TIVP061: Lyft Inc. (LYFT): The Key to Winning the AV Wars? w/ Shawn O’Malley & Daniel Mahncke

The Intrinsic Value Podcast - The Investor’s Podcast Network

The Investor's Podcast Network

Education, Investing, Business

4.6 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2026

⏱️ 83 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Shawn O’Malley and Daniel Mahncke break down the ride-sharing giant Lyft Inc. (ticker: LYFT) and discuss whether the company can regain ground against Uber, or whether it’s always destined to be #2. While Lyft has clawed back some market share, finally attained profitability, and is now growing internationally, Shawn finds Lyft most interesting as a potential acquisition target for a company like DoorDash, Amazon, or Alphabet. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:18 - Why Lyft could be such an interesting acquisition target 00:11:58 - How the company has actually managed to regain market share versus Uber 00:13:36 - What Lyft did to achieve operating profitability for the first time this year 00:24:24 - How Zimbabwe became the inspiration for Lyft 00:31:30 - How Lyft’s co-founders used viral marketing to gain traction 00:32:05 - Why scrappiness is in Lyft’s DNA 00:33:14 - Why Lyft made sure to IPO before Uber 01:16:05 - How to think about modeling LYFT’s intrinsic value 01:19:00 - Whether Shawn and Daniel add LYFT to their Intrinsic Value Portfolio *Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES The Investors Podcast Network is excited to debut a new community known as The Intrinsic Value Community for investors to learn, share ideas, network, and join calls with experts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for the waitlist(!)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sign up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Newsletter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn how to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in Omaha for the 2026 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. Track ⁠⁠The Intrinsic Value Portfolio⁠⁠. Shawn & Daniel use Fiscal.ai for every company they research — use their referral link to get started with a 15% discount! Learn how to join us in Omaha for the 2026 Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting. Acquired podcast’s coverage of the Lyft IPO. Lyft’s CEO on the shift to robotaxis. Value Investor’s Club pitch for Lyft. Lyft’s S1 filing. Check out our previous Intrinsic Value breakdowns: ⁠⁠Transdigm⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Salesforce⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Berkshire Hathaway⁠⁠, ⁠⁠FICO⁠⁠, ⁠⁠PayPal,⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Uber⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Nike⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Airbnb⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Alphabet⁠⁠. Related ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠books⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ mentioned in the podcast. Ad-free episodes on our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Premium Feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. NEW TO THE SHOW? Follow our official social media accounts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Try Shawn's favorite tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Finance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Enjoy exclusive perks from our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠favorite Apps and Services⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠best business podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ References to any third-party products, services, or advertisers do not constitute endorsements, and The Investor's Podcast Network is not responsible for any claims made by them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm

Transcript

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0:00.0	The market thinks Lyft is a loser, and it has been as a standalone company, but to Amazon or Alphabet, it could be worth several times more than its puny market cap trades for.
0:11.1	And at the same time, Lyft has just finally hit a scale to be operationally profitable, which makes an acquisition much more palatable.
0:18.7	If Lyft is acquired, I could easily see its shares doubling from what is only a $7 billion market cap,
0:25.7	despite being the second largest ride-sharing app in all of North America.
0:33.7	You're listening to the Intrinsic Value podcast by the Investors Podcast Network. Since 2014,
0:39.9	with over 180 million downloads, we've learned directly from the world's best investors.
0:45.6	Now, we're applying those lessons to analyze businesses and investment opportunities every week,
0:51.7	helping you uncover intrinsic value. And now, here are your hosts,
0:56.7	Sean O'Malley and Daniel Monker. For anyone who has followed along with our podcast for a while
1:09.1	now, you probably know that both Sean and I are huge
1:11.8	fans of Uber. In the US at least, we've been happy to crown them as the winner of the right
1:17.2	sharing was. So you're probably a bit surprised to see that today we've got its competitor,
1:21.4	Lyft, queued up as a pitch. And honestly, I'm a bit surprised too. So without all the contacts
1:26.5	that we normally give in the intro, I just have to ask you, Sean,
1:30.1	why are we talking about Lyft in this episode?
1:32.9	Yeah, you're right.
1:33.7	I'm probably the person least likely to pitch Lyft if you listen only to our bullishness on Uber.
1:38.6	And to be clear, we both remain very excited about Uber's future.
1:41.9	I think that's fair to say.
1:42.7	But as we talked through the Uber thesis more and more, whether that be with our friends
1:46.8	and the intrinsic bad community or even at investment conferences, I just kept coming back to
1:51.0	this idea that there is, in fact, something very interesting about Lyft, especially when
	...

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