War Machine (DailyBeast)
The ride-sharing firm is an outlaw in many cities. So it’s launched a full-blown campaign—with consultants, lobbyists, and a ‘grassroots’ organization—to make itself Kosher.revolutionaries like Uber.
Airbnb CEO: Cities Are Becoming Villages (Atlantic)
Brian Chesky, the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, argues, that trust, mediated by technology, is making a comeback, along with the paradigm of the village. It’s what’s motivating millions of people in tens of thousands of cities around the world to book lodging with semi-screened strangers through his service
Google’s Principal Designer For Search And Maps Explains Material Design (TechCrunch)
Google’s design work was center stage at I/O this year, from the keynote through sessions and things being demoed on the show floor. The changes run across Google’s range of devices and platforms, and embrace a new set of design principals grouped under the central concept of ‘Material Design.’
Survey Argues ‘Freedom’ Rather than Money the Biggest SMB Motivator (Screenwerk)
A new study illustrates the continuing challenge for small business owners that marketing represents. The study indicates that the non-monetary reasons why many people start businesses: independence, to follow one’s passion, freedom and control over one’s circumstances.
Anonymous Social Messaging Discovers That Location Matters (TechCrunch)
As anonymous social networks proliferate, they’re increasingly turning to location-based features as a way to keep users coming back. Location-based private messaging app Yik Yak has raised $10 million on the back of its geographically targeted anonymous sharing service, even as other start-ups begin offering and testing location-based services of their own.
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