Of gig-work and entrepreneurship (for better and for worse)

Waymo is rising, and so is gig work, but is that good or is that bad?

• Waymo is hoovering share

• Not everyone wins from self-driving cars (in the short-run at least)

• to the gig workers go the spoils?

• oh no! entrepreneurship is on the rise!

• necessity or opportunity, that is the question

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Of gig-work and entrepreneurship (for better and for worse)

Some thoughts on the “gig economy,” self-driving cars, and the “startup boom.”

Waymo is hoovering share

It’s indirectly relevant to the gig economy, but it will all make sense soon.

On the subject of doing more with less, self-driving cars continue to make progress:

Waymo is hoovering share at Uber’s expense

Yipit

Waymo’s share of rides (within the few markets it operates) continues to grow, mostly at Uber’s expense.

The data is from the summer, but there’s no reason to think that the trend has slowed. Self-driving cars are here, and they will continue to proliferate (bringing substantial changes with them).

Self-driving cars are a “post-hype sleeper,” in that people get very excited about them about 10 years ago, and then progress slowed, and people moved on to other hot-new-things. Random Walk is, however, bullish on renewed hype.

Putting aside the efficiency gains of taxis-without-drivers, as much as Americans love to drive, it’s almost certain that they will really love their own chauffeurs. And if you think of driving as a quasi-form factor for where and how people live (i.e. commuting ease and distance), well then self-driving is something like a commuter-rail to everyone’s doorstep. Waymo et al opens up a whole new swath of livable places.

Self-driving robotaxis are good, real good.

To the gig workers go the spoils (or not)?

Waymos aren’t good for everyone, of course, at least not in the near term.