Fiverr Acquires Stoke Talent, How DoorDash Makes Money, Google's Remote Pay Cuts, and More...

There are approximately 60 million Independent workers in the United States, representing $1.5 trillion in U.S. GDP and growing. Projections estimate that 50% of our U.S. workforce will be independent workers by 2025- 2030. The Gig Economy represents a trend that will digitally transform how organizations engage with talent.

I believe that?every organization?in?every industry?needs a Gig Economy strategy. Not having one in 2021 is like missing the internet trend in 1990 or the mobile revolution in 2010.

The Freelance Revolution

The rise of independent contractors and globalization of knowledge work is the Industrial Revolution of our time. Everywhere we look, we can see the U.S. workforce undergoing a massive and structural change.

?8 Different Ways DoorDash Makes Money?- DoorDash (DASH) is a food delivery app that relies on contract delivery drivers who deliver food from local restaurant partners to customers' doors. They make money via delivery and service fees, commissions, subscription plans, advertising, and catering.

Fiverr acquires Stoke Talent for $95M, adding freelance management tools for employers to its platform?-?On the heels of LinkedIn last week?launching Service Marketplace, a competitor to freelance platforms like Fiverr and Upwork, today Fiverr announced an acquisition that speaks to how it plans to stay in the game by building in more features for its users. Fiverr is?acquiring?Stoke Talent, which lets companies manage their freelance teams for $95 million.

Is this China's 'Great Resignation'? Freelancers find both hope and uncertainty in a bid to escape 9-to-5 grind?- Intense pressure, long working hours, and relatively low wages have convinced millions to embrace 'flexible employment' and freelancing, often in a gap between full-time work. Income is essential, but Gen Z and younger millennials say their ideal jobs offer freedom while allowing them to pursue their passions.

What We Learned From The Global Survey On Freelancing?-?I've received many requests to share the Global Survey on Freelancing findings, the first truly global freelance survey co-sponsored by my Agile Talent Collaborative and the University of Toronto conducted from March-June 2021. The full report came out a few weeks ago and is available?here.

Gig Worker Benefits Platform Stride Health Announces $47 Million In New Funding?-?Stride Health, a benefits platform designed specifically for independent workers,?announced?that it has raised $47 million to build on its platform, grow membership, and expand partnerships and distribution channels.??????

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The Creator Economy?

The Creator Economy has many similarities to the sharing and gig economies back in 2012-2015. Independent talent, technology platforms, and hype. All are driven by the dream of making a living by doing what you love. At over $100B+ the creator economy is just getting started.

The Creator Economy Now Mirrors The Global Economy?- More than 50 million people worldwide?consider?themselves to be creators. Influencer marketing is poised to?surpass?the $3 billion mark by the end of 2021. Streaming platforms from?Netflix?to?Disney+ (along with every other platform marked with a "+") to?Amazon?Prime continue to scale operations globally,?diversify?offerings beyond T.V. or movies, and sign top talent to long-term contracts.

Move over, Instagram influencers: Welcome to the era of the independent creator?- Despite the boom of the so-called influencer economy over the past decade-plus, creators who make their living posting content on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and more are continuing to face now-familiar challenges: the perils of building a business on the back of an ever-changing algorithm determined by Big Tech companies; the grueling reality of having to post multiple pieces of content a day; and, ultimately, for many, the meager financial reward. Indeed, for every TikTok star raking in millions, thousands of other creators can barely make ends meet.

Patreon confirms it's exploring crypto as a way for creators to make money?- Patreon CEO and co-founder Jack Conte and Chief Product Officer Julian Gutman spoke on a panel at The Information's?2021 Creator Economy Summit?yesterday, where they were asked about the membership platform's plans for crypto.

The Hybrid Workplace

We see unprecedented numbers of companies implementing remote work programs. The way we work has forever changed and will require new skills and leadership approaches.

Why executives like the office?- An office is meant to bring people together. Instead, it has become a source of division. For some, the post-pandemic return to the workplace is an opportunity to re-establish boundaries between home and job and see colleagues in the flesh.

'The reality of hybrid working is pretty complex'?- Ella Rhodes spoke to visiting Professor of Occupational Health Psychology Gail Kinman (Birkbeck, University of London) and Dr. Christine Grant, Deputy Head of the School of Psychological, Social and Behavioural Sciences (Coventry University), ahead of their British Psychological Society webinar on ways to make homeworking a success.

Google Staff Squirm as Remote Workers Face Pay Cuts?-?Millions of people are seemingly ready and willing to take a pay cut to continue working remotely.?Sixty-one percent?of American workers;?four in 10?Londoners;?more than a quarter?of office workers in the U.K. Breathless media reports on the trend cite a lot of statistics, but few have found any people happily slashing their monthly household budgets.

2021's hot new remote work trend: unscheduled supervisor visits!?-?The past two-ish years of pandemic living have brought vast swaths of the country's office workforce and into the relative sterility of their homes. It hasn't been a seamless transition by any means,?nor has it been an equitable one.?

Workplace Wellness?

We will spend one-third of our lives working, and the disruption to the way we work has never moved faster. This all can impact our overall wellness as we navigate the changing landscape and fight for balance.

?Wellness Design Achieves Prime Time Status With '60 Minutes' And Oprah?- Wellness design was a growing trend before the pandemic sent millions of Americans home in early 2020. Still, the long months many families spent cooped up at home, making their spaces as safe, healthy, functional, and comfortable as possible despite tremendous challenges, has accelerated it tremendously.

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PAUL ESTES, the best-selling author of the best-selling book?Gig Mindset?and is an unstoppable advocate for the simple idea of ensuring that all voices are heard and that all people have access to opportunity. This passion is inspired by the quote from the late?Leila Janah?"Talent?is equally distributed,?opportunity is not."?Now is the time to address systemic?location bias?and encourage companies to reach beyond their organizational boundaries to engage the world's best minds.??For 20 years, He struggled to balance his life with fast-moving leadership roles at Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft. He led a team of progressive H.R., procurement, and legal trailblazers to launch Microsoft's Gig Economy freelance program. Hiring his first virtual assistant transformed the way he lived and worked.

Paul is the former host of the Gig Mindset and Talent Economy podcats. Each week, Paul provides insights and perspective to over 100,000 readers of his weekly LinkedIn newsletter, and he frequently shares his insights as a keynote speaker and panelist.?