180: Exploring public-private Shared Micromobility with Caroline Sampanaro, head of micromobility and transit policy at Lyft

180: Exploring public-private Shared Micromobility with Caroline Sampanaro, head of micromobility and transit policy at Lyft

Author: Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu April 28, 2023 Duration: 49:09

This week Oliver interviews Caroline Sampanaro, Head of Micromobility and Transit Policy at Lyft, about her role and opportunities for micromobility to participate in conversations about better transport systems and cities. They also talk a lot about the shared business model, and why PPP feels like the most logical endpoint for a lot of the shared use cases for micromobility. We have continually been struck by the great team that Lyft has built - check out our earlier conversations with Laura Fox, GM of Citibike in NY for reference - and we really enjoyed this conversation with Caroline. Also referenced is episode 170 with Julia Thayne DeMourdant and Gabe Klein, which you can listen to here.


Unfortunately, we lost the end of the audio for this the first time around and had to go back and rerecord the end. Our awesome editor Lynda has managed to get this sounding good, but just a heads up about it towards the end.


In this episode they discuss:


- Caroline’s background as an activist and how it led her to shared micromobility policy

- The story of Lyft’s micromobility business - how it came about and why they’ve chosen the strategy they have with PPP docked bikeshare vs freefloating.

- Getting micromobility away from identity politics

- What has electric vs. acoustic offered to the advocacy conversation?

- What is the role of companies like Lyft in micromobility advocacy vs. (for example) vehicle producers etc.

- How do we get a broad coalition of advocates that can tackle the status quo?



If you want to see the latest vehicles and be in the most cutting-edge conversations about micromobility, you should check out Micromobility Europe, our premier event happening in Amsterdam on the 8/9th of June. We’re expecting over 1000 of the top thinkers and doers in the micro space to be there and I am pumped with the amazing vehicles that are coming down the pipe that will be there. We’re expecting over 60 companies to be pitching in our Startup Awards too. It’s going to be epic. If you’re interested in joining, get your tickets at micromobility.io.


Catch us on Twitter ⁠⁠@MicromobilityCo⁠⁠. ⁠⁠Horace⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Oliver⁠⁠ are also active on their personal accounts and would love to hear from you.


Our https://micromobility.substack.com/⁠⁠ is completely free, and you can subscribe to have it in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday morning.


We’re also on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠.


Ed Niedermeyer, an author and analyst with a sharp focus on the automotive world, guides Ride AI alongside co-hosts Horace Dediu, Oliver Bruce, and James Gross. Together, they navigate the complex intersection where artificial intelligence meets transportation, a space that's rapidly reshaping how we think about movement, business, and urban life. This isn't just a series of interviews; it's a deep exploration of the forces driving change, from autonomous vehicles and electric scooters to the broader economic and societal shifts they trigger. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the strategies and struggles of founders, investors, and engineers who are building the future of mobility. You'll hear candid discussions that go beyond the hype, focusing on the practical realities of investment, the nuances of technological adoption, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures in the field. For anyone curious about the business models behind the tech or the investment theses shaping this volatile sector, this podcast offers a grounded, insightful perspective. Tune in for conversations that are as much about the journey of innovation as they are about the destination.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Ride AI
Podcast Episodes
EV Winter? (with Tyson Jominy) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:46
On the latest episode of the Ride AI podcast, our host Ed Niedermeyer talks to Tyson Jominy, VP of Data & Analytics for J.D, Power, about the recent dynamics in the car market. They touch on COVID, the EV market, the pro…
Disrupting the Car (with Horace Dediu) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:53
This week’s episode of the Ride AI podcast is a mind-meld between automotive analyst Ed Niedermeyer and tech-innovation scholar Horace Dediu about why the car industry is ripe for disruption. Their conversation is a refl…
Climbing the Slope of Enlightenment (with Mike Ramsey) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:25
For the inaugural episode of the new Ride AI podcast, author and analyst Ed Niedermeyer discusses the hype and disillusionment surrounding several new mobility technologies—namely autonomous vehicles—with Mike Ramsey, a…
Micromobility in Europe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:16
Leading up to Micromobility Europe, James Gross talks the state of micromobility in Europe with Prabin Joel Jones, Founder and CEO of Mayten along with Augustin Friedel, Senior Manager, MHP – A Porsche Company who is sha…
Horace Dediu: Is Apple Done With Mobility? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:34
Apple is reportedly exiting the car industry, focusing instead on software and mobility services. The company's decision is driven by the challenges and complexities of the automotive industry, including high costs, long…
The State of the Micromobility Review Market [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:15
On this episode of Ride On! we are talking with Tyson Roehrkasse, the Chief Reviewer at our sister company, Ride Review. Tyson has been with us now for around 4 months and comes from a tremendous background in electric b…
Bird Goes Bankrupt. What Company Will Blink Next? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:51
In an emergency podcast episode of Ride On!, James Gross and guest Prabin Joel Jones discuss the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of Bird, one of the high flying shared micromobility companies over the last 5 years.. They delve int…