The text message almost broke Debora McGlynn’s heart.

For nearly two years, McGlynn had relished the opportunity to take children to and from school as a part-time driver for Shuddle, a much-hyped startup that quickly raised $12 million with the promise of helping unburden busy parents. 

Shuddle launched with a flurry of press in early 2014 and kickstarted what was quickly dubbed the “Uber for kids” market. To some, it sounded like yet another on-demand company raising millions of dollars by lifting a page from Uber’s playbook. For those like McGlynn, a retired 911 dispatcher and single mother who raised three kids, that pitch hit a nerve. Read more…