4 ms·

That’s basically the gig economy. Shifting all the hidden and one off costs to unsophisticated gig workers who are unable to factor those costs in.

jrockway 5y ago
AirBnB is interesting in that it's like the gig economy, but actors that have unlimited capital can participate. If you have a few million bucks, you can park it in real estate in a touristy place and rent it out for $150 a night (compared to <$100 a night you'd get renting to a full-time renter). These "superhosts" know exactly what they're getting into. This is different than the gig economy where workers are just pouring hours of their lives into a dead-end job. You never get more efficient at being an Uber driver or a Doordash delivery person. You put in the hours, you get paid, and nothing changes for the rest of your life. (This is certainly true of some non-gig jobs, but at least you get a guaranteed 40 hours of paid work a week, don't have to buy your own supplies, get some paid holidays, and get health insurance.)
- TheSpiceIsLife 5y ago
  Uber drivers get progressively more economically inefficient the more they drive as the maintenance costs or driving a vehicle increase the more you drive it, up until it needs replacing either due to wear and tear or regulatory / contractual requirements.
  - sokoloff 5y ago
    The monthly decrease in value of the car gets less over time though. It loses the most value in the first month/year, less the next year, etc.
    - csunbird 5y ago
      But, a car that is being used for Uber/Taxi service loses way more value over time, as a normal private car (in Europe for example) will make 10k to 15k kilometers per year, while Uber/Taxi cars will make double of that easily.
      - sokoloff 5y ago
        Yes. The use of a car in Uber service is extracting value from the car. My point was that the rate of that extraction goes down over time and distance, partially (perhaps more than) offsetting the increase in repair costs over time and distance.
- jizzlepizzle 5y ago
  I just want to point out that the "Superhost" status is related to your reviews and star ratings, not the amount of properties you run. I rent out half of my house on AirBnB and I am a "Superhost"

jrockway 5y ago

AirBnB is interesting in that it's like the gig economy, but actors that have unlimited capital can participate. If you have a few million bucks, you can park it in real estate in a touristy place and rent it out for $150 a night (compared to <$100 a night you'd get renting to a full-time renter). These "superhosts" know exactly what they're getting into. This is different than the gig economy where workers are just pouring hours of their lives into a dead-end job. You never get more efficient at being an Uber driver or a Doordash delivery person. You put in the hours, you get paid, and nothing changes for the rest of your life. (This is certainly true of some non-gig jobs, but at least you get a guaranteed 40 hours of paid work a week, don't have to buy your own supplies, get some paid holidays, and get health insurance.)

TheSpiceIsLife 5y ago
Uber drivers get progressively more economically inefficient the more they drive as the maintenance costs or driving a vehicle increase the more you drive it, up until it needs replacing either due to wear and tear or regulatory / contractual requirements.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  The monthly decrease in value of the car gets less over time though. It loses the most value in the first month/year, less the next year, etc.
  - csunbird 5y ago
    But, a car that is being used for Uber/Taxi service loses way more value over time, as a normal private car (in Europe for example) will make 10k to 15k kilometers per year, while Uber/Taxi cars will make double of that easily.
    - sokoloff 5y ago
      Yes. The use of a car in Uber service is extracting value from the car. My point was that the rate of that extraction goes down over time and distance, partially (perhaps more than) offsetting the increase in repair costs over time and distance.
jizzlepizzle 5y ago
I just want to point out that the "Superhost" status is related to your reviews and star ratings, not the amount of properties you run. I rent out half of my house on AirBnB and I am a "Superhost"