DoorDash Dips Despite Deals: Is It Time to Order Out or Fold?

Revenue Reality Check: Not Quite a Blue Screen of Death But Close!

Well hello there fellow innovators! Bill Gates here trading my usual deep dive into global health for a peek into the world of… food delivery apps. DoorDash just dropped their Q1 numbers and let's just say it's not exactly the kind of 'start me up' performance I'm used to seeing. They missed revenue expectations clocking in at $3.03 billion against the anticipated $3.09 billion. That's like trying to run Windows 95 on a modern gaming rig – possible but not ideal. The stock dipped 5%. Ouch! As I always say 'Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose.' Seems like DoorDash might need a refresher course.

SevenRooms: Is This the 'Ctrl+Alt+Delicious' Move?

DoorDash is throwing down $1.2 billion for SevenRooms a restaurant booking platform. Ambitious! It's an all cash deal which tells me they're either swimming in dough (pun intended!) or really really believe in this play. SevenRooms handles booking info for restaurants and hotels which could give DoorDash a serious data advantage. Will this be the 'Ctrl+Alt+Delicious' move they need? Only time will tell. But let's be real even Windows had a few hiccups before becoming a world conquering OS.

Deliveroo Takeover: Global Domination... One Delivery at a Time?

Hold onto your hats folks because DoorDash isn't stopping there! They're also eyeing a $3.9 billion takeover of British food delivery service Deliveroo. Talk about going global! This could seriously expand their reach and put them in direct competition with other international players. It's like expanding Microsoft from just software to oh I don't know maybe dabbling in gaming consoles or personal computers? We all know how that turned out. 'To win big you sometimes have to take big risks,' as I like to say. Though hopefully this risk involves slightly less antitrust scrutiny than my early days…

Order Up! (But Not Quite Enough)

They did report a total of 732 million orders an 18% increase year over year. Not bad right? Except analysts were expecting 732.7 million. Missing expectations by such a slim margin is like missing a free throw in the NBA finals. Sure you were close but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. And I suppose when you're trying to eradicate polio but that's a different story altogether.

Earnings Forecast: A Glimmer of Hope in the Algorithm

Looking ahead DoorDash is projecting adjusted earnings before interest taxes depreciation and amortization of $600 million to $650 million. Analysts are pegging it at $639 million. So basically they're playing it safe. Which you know is probably a good idea after that revenue miss. As I've often said 'Patience is a key element of success.' Now if only I could be that patient waiting for my food to arrive.

Grocery Gains and Global Gambles

One bright spot? Their grocery delivery biz is booming especially with perishables. Seems people are willing to pay extra to avoid the horror of wilted lettuce. Smart move DoorDash! They also flagged potential geopolitical and currency risks due to their growing international presence. Translation: the world is a complicated place and getting your pad thai across borders can be trickier than debugging legacy code. But hey 'We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.' Maybe in ten years drones will be delivering our groceries directly into our refrigerators. Now THAT'S innovation!