Ellsworth

The Economic Emergency of Efficency and Consolidation

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Ellsworth
, 07-18-2025 at 12:46 PM (91 Views)
This will be a rough post. It will be a soundbite, less than a full meal.

1) "Seattle startup raises $6.3M to pick up your used stuff for free — and turn it into a resale marketplace... Gone recently emerged from stealth. It raised a $6.3 million seed round led by Seattle-area firm FUSE, with Breakwater Ventures, Evergreen Gavekal, TiE Angels, Tampa Bay Ventures, OneSixOne Ventures, and other angels participating. Jeff Hill and Ben Hoskins of 1-800-GOT-JUNK also invested." Source

It will take autonomous driving cars to make Gone really sing. At its core, it seems like a hyper-collaborative, AI incubator... focused on lowest cost of entry into the market and with distributed risk (while maximizing investor network ability). In other words, massive direct growth by picking up stuff for free and selling it. Also massive growth potential by creating AI products during the process.

it also has the potential to effect a lot of people who buy and resell / side hustle (college students, retired people, et cetera). And it will likely impact companies like Goodwill, Value Village, antique malls, et cetera. And perhaps it will generate AI IP, and then sell or merge with another company that needs/wants the AI IP -- the goal is profit for investors, not necessarily longevity for the company.

2) The Lawn-care industry. Autonomous / self driving trucks, solar panels on the roof, AI powered autonomous lawnmowers, charging docks in the truck. Works with leaf vacuums too. No humans required for ordinary lawn mowing service. The new approach to business models: "minimal involvement of humans for maximum return." This gets farm workers out of tractors too. Waypoints for the win.

3) "Bedrock Robotics, led by a veteran of Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous tech unit, is emerging from stealth with $80 million and plans to make heavy construction equipment work around-the-clock without human operators." Source

Do not think about all the unemployed heavy equipment operators who will riot in the streets. Don't consider all the other industries that will likely have human employees largely automated out of the profit system. Instead just enjoy your weekend.


The above topic fits well with:
  • Consolidation in the dental industry, almost done?
  • Consolidation in the veterinary industry, Mars Co is #1.
  • AI agents in the insurance field, already a big thing.
  • Et cetera.

And add... immigration (legal, illegal, work visas), AI is likely going to cause a massive loss of jobs in a lot more fields than just tech. Immigration of all sorts seems intrinsically tied to the potential job loss due to AI and automation -- it's an idea I consider.. Add a few more et ceteras to this whole AI boondoggle period of Civilization

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  1. Ellsworth's Avatar
    It just occurred to me:

    Regarding #3 above: There are heavy equipment trailers with the ability to secure equipment with electromagnets. It works for some equipment with enough metal in the right places, for other equipment a new universal 'quick attach' method will need to be developed to secure equipment to trailers without human involvement.

    No driver in the truck, no human needed for chain binders, no human in the heavy equipment. $80 million raised, and money once invested needs to work post haste.

    Regarding #2 above: It's not just standard mowing services. Almost any lawn care, shrub or tree maintenance / trimming can be easily automated and AI driven, a single telescoping robotic arm on an autonomous mobile platform (and/or automate/modify any number of existing vehicles/machinery).

    Farm products (beyond the tractor): The industry will likely adopt a principle of 'minimal human labor involved in processing, maximum automation' and that is a ratio which will vary by crop.
  2. Ellsworth's Avatar
    I recently drove past a garbage truck in a parking lot. The driver was out of the cab to deal with the large roll off bin.

    As I drove by I waved and shouted out from my open window, "Thanks for not being on strike." As I often do after saying something, a few minutes later I realized that I should have said something else! Something like, "Strike if you need to!"

    Autonomous driving garbage trucks with AI operated can lift. It's hard to fight for a job that no longer exists.

    School bus drivers, on the other hand, are also likely out of a job. The average salary for a school bus driver is about $37,000 per year. A teacher's assistant makes around $25,000 per year. In the absence of a driver, the kids on the bus just need an adult present. Trickle down economics.

    I have learned about AI and its potential ramifications, just like every normal American, from the news cycle and a lot of thinking it through by myself.
    Updated 07-19-2025 at 06:39 AM by Ellsworth (Garbage Driver Stike and Autonomous Trucks)