Technology is changing how we work. This is a simplification of the primary idea behind author Taylor Pearson’s book, The End of Jobs. Pearson argues the democratization of resources has lowered the capital required to start a business in today’s day and age. In other words; there is little stopping an everyday person, just like you and me, from leaving the corporate workforce and creating our own sources of income.
This isn’t a path limited to the Mark Zuckerberg’s or Elon Musk’s of the world, it’s an open invitation to anyone who is good at anything. Just fifty years ago an aspiring writer would need all kinds of money and luck to get his novel, written on a mechanical typewriter, seen by his fellow countrymen. Today it’s entirely possible that a blog post, written on a portable computer, is seen by a hundred thousand people before the author crawls into bed at the end of the night.
First, you hardly require any capital at all to market most skills in today’s society. Writers, programmers, carpenters, mechanics, dog walkers, babysitters, house cleaners, and landscapers... If you are reasonably proficient at performing a task, it’s likely you will be able to find a handful of nearby customers willing to hire you. Keep that select few happy, and soon you may find yourself operating a real business - but only if you want to.
Second, in the rising gig economy, you don’t need to tie yourself down to single title or occupation. In fact, that’s probably a bad idea. Technology and the world around it is changing fast. Entirely new industries are being created that weren’t even thought of when your parents were your age. Specialization still exists, and remains important, but the baseline of common sense we expect has been inflated over the last decade.
The democratization of resources has empowered the individual to accomplish more with less. It’s become relatively easy and inexpensive for the neighborhood landscaper to put together a simple website and Facebook profile to promote his services. Tear-off flyers stapled to local telephone poles are still in fashion but serve as only a single tool in the ever-expanding marketing toolbox available to the crafty entrepreneur.
The gig economy has been given a valuation of over $900 billion. There are dozens of matchmaking platforms that connect those willing to work with those in need of work. Programmers and web designers use Upwork, while landscapers and contractors use Angie’s List; it’s clear that interest in hiring skilled individuals, rather than companies, is growing.
It only makes sense. There is something inherently rewarding about hiring a local man or woman to clean up your garden instead of calling up the 1-800 number of Mr. Weed Man. Eventually, we will have the option of sourcing nearly any task out to local neighbors. Upcoming startups like ConnectJob aim to create local markets for a wide variety of services provided by nearby individuals.
Peer-to-peer marketplaces enable us to sell homemade products and services directly to each other, foregoing the need for employers and all the formalities that came with them. There are no mandatory meetings, miserable commute, or painful resume edits. In the gig economy your portfolio, your work, speaks for itself.
We have access to more tools today than we have ever had before. These tools have given rise to the gig economy; a flexible environment that allows for cheap on-demand entrepreneurship. Whether you choose to tap the peer-to-peer marketplaces, land work as a contractor with an established company, or choose to dabble on the side of your 9-to-5, just know that things are changing fast.
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