What’s in a Name?

Of the aforementioned companies, Postmates is perhaps the most recognizable name, and least exclusive when it comes to the deliverables. Unlike Eaze or Washio, who exclusively deliver weed and laundry respectively, Postmates’ boast is that they will deliver whatever you want, in an hour. They have offices and couriers in San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, LA, and Seattle, with plans to open up shop in Austin, Boston, and presumably, just about every other major US city. Their service is based around an app that customers use to browse local shops and make their orders, though food delivery constitutes their business. They’re also cheap in the way that only a Bay Area startup can be. $39 million in investment funding has allowed them to expand rapidly and establish themselves as a same-day delivery behemoth.

Kozmo.com was the original web-based delivery service, during a time when the internet was still working its way to the masses, dial-up was ubiquitous and the web startup bubble was inflating, with Kozmo.com raising over $200 million. Kozmo.com promised one-hour delivery of whatever you wanted, with no delivery charge or minimum orders. In retrospect, among the reasons they failed was their centralized operations. Huge warehouses were leased in every city they operated, housing products, couriers, even in-house bike mechanics. Everyone was paid hourly, and couriers received tips as well. It lasted less than three years.

Sign On The Dotted Line

In an effort to avoid becoming the new Kozmo.com, Postmates has decided to use the combination of more powerful, easily accessible technology along