Doordash ($PRIVATE:DOORDASH) is rolling and it's charting the course for an IPO, thanks to a bevy of healthy-looking alternative data. You may not choose healthy delivery options via the San Francisco-based delivery titan, but many of its metrics are looking awfully fit. 

For starters, Doordash has for years had an advantage over even the biggest players in the food delivery space thanks to its level of engagement via the Apple ($AAPL) Store. Here, we can see the number of ratings submitted over the years, and Doordash has been blowing away the competition for some time now. 

There are some big-name backers of the delivery app, like Coatue and DST, which backed it at a valuation of $4 billion in 2018. Last year, Doordash's valuation was closing in on $13 billion.

Better still for Doordash, it's got a rating of about 5.0 out of 5, or, perfect, which puts it at the top of the class today for user satisfaction (not shown). Each of the apps boasts a rating better than 4.0.

Our next chart reflects Doordash job postings as it scaled up over time - and, in recent months, it has backed away from some of that aggressive growth. It's not uncommon to see companies step back from big growth ambitions with an IPO on the way. Since September of last year, Doordash has 48% fewer job postings; and many postings in sales and marketing were reduced (not shown). 

Our last chart highlights how popular Doordash has become with consumers - and what Seamless once used to enjoy, in terms of an advantage. The legacy food delivery app has seen attention on Facebook ($FB), in terms of its Talking About Count, dwindle in the last few years - while Doordash continues to see more chatter, another positive data point as it readies an IPO. 

It might not be the most advisable time to launch an IPO - but then again, Doordash only filed for one, and it can afford to wait for months. Elsewhere in the space, competitor Grubhub is considering its alternatives - including an outright sale - after less than a decade on public markets. And, internationally, all of these food delivery apps are up against a competitor few in the US are aware of, which is driving behemoth scale in South America.

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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