Welcome, Commercial Drone Pilots!
Join our growing community today!
Sign up

Who is S. Rose on Droners.io?

Classic example of supply and demand. I've actually done many jobs through Droners, and yeah the 10% cut hurts. Also agree that one cannot make a living out of doing these types of jobs, but I have a FT job, so doing a couple of $100 jobs every week is a fun way to keep my flying skills sharp and have some fun. Most jobs take 30 minutes and don't even involve video--just got to be realistic about it. Look at it this way, would you drive an hour to retrieve a $100 bill while having a bit of fun?
 
Hello,

Understanding that Droners.IO is mostly populated by bottom feeders in a race to the bottom, I have been placing bids based on what I think the job is worth and ignoring the “budget”.

Because this is a hobby for me, I am ok with getting underbid rather than undervaluing my time.

I keep seeing jobs posted by S. Rose: over 7,400 posts to date. The jobs are all over the U.S. and all seem to have a “budget” of around $100 for “…Just 25 mix of ground/aerial photos. No editing or color correction necessary…”

The “budget” seems VERY low, assuming these jobs would take at least an hour and a half.

So who is S. Rose?

Thanks,
Kevin
run screaming in the other direction
I completely quit Droners.io because of this guy
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeA
I don’t understand why did this guy make you quit just ignore his jobs.
yeah, perhaps that was slightly dramatic... but basically I got hosed on several jobs completely.. drove across the state only to be cancelled etc... and it just seemed so much like a race to the bottom ...
But more accurately, I should say... avoid this guy like the plague... he's unscrupulous
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeA
yeah, perhaps that was slightly dramatic... but basically I got hosed on several jobs completely.. drove across the state only to be cancelled etc... and it just seemed so much like a race to the bottom ...
But more accurately, I should say... avoid this guy like the plague... he's unscrupulous
I see I always bid the budget and I’ve never gotten a job so that’s my story.
So let the teenagers do it
As for S Rose he always wants insurance that I’m not gonna get.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dronecyclops
yeah, perhaps that was slightly dramatic... but basically I got hosed on several jobs completely.. drove across the state only to be cancelled etc... and it just seemed so much like a race to the bottom ...
But more accurately, I should say... avoid this guy like the plague... he's unscrupulous
Something doesn't square here. I've done thousands of dollars worth of work for S. Rose, and I can comfortably say that he is THE most reliable payer among the several DSPs that I fly for. It probably sounds like I have an interest in his business, but I truly do not, other than to see more jobs coming my way. I completely understand the "race to the bottom," but this is supply and demand, folks. If you don't want to work, cheap, then don't, but there's no need to ask us to NOT bid on small jobs that are quick and easy money. Most of his jobs are VERY quick (half an hour) and I only do the ones close to my house. I have a FT job, so for me, this is a lunch break with $100 bonus that happens to be fun.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JimD
Something doesn't square here. I've done thousands of dollars worth of work for S. Rose, and I can comfortably say that he is THE most reliable payer among the several DSPs that I fly for. It probably sounds like I have an interest in his business, but I truly do not, other than to see more jobs coming my way. I completely understand the "race to the bottom," but this is supply and demand, folks. If you don't want to work, cheap, then don't, but there's no need to ask us to NOT bid on small jobs that are quick and easy money. Most of his jobs are VERY quick (half an hour) and I only do the ones close to my house. I have a FT job, so for me, this is a lunch break with $100 bonus that happens to be fun.
You’re lucky if you get $100 for those jobs I’m not so lucky I bid 100 and somebody else bids less which like I say no problem.
 
Something doesn't square here. I've done thousands of dollars worth of work for S. Rose, and I can comfortably say that he is THE most reliable payer among the several DSPs that I fly for. It probably sounds like I have an interest in his business, but I truly do not, other than to see more jobs coming my way. I completely understand the "race to the bottom," but this is supply and demand, folks. If you don't want to work, cheap, then don't, but there's no need to ask us to NOT bid on small jobs that are quick and easy money. Most of his jobs are VERY quick (half an hour) and I only do the ones close to my house. I have a FT job, so for me, this is a lunch break with $100 bonus that happens to be fun.
Sure, if you can get a gig that you can do on your lunch break for a 100 bucks that is great. The reality is that isn't the norm with these guys. Last offer I got was for a ski resort that would pay 150 dollars. It would have been a three hour round trip drive for me and they wanted both slopes mapped, they would process the maps.
By the time I figured the mileage on my pickup, and my time I would have lost money. What is funny whom ever did the job screwed it up and it was reposted. I know the folks up there so I gave them a call. I was told they were billed 350.00 for the job and they didn't get what they were promised.
I'm semi retired but I still value my time and I wouldn't mind taking a hundred dollar job that only took thirty minutes but I personally haven't seen any, and I'm certainly wouldn't give someone 10% of that job.
One of my current contracts is at UC Davis, five hour round trip, two hours on site, another hour processing and uploading photos. I get $550.00 per visit, A hundred and twenty of that goes into the vehicle expense so the remaining $430.00 doesn't even pay a hundred bucks an hour to cover insurance and depreciation on the drone and expenses such as batteries and preventive maintenance.
I find it amusing that people will spend thousands for a drone, insurance, vehicle and do jobs that don't even cover their real expenses.
 
Hello,

Understanding that Droners.IO is mostly populated by bottom feeders in a race to the bottom, I have been placing bids based on what I think the job is worth and ignoring the “budget”.

Because this is a hobby for me, I am ok with getting underbid rather than undervaluing my time.

I keep seeing jobs posted by S. Rose: over 7,400 posts to date. The jobs are all over the U.S. and all seem to have a “budget” of around $100 for “…Just 25 mix of ground/aerial photos. No editing or color correction necessary…”

The “budget” seems VERY low, assuming these jobs would take at least an hour and a half.

So who is S. Rose?

Thanks,
Kevin
He's has a website selling photo/video packages from $350 to $550. All he does is do really basic and quick editing and delivers it on different platforms for the client, so he's netting a good 60% - 80% off of your work (dronevideos.com)
 
He's has a website selling photo/video packages from $350 to $550. All he does is do really basic and quick editing and delivers it on different platforms for the client, so he's netting a good 60% - 80% off of your work (dronevideos.com)
He has the connections and the traffic to make that business model work. I'm sure we all have a $350-$500 20-25 photo package in our price list, just much less traffic going into our individual sites. The middle man is a very profitable position to be in, in any industry.
 
He has the connections and the traffic to make that business model work. I'm sure we all have a $350-$500 20-25 photo package in our price list, just much less traffic going into our individual sites. The middle man is a very profitable position to be in, in any industry.
That is correct. As a business there's no argument his margins are fantastic, and the model is a proven cash-cow, no doubt. The reply is more to make the pilot (the person who's delivering the core product) think before accepting these rates. I'd like to think we, drone operators, are also business people and, as such, we should value our business as much as we value theirs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeA and rx7ward
That is correct. As a business there's no argument his margins are fantastic, and the model is a proven cash-cow, no doubt. The reply is more to make the pilot (the person who's delivering the core product) think before accepting these rates. I'd like to think we, drone operators, are also business people and, as such, we should value our business as much as we value theirs.
If it makes sense for you to do the job, what do you care what else is being made?
She deserves the profit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeA
He's has a website selling photo/video packages from $350 to $550. All he does is do really basic and quick editing and delivers it on different platforms for the client, so he's netting a good 60% - 80% off of your work (dronevideos.com)
I think this notion of S. Rose making money off of "my back" is a bit of "sour grapes." He has invested in a business and even though he doesn't fly the missions, he finds the customers, finds the pilots, edits the work, and delivers a finished product to the customer. He's not different than any other DSP. I've worked for probably a dozen DSPs over the past few years because my day job offers me just enough flexibility to cut out for a couple of hours here and there and fly my drone for a few dollars. I know what I'm worth, and in this case it matches closely enough with what he is willing to pay me. Supply is meeting demand. I'm also on Dronebase, and those cats pay like $70. That's where my line is. We each have one. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeA and JimD
Scott, not a her, Rose is marketing property all over the country. I had an account closed on one site because I used an unacceptable word to describe his practices. He's always there to 'request I bid on his project' when he can't find anyone else, and talks about 'establishing a long term relationship with a local pilot,' but he's a class 1 tool and will take the lowest bid 100% of the time. Very demanding, gives short notice, doesn't understand weather and logistical issues anyplace but outside his office, and is a total douchebag. I had a good $35,000 in bids and pending jobs outstanding when he got my first account killed.
 
Sure, if you can get a gig that you can do on your lunch break for a 100 bucks that is great. The reality is that isn't the norm with these guys. Last offer I got was for a ski resort that would pay 150 dollars. It would have been a three hour round trip drive for me and they wanted both slopes mapped, they would process the maps.
By the time I figured the mileage on my pickup, and my time I would have lost money. What is funny whom ever did the job screwed it up and it was reposted. I know the folks up there so I gave them a call. I was told they were billed 350.00 for the job and they didn't get what they were promised.
I'm semi retired but I still value my time and I wouldn't mind taking a hundred dollar job that only took thirty minutes but I personally haven't seen any, and I'm certainly wouldn't give someone 10% of that job.
One of my current contracts is at UC Davis, five hour round trip, two hours on site, another hour processing and uploading photos. I get $550.00 per visit, A hundred and twenty of that goes into the vehicle expense so the remaining $430.00 doesn't even pay a hundred bucks an hour to cover insurance and depreciation on the drone and expenses such as batteries and preventive maintenance.
I find it amusing that people will spend thousands for a drone, insurance, vehicle and do jobs that don't even cover their real expenses.
Just an update on this job, I was finally told it was quoted at 550 dollars by Rose.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: MikeA

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
4,277
Messages
37,605
Members
5,969
Latest member
KC5JIM