Uber's problems extend far beyond China. While the app is nice, its the cheap fares that bring the vast majority of users to Uber, vs competitors or plain ol' taxis.<p>Those cheap fares are artificially low, funded by SV money and ignoring regulatory issues. But money does run out (or investors want a real return eventually), and regulators either change the law (nullifying their advantage) or crackdown completely.<p>Uber's network effects are almost non-existant. Every small geographic market has to be fought and won the hard, and expensive way. And when the money runs out and the fares go up, there is no market lock-in. Barriers to entry are <i>low</i>, potential competitors include anyone with a car, Uber just doesn't have a way to lock in market dominance.<p>Which is probably why they're rushing toward driverless vehicles as fast as they possibly can. Their own staff are an existential threat so they have to remove them as soon as possible. Except that puts them in direct competition with a whole range of extremely well funded, and well connected industry players.<p>So. Good luck Uber, this is just an example writ large of where Uber is heading in the not to distant future.