
Show HN: Soothe – Uber for Massages - kevinwdavid
https://www.soothe.com/
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crazypyro
The problem with Uber for massages (and other Uber for _) is that the people
that are searching for a new service provider aren't going to (possibly ever)
go find a new provider for some services, on a regular basis. They find one
they like and they stick with it. This is distinctly different than Uber's
model because there's not really driver loyalty like there is with a massage
or maid service. This means the contractors can just cut out Soothe after
develop a reputation with clients.

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wasd
There's an inherit assumption that people would rather build loyalty to people
over companies for specific services and its unclear if that's true. A perfect
counter example to your cleaning example is Homejoy.

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swang
Eh you think people are loyal to HomeJoy or the price?

I've heard a lot of "HomeJoy is meh but they are cheap. "

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toomuchtodo
This was the exact sentiment in the HN thread a few weeks ago about Homejoy,
and to those who put up with Homejoy for the price but unsatisfied with the
quality, those in the thread recommended finding a professional cleaner to
contract directly with.

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slg
Will the Uber model work for a good or service that isn't commoditized? All we
ask of a transportation service like Uber is to get us from point A to point B
cheaply and safely. A massage is more complex and doesn't have a two item to
do list that can simply be checked off and labeled "a good massage". This
means the standard deviation of quality is a lot larger. There is also a
benefit of loyalty. Massages are a more personal and customized experience
than transportation and there would be a greater benefit to having your
masseuse know your preferences.

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TallGuyShort
While I agree completely with you on some of the differences, one of the best
things about Uber (in my opinions) is that the transaction is cashless and
centralized. I don't have to know or find the number for a cab, I use the app.
Even if the driver is a good one, I may not use him next time because I don't
want to pay him a new way. Massages _are_ more personal and I'm still
skeptical of the service, but I think the model has more benefits for other
services than some people are implying.

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beeskneecaps
Seeing a lot of massage startups lately. We're at a coworking space where
people book conference rooms and get massages done in them. If you use this
service, please don't do this. (If you do, please pick a scented oil that
doesn't smell like bacteria and pine trees.)

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fredsters_s
those people are evil

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borski
Seems the same as [http://unwind.me](http://unwind.me)

~~~
welder
And [https://pinenow.com/](https://pinenow.com/)

\-
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8373501](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8373501)

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travisp
I think it's a nice concept and don't have any problems with it (in fact, it
looks quite nice), but I do wonder what distinguishes these various services.

Here in NYC, there are several "Uber for" maid/massage/anything else you can
think of services, and apart from the design of their sites and sometimes the
pricing scheme, it's hard to tell what's actually different.

Maybe the same thing could be said about Lyft, Uber, etc., but I do wonder
what kind of competitive advantage these services are going for.

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peterjancelis
I agree. The big idea behind Uber is to optimize capacity utilization. That's
also the reason why it's a race between those taxi apps to get global scale
first.

Unlike cars, maids and masseuses don't waste 90% of their time doing nothing
and there's also not going to be a population reduction by matching supply and
demand for these verticals a little bit better for iphone users.

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fredsters_s
"don't waste 90% of their time doing nothing"

that's an assumption

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AkaashUnwindMe
and a false one, at that.

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gegtik
Interesting quirk on the website, when you click the location dropdown at the
top of the page and it stays open, scrolling to the bottom of the page reveals
the same open dropdown.

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ape4
Can I get a massage while getting driven somewhere

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richiverse
süther?

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ender201
Seems sort of like Priv, they let you pick your massage professional though,
also have a bunch more verticals.

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helloumar
Looks very much like [https://pinenow.com/](https://pinenow.com/)

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bobcostas55
I think it's time for an Uber for Uber for ______ service. There's so many of
them now it's confusing and time-consuming to pick one. So why not add a
crowd-sourced middleman to do it for you?

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edgyswingset
I wonder if being the "Uber of Massages" will mean that therapists end up
making minimum wage after covering their own costs. This in particular:

> Gratuity is on us. No need to tip

Is alarming.

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proexploit
Alarming only if it contributes to therapists making minimum wage which is not
a given. Otherwise, I love not having to deal with tips. I wish every service
had tips baked in and we could do away with them entirely.

~~~
edgyswingset
It's also not a given that they actually go through with assigning proper
gratuities.

The success model for startups these days is deceit and breaking laws. If a
startup is claiming to be the "Uber of <blah>", I interpret that as a company
which thinks being disruptive means breaking laws and screwing people over for
the sake of growth and attempting to make good on the outrageously high
investments they receive.

What I'm looking for is concrete proof that over the long run, not just in a
recruitment surge, therapists end up making a living as good as or better than
when they're employed by a spa. If that's not the case, then this is simply
another widener of the wealth gap in this country.

~~~
jjsz
What other verticals would these services need to expand to increase the
wealth gap?

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jami73
I've used Soothe and the therapists were very professional. I would recommend
it!

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wehadfun
Before reading the website it seemed like uber for prostitution. After is
seeme some what legit. I guess you can't pick your messager, which I think
people will want. I may not care who drives me or cleans my house but I do
care who is rubbing all over me.

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rrival
also see [https://www.zeel.com/](https://www.zeel.com/)

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crpatino
I wonder the legal implications this is going to have regarding prostitution.
I don't say this is intentional from the part of soothe's creators, but they
will have to deal with (and accepting the legal liabilities of) an issue that
is already there (fake massage parlors offering sexual services).

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ceejayoz
The other side of that coin is the potential for creeps and the resulting
sexual harassment of the massage therapists.

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disputin
Can't believe no one mentioned this sooner. This should be called uber skanky.

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notastartup
This could create a huge underground prostitution market worth billions. I
hold no political view, just a happy ending for those who pursue it.

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kevinwdavid
Available 7 days a week. 9am to midnight. Including holidays.Can be there in 1
hour or schedule in advance.Anywhere you want, when you want, starting at $99.

