Our Magic

For anyone comparing us to Webvan - we are different. I've shared why that's the case several times before (google instacart). But, I think pictures speak louder than words:<p>Instacart: <a href="http://imgur.com/2tWWh" rel="nofollow">http://imgur.com/2tWWh</a> Webvan: <a href="http://minus.com/l2Mq5zUpwCP6E" rel="nofollow">http://minus.com/l2Mq5zUpwCP6E</a>

I think Instacart is a fantastic concept / service but for me it doesn't come without some internal conflict. When I was in grad school and didn't have a car, it was a huge pain to go grocery shopping. I had to bike a mile to the nearest grocery store and I could only fit a few items in my backpack. On top of that, it would rain often (thank you Florida), making the whole experience absolutely miserable. I always wished there was some service that could do "maintenance shopping" for me and always deliver the weekly essentials. I thought the same about laundry as well.<p>Now that I have a job and live a few blocks from the nearest store and have a car, is it right to <i>pay someone else</i> to do my shopping for me? Am I really that lazy? Do I really value other's time less than my own? I have often pondered these questions ever since services like Taskrabbit started and I saw people (able-bodied 20-somethings) using TR to do things like screw new light bulbs in.<p>So I'm not saying services like this shouldn't exist, because there is clearly a need...but I worry about what it means for our culture.

Good for them - I use Instacart at least weekly and it's a fantastic service. I really hope it's sustainable, as same-day delivery services have had trouble in the past. Launching in the valley where people will pay to have more time was a great idea, but I anticipate a long road ahead when it comes to middle America.

Great service. Makes shopping for groceries a cinch. My only qualm is that they're not serving NYC yet. Hopefully this funding means fast expansion!

Can someone explain how the economics of scaling this type of business works now in 2012 when it failed in 2001? (most famously, Kozmo). I thought the problem was that the all-in cost of delivery was greater than the flat delivery fee added to each purchase. What's the trick to make this type of business work now?

Maybe this time around the business can be profitable at scale. What few people know/remember is that Kozmo, despite ultimately burning large amounts of money, was profitable in three cities right before they shut down.<p>I love Instacart, I use it almost every day! Glad to see some big name investors agree.

Focus on Trader Joe's. Their stores are smaller and easier for your shoppers to get in and out of, with a much more concise number of items. People trust the brand and are much more likely to try something out just by seeing and reading about it. Trader Joe's = Big time success.

In the UK the supermarkets offer a delivered groceries service themselves. Is this something that US supermarkets don't offer? Or is Instacart's selling point the rush delivery?

Nice Hack Apoorva. I still remember reading an article about the great hustle u made to get in YC.<p>I also plan to integrate Instacart in one of my features, and see how it can happen. Applied to YC this batch. What you think ?

Fantastic news guys! I use it every time I'm in San Francisco, and I can't wait until it's more ubiquitous.<p>I also love that you guys have an Android app now. Makes it much more accessible!

I wonder how it works with regards to the logistics, what items are in stock at what price, which stores participate ... ?

Congratulations, Apoorva! I've used Instacart a few times now and it's very intuitive and straightforward.

Nice work Apoorva!

The 3 hour option is really reasonable.

How is this different than Webvan? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webvan" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webvan</a>