In the many months since I’ve started this journey to build our first app, I’ve learned a lot of important lessons. And I’ve also had a lot of time to reflect on the current state of startup culture, entrepreneurship, and the impact the gig economy has (and will have) on business in general.
The term “gig economy” is such a buzzword these days, and there’s no shortage of dialog about how gig suppliers (the Gigers?) have benefited from increased income opportunities, on-demand work, flexible schedules, etc. I could talk for hours on the implications this will have on the workforce, the economy, job creation and so on, but I’d rather reflect for a minute on the benefits of being on the demand side (the Gigee?).
In my opinion, one of the most exciting benefits of the gig economy is how it has reduced or eliminated many of the barriers to innovation.
I don’t think that’s an overstatement.
As someone who always has a few ideas cooking, I know it’s easy to get hung up on the logistics or the mechanics of an idea. In the past, I’ve killed countless ideas because of my limited connections or resources to execute, but these days the gig economy has really blown the doors open in terms of options.
If you have an idea, there are countless resources and options to help you make it happen.
I’ve hired and purchased a substantial number of freelancers, gigs, tasks, contests and jobs recently – utilizing countless platforms and websites – and each time I’m more inspired and excited to keep producing and making stuff. I’ve had plugins developed, prototypes 3D modeled, TV pilots filmed, websites optimized, logos designed, demo videos animated, books illustrated, and more – all with the help of on-demand freelancers taking part in the gig economy.
I’m not going to pretend that the quality is always on par with established/traditional vendors – it’s often not. But if you put your time in, and dedicate a good amount of effort to project management and creative oversight, you’ll generally get tremendous value.
Overall, my point is this: with all these options and resources just a few clicks away, you have fewer and fewer excuses getting in the way of you developing your ideas and creating something great. From design to production to testing to marketing, there are gig opportunities at every stage of your idea development, just waiting for you to activate them.
A global workforce is at your fingertips – get out there and make stuff!
_AS
