MergeNow Episode #14: Tarani Duncan of Shared on “Scooter 2.0”
Other shared micromobility companies may be “blitzscaling,” but Tarani Duncan and Shared are taking the time to think things through first.
Thee "Year Of The Scooter" brought cheap little Xiaomi and Ninebot standup scooters to cities around the world, opening the public's eyes to the joys of micromobility in places where the concept of lightweight, shared electric vehicles had never been considered. In the nine months since, however, the first wave of shared scooters has proven to have real issues with durability, operational efficiency, the perception that they are "littering" cities and massive cash burn. Tarani Duncan of Shared has a deep background in the space, which she's leveraging into a company that seeks to offer a more sustainable and usable alternative to the ubiquitous stand-up scooters. Ed caught up with her at Shared's Portland HQ, to discuss what went wrong with "Scooter 1.0" and how to build a better micromobility business for the movement's next wave.