The GIG Economy Podcast
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© 2026 The GIG Economy Podcast
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Talks about our Gig Economy adventures and breaking down the Gig Economy News
345 Episodes
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We would love to hear your feedback! We trade late-night rideshare stories with real safety lessons, then dig into Uber’s background check controversy, the pace of misconduct reports, and what policy changes could actually protect people. We also explore Uber’s EV charging push, a new trash-day gig app, Life360’s family integration, Waymo’s assertive maneuvers, and DoorDash’s retail surge. • fast-driving Uber and Lyft rides, phone mount risks, rating and reporting choices • lifetime bans for...
We would love to hear your feedback! A pizza goes to the right address—until the app decides it didn’t. That’s where our night begins: inside a double-order mix-up that flips a completed delivery into a fresh task 10 miles away, and a support chat that insists the driver is at fault. We unpack what really happened, why third-party systems like Toast can scramble instructions mid-route, and how to protect your tips, ratings, and sanity when the software gets it wrong. From there we hit the me...
We would love to hear your feedback! News Links for Ep 289 A tipping point is here for the gig economy, and we felt it the moment two verdicts landed: Uber facing an $858.5M judgment in a sexual assault case under “apparent authority,” and Instacart ordered to pay nearly $16M after a fatal crash. We unpack what these rulings actually mean—where platform liability starts, where driver accountability remains, and how this could finally force safety to become a real product priority instead of a...
We would love to hear your feedback! News Links from Ep 288 We dig into the week’s wild mix: snow closures and NTI days, shrinking gig hours, the end of Dovetail screenshots, Spark incentives that don’t always land, and a sober look at autonomy after Waymo’s low-speed child impact and an impatient merge around a semi. Safety, strategy, and sanity lead the way. • school shutdowns, NTI days, local differences • dovetail payouts ending and data value • spark curbside incentives vs real earnings...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 287 News Links Two friends tackle a frozen week of gig work—how storms stall demand, why some apps shut down, and where the money still flows—then zoom out to taxes, tips, and the fight for transparency. We also dig into AV stumbles, teen ride safety, and Amazon’s shifting retail play. • ice storm impacts on scheduling and safety • spark incentives and whether cold boosts earnings • 1099 tip reporting inconsistencies across apps • NYC’s 10% tip prompt ...
We would love to hear your feedback! Two hosts dig into a week of wild gig-economy stories: a convicted murder tied to a scam, a federal Uber SA trial with explosive internal messages, delivery partnerships that shift the market, and autonomy failures that expose design gaps. We weigh real fixes, from portable background checks to camera standards, and call out bad driver behavior, cash-ride risks, and privacy myths. • scam-driven shooting of an Uber Eats driver and how to prevent repeats • ...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 285 News Links We chase a slow January across rideshare, delivery, and shopping, then dig into AI hoaxes, rising energy costs from data centers, and where autonomy helps or harms. Laws, kiosks, drones, and tipping rules collide with real driver pay and trust. • dry January reducing orders and routes • multi‑app strategies to survive slow demand • AI misinformation and fake whistleblower fallout • data centers raising electricity costs and bills • Calif...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 284 News Links We break down a wild start to 2026: rumors of a DoorDash “desperation score,” shifting incentives across Uber, Lyft, and Spark, and the thin line between algorithmic efficiency and exploitation. From a Waymo red-light fail to McDonald’s weighing bags, we push on safety, trust, and what drivers can actually control. • Uber quest math vs Lyft drought on bonuses • Spark incentives influencing supply on holidays • Long-trip deadhead realitie...
We would love to hear your feedback! Follow Steve at ridesharerodeo.com We trade holiday greetings and dive straight into autonomous vehicle hype versus reality, then tackle flooded delivery markets, “Dash Now for all,” and a bold proposal to cap active drivers to improve earnings and reduce data waste. A Boulder case study shows restaurants reclaiming ordering while still using DoorDash drivers, hinting at a new pathway for fair pricing and better tips. • Waymo’s recalls, school bus failure...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 282 News Links We go solo and cover a wild delivery sabotage caught on camera, the real risks couriers face, Instacart’s shifting prices, and the future of gig work with AI and city rules. We finish with tipping fights in NYC and why the community keeps drivers sane and safer. • Larry out for family emergency, community support updates • Ring-caught pepper spray incident and platform accountability • Practical safety tactics for deliveries and ride pic...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 281 News Links Two hosts dig into the latest gig economy twists: Uber’s targeted ads built on trip insights, DoorDash account takeovers draining restaurant payouts, porch pirates using Wi‑Fi jammers, and the messy realities behind driverless rides. We weigh security fixes, fair pay, and where AI helps or hurts. • Uber ads tied to anonymised trip insights and rising rider prices • DoorDash merchant hacks via email credential theft and weak 2FA • Package...
We would love to hear your feedback! We tear into the hidden math of gig work, from bonuses that look great on paper to car notes that choke your margins. A spill, a triple batch, a Lyft perk change, and a Waymo near a felony stop all point to the same lesson: treat this like a business or the job will run you. • stocking cleanup gear for fast recovery in the car • using stackable bonuses to lift weak orders • denying low-value trips and avoiding deadhead • why expensive cars for rideshare r...
We would love to hear your feedback! A year-end mix of gig-life highs and lows: walking deliveries in dense cities, the line between speed and sanitation, a CEO clip that aged oddly, and the ripple effects of buy-now-pay-later on DoorDash. We add real life too—sick days, frozen shoulders, and how to keep working without burning out. • viability of on‑foot delivery in dense markets • why bathroom hygiene rules matter for customer trust • managing illness and frozen shoulder as a gig worker • ...
We would love to hear your feedback! Ep 278 News Links A viral claim collapses, a van gets swiped in broad daylight, and a driverless car freezes in an alley—welcome to a week where gig work shows its sharp edges. We open with a wild “clip of the week” from a Spark delivery, then unpack the fallout from the DoorDash creator whose videos led to felony charges after she filmed a customer nude and posted his information online. What counts as evidence, what crosses the line, and how do you pro...
We would love to hear your feedback! We weigh real driver safety against political theater as a proposed English-only bill meets the reality of rides that rarely need chatter, then pivot to practical wins like Spark’s flashing shelf tags and the hard limits of Amazon Flex “flexibility.” Along the way, we unpack women-only ride options, a Waymo smashed after a big game, and a straw bale delivery that proves some orders just aren’t worth it. • Uber Eats bonus math and acceptance strategy • Tel...
We would love to hear your feedback! We share wins and misses from a slow Spark week and a solid Amazon Flex route, then dig into Halloween ride trends, rain-soaked nights, and why visibility changes how we work. Waymo’s expansion, Uber’s AI microtasks, and Lyft’s late-night campus discounts set the stage for a bigger question: how fast should robotaxis move and who pays when code crashes. Ep 276 News Links • community links, newsletter, Patreon, and TikTok goals • Spark slowdown versu...
We would love to hear your feedback! Two hosts dig into Lyft’s new driver controls, Uber’s $4K EV push, Waymo’s school bus probe, and Amazon’s smart glasses while swapping road stories and safety tips. We weigh DoorDash’s SNAP fee waivers, restaurant policies that shift costs to drivers, and how to plan a profitable Halloween weekend. • Telegram as our main community space for drivers • A memorable passenger conversation that restores faith • Strategy for Halloween and homecoming surge windo...
We would love to hear your feedback! We dig into DoorDash’s partnership with Waymo and Uber’s new tip guarantee while weighing what automation, policy tweaks, and platform rules mean for working drivers. Along the way, we break down viral delivery controversies and why doing the right thing still matters most. News Ep 274 • DoorDash and Waymo autonomous delivery pilot in Phoenix • DashPass $10 Waymo ride credit details and limits • Uber tip guarantee mechanics and third-party exclusions • Ub...
We would love to hear your feedback! Two hosts dig into a volatile week for gig workers: Lyft’s tipping transparency test and retreat, baffling low-pay offers, Waymo crowding, and a pilot for AI police patrols. We trade driver stories, weigh the ethics of automation, and share what actually helps you earn. Gig News Ep 273 • Lyft testing tip history visibility and quick reversal • tipping culture fatigue and generational differences • extremely low-paying delivery requests and driver strategi...
We would love to hear your feedback! News Links for Ep 272 Two hosts dig into what’s changing the gig economy now: a courtroom win for Uber, DoorDash’s push toward shopper loyalty, and autonomy that still fumbles at the edges. We share on-the-road tactics for better pay, safer rides, and stacking income with tools that actually help. • DoorDash introduces favorite your shopper and why loyalty compounds earnings • Uber negligence verdict on safety, yet no liability, and what reporting still g...
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