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Disinformation Echo-Chambers on Facebook: Funding and References

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. SAMUEL BANKMAN-FRIED Court Filing Lewis A. Kaplan, December 9, 2022 is part of . You can jump to any part in this filing . This is part 9 of 25. HackerNoon’s Legal PDF Series here PRELIMINARY STATEMENT II. BACKGROUND TO ALL MOTIONS H. The New Charges Were Improperly Brought Yet almost as soon as he arrived this country, the Government sought to proceed against Mr. Bankman-Fried on all eight charges in the Original Indictment, even though the Warrant of Surrender had not specified the campaign finance charge. The Government also added new charges that alleged criminal conduct far beyond the Original Indictment and which are improperly brought. As noted in the motions, even if they are considered, the charges should be dismissed as legally flawed. Further, the Court should order the Government to provide the defense with the requested discovery and particulars. In sum, Mr. Bankman-Fried is here to fight these baseless charges and clear his name. For these reasons, we respectfully make the following motions: Pretrial Motion No. 1: Motion to dismiss Counts 9-10 and 12-13 based on violation of the rule of specialty. Mr. Bankman-Fried agreed to simplified extradition, reserving his rights under the rule of specialty. The rule of specialty has been violated because Count 12 was not included in the Warrant of Surrender and Counts 9-10 and 13 were impermissibly added post-extradition; Pretrial Motion No. 2: Motion to dismiss Counts 7-9 and 1-2 based on invalidity of the “right to control” theory of property fraud and because the S5 Indictment does not identify a valid property interest that Mr. Bankman-Fried obtained from Alameda’s lenders or from FTX’s customers in violation of the wire fraud statute; Pretrial Motion No. 3: Motion to dismiss Counts 3-4 and 10 for failure to state an offense. The commodities fraud charges allege facts occurring almost entirely outside the United States and fail to allege the required “connection with” regulated sales or transactions. The unlicensed money transmitting charge fails because FTX was not required to register as a money services business solely for using a U.S. bank account; Pretrial Motion No. 4: Motion to dismiss, or in the alternative sever, Counts 12 and 13. The S5 Indictment does not properly allege illegal campaign contributions or payments to Chinese officials to “obtain[ ] or retain[ ] business,” and fails to establish venue for Count 13; Pretrial Motion No. 5: Motion to compel additional discovery, including Rule 16, Brady, Giglio and Jencks Act materials, from the FTX Debtors on the basis that they are part of the “prosecution team”; Pretrial Motion No. 6: Motion for a bill of particulars and early disclosure of Brady, Giglio, and Jencks Act materials, a list of Government witnesses, and accelerated disclosure of FRE 404(b) evidence; and Pretrial Motion No. 7: Motion to dismiss multiplicitous counts. Counts 1 and 9, and Counts 3 and 1, are the same in fact and law. Continue Reading . Here About HackerNoon Legal PDF Series: We bring you the most important technical and insightful public domain court case filings. This court case S5 22 Cr. 673 (LAK) retrieved on September 1, 2023, from is part of the public domain. The court-created documents are works of the federal government, and under copyright law, are automatically placed in the public domain and may be shared without legal restriction. Storage.Courtlistener

The US Government Improperly Added New Charges Against SBF After His Extradition to the US

The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated: Chapter 33 - Roman Bandits

The Count of Monte Cristo,by Alexandre Dumas, père is part of . You can jump to any chapter in this book here: . Volume One, Chapter 1: Marseille --The Arrival HackerNoon’s Book Blog Post series [LINK TO TABLE OF LINK] Chapter 1. Marseilles—The Arrival On the 24th of February, 1815, the look-out at Notre-Dame de la Garde signalled the three-master, the Pharaon from Smyrna, Trieste, and Naples. As usual, a pilot put off immediately, and rounding the Château d’If, got on board the vessel between Cape Morgiou and Rion island. Immediately, and according to custom, the ramparts of Fort Saint-Jean were covered with spectators; it is always an event at Marseilles for a ship to come into port, especially when this ship, like the Pharaon, has been built, rigged, and laden at the old Phocee docks, and belongs to an owner of the city. The ship drew on and had safely passed the strait, which some volcanic shock has made between the Calasareigne and Jaros islands; had doubled Pomègue, and approached the harbor under topsails, jib, and spanker, but so slowly and sedately that the idlers, with that instinct which is the forerunner of evil, asked one another what misfortune could have happened on board. However, those experienced in navigation saw plainly that if any accident had occurred, it was not to the vessel herself, for she bore down with all the evidence of being skilfully handled, the anchor a-cockbill, the jib-boom guys already eased off, and standing by the side of the pilot, who was steering the Pharaon towards the narrow entrance of the inner port, was a young man, who, with activity and vigilant eye, watched every motion of the ship, and repeated each direction of the pilot. The vague disquietude which prevailed among the spectators had so much affected one of the crowd that he did not await the arrival of the vessel in harbor, but jumping into a small skiff, desired to be pulled alongside the Pharaon, which he reached as she rounded into La Réserve basin. When the young man on board saw this person approach, he left his station by the pilot, and, hat in hand, leaned over the ship’s bulwarks. He was a fine, tall, slim young fellow of eighteen or twenty, with black eyes, and hair as dark as a raven’s wing; and his whole appearance bespoke that calmness and resolution peculiar to men accustomed from their cradle to contend with danger. “Ah, is it you, Dantès?” cried the man in the skiff. “What’s the matter? and why have you such an air of sadness aboard?” “A great misfortune, M. Morrel,” replied the young man, “a great misfortune, for me especially! Off Civita Vecchia we lost our brave Captain Leclere.” “And the cargo?” inquired the owner, eagerly. “Is all safe, M. Morrel; and I think you will be satisfied on that head. But poor Captain Leclere——” “What happened to him?” asked the owner, with an air of considerable resignation. “What happened to the worthy captain?” “He died.” “Fell into the sea?” “No, sir, he died of brain-fever in dreadful agony.” Then turning to the crew, he said, “Bear a hand there, to take in sail!” All hands obeyed, and at once the eight or ten seamen who composed the crew, sprang to their respective stations at the spanker brails and outhaul, topsail sheets and halyards, the jib downhaul, and the topsail clewlines and buntlines. The young sailor gave a look to see that his orders were promptly and accurately obeyed, and then turned again to the owner. “And how did this misfortune occur?” inquired the latter, resuming the interrupted conversation. “Alas, sir, in the most unexpected manner. After a long talk with the harbor-master, Captain Leclere left Naples greatly disturbed in mind. In twenty-four hours he was attacked by a fever, and died three days afterwards. We performed the usual burial service, and he is at his rest, sewn up in his hammock with a thirty-six-pound shot at his head and his heels, off El Giglio island. We bring to his widow his sword and cross of honor. It was worth while, truly,” added the young man with a melancholy smile, “to make war against the English for ten years, and to die in his bed at last, like everybody else.” “Why, you see, Edmond,” replied the owner, who appeared more comforted at every moment, “we are all mortal, and the old must make way for the young. If not, why, there would be no promotion; and since you assure me that the cargo——” “Is all safe and sound, M. Morrel, take my word for it; and I advise you not to take 25,000 francs for the profits of the voyage.” Then, as they were just passing the Round Tower, the young man shouted: “Stand by there to lower the topsails and jib; brail up the spanker!” The order was executed as promptly as it would have been on board a man-of-war. “Let go—and clue up!” At this last command all the sails were lowered, and the vessel moved almost imperceptibly onwards. “Now, if you will come on board, M. Morrel,” said Dantès, observing the owner’s impatience, “here is your supercargo, M. Danglars, coming out of his cabin, who will furnish you with every particular. As for me, I must look after the anchoring, and dress the ship in mourning.” The owner did not wait for a second invitation. He seized a rope which Dantès flung to him, and with an activity that would have done credit to a sailor, climbed up the side of the ship, while the young man, going to his task, left the conversation to Danglars, who now came towards the owner. He was a man of twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, of unprepossessing countenance, obsequious to his superiors, insolent to his subordinates; and this, in addition to his position as responsible agent on board, which is always obnoxious to the sailors, made him as much disliked by the crew as Edmond Dantès was beloved by them. “Well, M. Morrel,” said Danglars, “you have heard of the misfortune that has befallen us?” “Yes—yes: poor Captain Leclere! He was a brave and an honest man.” “And a first-rate seaman, one who had seen long and honorable service, as became a man charged with the interests of a house so important as that of Morrel & Son,” replied Danglars. “But,” replied the owner, glancing after Dantès, who was watching the anchoring of his vessel, “it seems to me that a sailor needs not be so old as you say, Danglars, to understand his business, for our friend Edmond seems to understand it thoroughly, and not to require instruction from anyone.” “Yes,” said Danglars, darting at Edmond a look gleaming with hate. “Yes, he is young, and youth is invariably self-confident. Scarcely was the captain’s breath out of his body when he assumed the command without consulting anyone, and he caused us to lose a day and a half at the Island of Elba, instead of making for Marseilles direct.” “As to taking command of the vessel,” replied Morrel, “that was his duty as captain’s mate; as to losing a day and a half off the Island of Elba, he was wrong, unless the vessel needed repairs.” “The vessel was in as good condition as I am, and as, I hope you are, M. Morrel, and this day and a half was lost from pure whim, for the pleasure of going ashore, and nothing else.” “Dantès,” said the shipowner, turning towards the young man, “come this way!” “In a moment, sir,” answered Dantès, “and I’m with you.” Then calling to the crew, he said, “Let go!” The anchor was instantly dropped, and the chain ran rattling through the port-hole. Dantès continued at his post in spite of the presence of the pilot, until this manœuvre was completed, and then he added, “Half-mast the colors, and square the yards!” “You see,” said Danglars, “he fancies himself captain already, upon my word.” “And so, in fact, he is,” said the owner. “Except your signature and your partner’s, M. Morrel.” “And why should he not have this?” asked the owner; “he is young, it is true, but he seems to me a thorough seaman, and of full experience.” A cloud passed over Danglars’ brow. “Your pardon, M. Morrel,” said Dantès, approaching, “the vessel now rides at anchor, and I am at your service. You hailed me, I think?” Danglars retreated a step or two. “I wished to inquire why you stopped at the Island of Elba?” “I do not know, sir; it was to fulfil the last instructions of Captain Leclere, who, when dying, gave me a packet for Marshal Bertrand.” “Then did you see him, Edmond?” “Who?” “The marshal.” “Yes.” Morrel looked around him, and then, drawing Dantès on one side, he said suddenly— “And how is the emperor?” “Very well, as far as I could judge from the sight of him.” “You saw the emperor, then?” “He entered the marshal’s apartment while I was there.” “And you spoke to him?” “Why, it was he who spoke to me, sir,” said Dantès, with a smile. “And what did he say to you?” “Asked me questions about the vessel, the time she left Marseilles, the course she had taken, and what was her cargo. I believe, if she had not been laden, and I had been her master, he would have bought her. But I told him I was only mate, and that she belonged to the firm of Morrel & Son. ‘Ah, yes,’ he said, ‘I know them. The Morrels have been shipowners from father to son; and there was a Morrel who served in the same regiment with me when I was in garrison at Valence.’” “Pardieu! and that is true!” cried the owner, greatly delighted. “And that was Policar Morrel, my uncle, who was afterwards a captain. Dantès, you must tell my uncle that the emperor remembered him, and you will see it will bring tears into the old soldier’s eyes. Come, come,” continued he, patting Edmond’s shoulder kindly, “you did very right, Dantès, to follow Captain Leclere’s instructions, and touch at Elba, although if it were known that you had conveyed a packet to the marshal, and had conversed with the emperor, it might bring you into trouble.” “How could that bring me into trouble, sir?” asked Dantès; “for I did not even know of what I was the bearer; and the emperor merely made such inquiries as he would of the first comer. But, pardon me, here are the health officers and the customs inspectors coming alongside.” And the young man went to the gangway. As he departed, Danglars approached, and said,— “Well, it appears that he has given you satisfactory reasons for his landing at Porto-Ferrajo?” “Yes, most satisfactory, my dear Danglars.” “Well, so much the better,” said the supercargo; “for it is not pleasant to think that a comrade has not done his duty.” “Dantès has done his,” replied the owner, “and that is not saying much. It was Captain Leclere who gave orders for this delay.” “Talking of Captain Leclere, has not Dantès given you a letter from him?” “To me?—no—was there one?” “I believe that, besides the packet, Captain Leclere confided a letter to his care.” “Of what packet are you speaking, Danglars?” “Why, that which Dantès left at Porto-Ferrajo.” “How do you know he had a packet to leave at Porto-Ferrajo?” Danglars turned very red. “I was passing close to the door of the captain’s cabin, which was half open, and I saw him give the packet and letter to Dantès.” “He did not speak to me of it,” replied the shipowner; “but if there be any letter he will give it to me.” Danglars reflected for a moment. “Then, M. Morrel, I beg of you,” said he, “not to say a word to Dantès on the subject. I may have been mistaken.” At this moment the young man returned; Danglars withdrew. “Well, my dear Dantès, are you now free?” inquired the owner. “Yes, sir.” “You have not been long detained.” “No. I gave the custom-house officers a copy of our bill of lading; and as to the other papers, they sent a man off with the pilot, to whom I gave them.” “Then you have nothing more to do here?” “No—everything is all right now.” “Then you can come and dine with me?” “I really must ask you to excuse me, M. Morrel. My first visit is due to my father, though I am not the less grateful for the honor you have done me.” “Right, Dantès, quite right. I always knew you were a good son.” “And,” inquired Dantès, with some hesitation, “do you know how my father is?” “Well, I believe, my dear Edmond, though I have not seen him lately.” “Yes, he likes to keep himself shut up in his little room.” “That proves, at least, that he has wanted for nothing during your absence.” Dantès smiled. “My father is proud, sir, and if he had not a meal left, I doubt if he would have asked anything from anyone, except from Heaven.” “Well, then, after this first visit has been made we shall count on you.” “I must again excuse myself, M. Morrel, for after this first visit has been paid I have another which I am most anxious to pay.” “True, Dantès, I forgot that there was at the Catalans someone who expects you no less impatiently than your father—the lovely Mercédès.” Dantès blushed. “Ah, ha,” said the shipowner, “I am not in the least surprised, for she has been to me three times, inquiring if there were any news of the Pharaon. Peste! Edmond, you have a very handsome mistress!” “She is not my mistress,” replied the young sailor, gravely; “she is my betrothed.” “Sometimes one and the same thing,” said Morrel, with a smile. “Not with us, sir,” replied Dantès. “Well, well, my dear Edmond,” continued the owner, “don’t let me detain you. You have managed my affairs so well that I ought to allow you all the time you require for your own. Do you want any money?” “No, sir; I have all my pay to take—nearly three months’ wages.” “You are a careful fellow, Edmond.” “Say I have a poor father, sir.” “Yes, yes, I know how good a son you are, so now hasten away to see your father. I have a son too, and I should be very wroth with those who detained him from me after a three months’ voyage.” “Then I have your leave, sir?” “Yes, if you have nothing more to say to me.” “Nothing.” “Captain Leclere did not, before he died, give you a letter for me?” “He was unable to write, sir. But that reminds me that I must ask your leave of absence for some days.” “To get married?” “Yes, first, and then to go to Paris.” “Very good; have what time you require, Dantès. It will take quite six weeks to unload the cargo, and we cannot get you ready for sea until three months after that; only be back again in three months, for the Pharaon,” added the owner, patting the young sailor on the back, “cannot sail without her captain.” “Without her captain!” cried Dantès, his eyes sparkling with animation; “pray mind what you say, for you are touching on the most secret wishes of my heart. Is it really your intention to make me captain of the Pharaon?” “If I were sole owner we’d shake hands on it now, my dear Dantès, and call it settled; but I have a partner, and you know the Italian proverb—Chi ha compagno ha padrone—‘He who has a partner has a master.’ But the thing is at least half done, as you have one out of two votes. Rely on me to procure you the other; I will do my best.” “Ah, M. Morrel,” exclaimed the young seaman, with tears in his eyes, and grasping the owner’s hand, “M. Morrel, I thank you in the name of my father and of Mercédès.” “That’s all right, Edmond. There’s a providence that watches over the deserving. Go to your father; go and see Mercédès, and afterwards come to me.” “Shall I row you ashore?” “No, thank you; I shall remain and look over the accounts with Danglars. Have you been satisfied with him this voyage?” “That is according to the sense you attach to the question, sir. Do you mean is he a good comrade? No, for I think he never liked me since the day when I was silly enough, after a little quarrel we had, to propose to him to stop for ten minutes at the island of Monte Cristo to settle the dispute—a proposition which I was wrong to suggest, and he quite right to refuse. If you mean as responsible agent when you ask me the question, I believe there is nothing to say against him, and that you will be content with the way in which he has performed his duty.” “But tell me, Dantès, if you had command of the Pharaon should you be glad to see Danglars remain?” “Captain or mate, M. Morrel, I shall always have the greatest respect for those who possess the owners’ confidence.” “That’s right, that’s right, Dantès! I see you are a thoroughly good fellow, and will detain you no longer. Go, for I see how impatient you are.” “Then I have leave?” “Go, I tell you.” “May I have the use of your skiff?” “Certainly.” “Then, for the present, M. Morrel, farewell, and a thousand thanks!” “I hope soon to see you again, my dear Edmond. Good luck to you.” The young sailor jumped into the skiff, and sat down in the stern sheets, with the order that he be put ashore at La Canebière. The two oarsmen bent to their work, and the little boat glided away as rapidly as possible in the midst of the thousand vessels which choke up the narrow way which leads between the two rows of ships from the mouth of the harbor to the Quai d’Orléans. The shipowner, smiling, followed him with his eyes until he saw him spring out on the quay and disappear in the midst of the throng, which from five o’clock in the morning until nine o’clock at night, swarms in the famous street of La Canebière,—a street of which the modern Phocéens are so proud that they say with all the gravity in the world, and with that accent which gives so much character to what is said, “If Paris had La Canebière, Paris would be a second Marseilles.” On turning round the owner saw Danglars behind him, apparently awaiting orders, but in reality also watching the young sailor,—but there was a great difference in the expression of the two men who thus followed the movements of Edmond Dantès. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. . Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved April 2022, from Dumas, Alexandre. 2022. The Count of the Monte-Cristo https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1184/1184-h/1184-h.htm#linkC2HCH0001 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

The Count of Monte Cristo, Illustrated: Chapter 1 - Marseille --The Arrival  

By Micah Rosenbloom , Managing Partner We’ve written a number of stories about the , , and that , but implementing this idea of “efficient entrepreneurship” can be difficult. Early stage startups are frantically trying to figure out how to get traction while established startups feel locked into a burn rate and a course of action. dangers of raising too much venture capital demonstrating that raising more money doesn’t make startups more successful $100M exits are worth celebrating It might be a useful exercise for founders to think of themselves as auteurs rather than entrepreneurs. Filmmakers and founders are both creative professionals, but directors have to contend with a world where capital is a fixed sum, not a seemingly endless stream. Directors must have a vision for their product, a rough understanding of what it would cost to realize that vision, and then execute within those constraints. Contrast that to startup founders who always have the possibility of raising another round of funding. Strict limitations for filmmakers have led to slew of indie projects, made on shoe-string budgets by unknown creators, that go on to rival star-studded Hollywood blockbusters. For instance: This list is far from exhaustive and doesn’t include movies like Slumdog Millionaire and The Kings Speech which had $15M+ budgets and mid-nine-figure grosses, due in part to better known stars and directors. These are career making projects that put stars, and catchphrases, on the map. All were made — at most — with a series A level of funding. What makes these low-budget films so successful? There seem to be a few common themes: Target underserved niches Schlocky horror movies don’t win Academy Awards, but they are consistently profitable and represent half the movies in this sampe. In the startup world, raised $4M to focus on a SaaS tools for a relatively small group of life science companies and have been rewarded with a $5B market cap. Veeva Embraced Constraints The creators of didn’t have many resources. Still, the movie’s high concept made up for the lack of star power. Compare that to entrepreneur, Jon Oringer was a software engineer by trade and a hobbyist photographer. He didn’t have easy access to venture capital but he combined his hobby and academic training to build Shutterstock, a $2B company without raising any outside funding. Paranormal Activity Prove Creative Marketing Wins took advantage of a nascent online population to sow doubt about it’s reality. , currently valued at $5.5B, was founded by a pair of broke college students. They couldn’t buy ads, so instead they placed TVs in doctor’s offices and sold ads on them. The Blair Witch Project Outcome Health The most important takeaway from these movies is a reminder that capital is not determinative of success. In 2003, the same year generated a 100X ROI, the Ben Affleck/Jennifer Lopez vehicle made its debut. The latter had two of the biggest stars on the planet at the time (remember “ ”?), a $54M budget, and still only managed to make . This year’s , made with a $4M budget and a little-known cast will earn more profit than the recent big budget, celebrity-filled spectaculars , , and — combined. Open Water Gigli Bennifer $7.3M world wide Get Out Baywatch Ghost in the Shell Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The auteur model can be an amazing deal for entrepreneurs. Filmmakers get one shot to build their product, but startup founders can iterate endlessly once they reach profitability. Moreover, movie studios often take the bulk of a successful film’s profits from the creator, especially neophytes. Successful founders who embrace an “art house” budget can earn outsized financial rewards when they produce something that resonates. The VC model still works best with blockbusters, but it’s not clear that a much larger budget will lead to better returns in films or finance. How might one run their startup if they knew that only could raise $5M dollars to build a company before an IPO? VCs Could Learn a Lesson from Indiana Jones Hollywood also has lessons for VCs. Before VCs started trying to corral unicorns, movie moguls chased blockbusters. Huge amounts of money were spent trying to prop up franchises only to see them flop on opening night. Michael Eisner, the former CEO of Disney, was famous for being budget-focused in a world that celebrates excess. At one point, he greenlit the first movie, which had a larger than normal budget and became a hit — the Unicorn of its day. He didn’t want people at his studio to think that this one movie’s success marked a change in his strategy. He wrote what became a legendary memo explaining how to think about investing in films while serving as President of Paramount Studios, which was excerpted in the book : Indiana Jones DisneyWar Eisner prided himself on keeping costs modest; some thought it bordered on obsession. For Eisner, the quality of the story was all-important, not high-priced directors and stars. He looked for stories with compelling characters, clear conflict and resolutions, three easily identifiable “acts,” and universal themes that could be summarized — that is, marketed — in a sentence or two. This approach, dubbed “high concept” in the parlance of Hollywood, spawned many imitators, but few were as successful as Eisner and Diller. Despite his frugality, Eisner was on occasion willing to take financial risks. After two other studios balked at the high projected costs, and even Diller opposed the project on financial grounds, Eisner signed Star Wars writer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, and actor Harrison Ford to make Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. With $240 million in U.S. box-office receipts, it became a “franchise,” a huge hit that spawned a series of highly profitable sequels. Nevertheless, Eisner was fanatical at keeping costs low to earn a profit, a curiously iconoclastic view in Hollywood, which had a long and deeply entrenched tradition of rewarding talent, agents, managers, and studio executives before anyone gave much thought to shareholders. After the huge success of Raiders, Eisner recorded his philosophy in a twenty-one-page manifesto distributed to Paramount executives. In it, he noted that nearly all of the studio’s profits from 1981 had come from Raiders, an expensive anomaly in the Eisner canon, and he didn’t want anyone at Paramount to get the idea that he was veering from his time-tested strategy that combined high concepts and low budgets. “Often the big win comes with a single smash movie,” he wrote. “The intoxication of a blockbuster hit can lead to an easy sense the luck will keep striking. Over the past five years, Paramount has either been number one or two in the motion picture business. Success tends to make you forget what made you successful, and just when you least suspect it, the big error shifts the game. Will success lull us into the fatal bad play?” “The intoxication of a blockbuster hit can lead to an easy sense the luck will keep striking.” Eisner proceeded to make his own priorities clear. “We have no obligation to make art. We have no obligation to make history. We have no obligation to make a statement. But to make money, it is often important to make history, to make art, or to make some significant statement…In order to make money, we must always make entertaining movies, and if we make entertaining movies, at times we will reliably make history, art, a statement, or all three. We may even win awards…We cannot expect numerous hits, but if every film has an original and imaginative concept, then we can be confident that something will break through.” “We cannot expect numerous hits, but if every film has an original and imaginative concept, then we can be confident that something will break through.” Replace the word “film” with “startups” and swap “Unicorn” for “Blockbuster” and Eisner’s advice actually maps pretty well onto the world of startups. He’s basically advocating for a portfolio approach to filmmaking, and it paid off brilliantly (for a while.) This idea of frugality is borne out in the startup data as well. If more entrepreneurs and VCs followed Eisner’s advice, perhaps we’d have fewer startup horror stories and more happy endings. Six of the 20 best startups of the last half decade raised <$50M. One raised nothing.

What Startups & VCs Can Learn From Indiana Jones

L : I dropped out of college and moved to New York because I wanted to write for Gawker.com. ittle confession In 2005, the site was helmed by Jessica Coen and Jesse Oxfeld. Mark Lisanti was writing Defamer. This Andrew Krucoff guy ran some mysteriously combative, cabal-blog called Young Manhattanite; he was Gawker’s “mascot,” and the first (who was also, hilariously, the guy they called when everyone else was ). Editorial operations were overseen by this other guy, Lockhart Steele. And they had some mysterious boss casually referenced as a bigheaded British imperialist slave driver overlord. true career casualty of Gawker.com too hungover to report to work blogger The of 2005 felt like independent FM ’90s radio—a conversation through a two-way signal, and at that time (pre-comments) it ostensibly wasn’t, at least, not literally. But it a conversation made in concert with a distinct subset of people (other “bloggers,” and a network of tipsters) with high-caliber wit and personalities either too dysfunctional or too bored or generally lacking in the kind of pedigree required to fit in working in finance or to only a slightly lesser extent, that era’s Conde Nast. Gawker was In other words, it was coded specifically to the young and smartassed of New York City, and the way they lived in it. It was surprisingly edgy, surprisingly highbrow, and unsurprisingly disdainful of the middlebrow. These people all seemed to know each other, and share the same understanding of the city’s unspoken young professionals’ mores, and all somehow had a line that was better, smarter, and more on-the-nose than the one that came before it. And this “blogging” thing they were all doing was wildly unhinged, experimental, impractical, and, according to any of mainstream publishing and journalism’s practitioners of the moment, kind of sacrilegious. It also made me feel like I was missing out on something important. Gawker was funny, abrasive, and filled with voice. It was insular, self-referential, and too smart for its own good. The sound was crystal clear—that of mischief, a love of writing, a love of city life, a misfit community upending and infuriating the entire media business, celebrity culture, upper-crust culture, “cool” culture, and anything else in New York that took itself too seriously. Those people, who were so regularly infuriated by Gawker, also clearly couldn’t stop reading and listening to that voice. They were as hooked on it as anyone. If not more. Which, really, was just perfect and hilarious to me. Because behind that voice, it was pretty evident, were a bunch of people just making this shit up as they went along. It was also the sound of a voice telling me to get my ass to New York, and to get to work. Of course, it took me another three years and change once I moved before I wrote for the site. For one thing, I wasn’t writing. I was wildly intimidated by the city, and paralyzed with fear that I’d totally fucked up a comfortable collegiate life and alienated my family and a few close friends for no good reason. I had to get fired from a job bussing tables at Schiller’s (I heard bloggers hung out there, so). I had to get screamed at by a literary agent for two years as an assistant. I had to get screamed at by a Broadway producer as his right-hand for another year. I also actually had to get to the point of frustration with my life, sometime during my agency years, that I’d start (A) tipping off Gawker/Defamer and (B) blogging, myself. I started a blog that was, for some reason, specifically designed to torture Krucoff & Friends at Young Manhattanite. I started pitching some freelance stuff, and successfully pitched at Radar—Radar!—to Alex Balk (Alex Balk!). I finally got a job in media working for Chris Mohney—Chris Mohney! Who himself got his job at Gawker by !—after nearly having an aneurism over his edit test. The job was as an editorial assistant at an independent legacy fashion magazine trying to transition into a more diverse, digitized media property in 2008. starting a blog specifically designed to torture Gawker By the time I actually started a gig at Gawker, I’d experienced so much of the culture of ennui and id that the Gawker I’d moved to New York for spoke to that I felt, well, (LOL). The only problem is: In those three someodd years, Gawker had changed. A lot. ready For one thing, Gawker.com added comments, which I hated—a peanut gallery felt cheap and incomplete, an undermining addendum to genuinely decent writing. For another, Coen was long gone, Oxfeld was long gone, and the next iteration of the site (“ ) had erupted , including but by no means limited to inter-office romances and existential wonderings about the mandate of Gawker. the rage of the creative underclass” in a spectacularly public fashion Then it erupted in 2008, , with a bunch more layoffs—Sheila . Maggie Shnayerson, whose reporting for Gawker basically won rights for Viacom permalancers, was out, too. So many of the people I wanted to work with there had already left. And this new Gabriel Snyder guy was in charge, and he wanted to turn Gawker into a “national presence” or something, and who the fuck was he to do that? again as the media economy was caving in went to a bar Probably the most important and pivotal editor in that site’s history, and—I really don’t mind saying—the best. Unrelated to that fact, in May 2009: My potential boss. Iwas called to get a drink with Gabriel Snyder at Tom & Jerry’s, which I assumed was just some kind of routine who-is-this-kid?-meeting people like him regularly took to source up. As it turned out, I’d been referred to him for a trial run at Gawker’s weekend editor spot. The sole piece of instruction I got from Gabriel on running the site was “you’ve got the keys, bring ‘er back full.” I had no idea what that meant, and was utterly terrified. I’d never covered news in any kind of serious way. My high count for daily posts was, um, two. I was expected to write somewhere around 16 posts a weekend, eight a day. And my immediate audience was the frothing, pissed-off commentariat of former weekend editor Ian Spiegelman, who’d inspired a following as devoted to memorializing his run as they were to scaring off new weekend writers. The main aim of the job, which I didn’t understand until later, was to make sure Gabriel didn’t have to read Gawker on the weekends unless absolutely necessary or, for whatever reason, if he . More important was making sure Nick didn’t send Gabriel any emails about the site on the weekends. Basically: Don’t fuck it up, don’t break it, and hopefully nobody will notice anything else. wanted to My first Saturday, I woke up at 5AM off of two hours of sleep, and proceeded to write for the next 17 hours. I remember three things: I figured my first weekend would probably be my last, especially given the run of post-Ian Spiegelman replacements who preceded me. It was suggested by friends both in and outside the building that I should open my “run” with a joke about already having fucked up the site with a photo of the marbles I’d drunkenly thrown down Nick Denton’s apartment stairs from a party earlier that year, . This was how well I thought it was going to go. and I did One of my first posts that day was about . This is how well it was going. a dog who swallowed a bag of alphabet fridge magnets The WHPCD was that night. Nick wrote me an email that I should cover it, and my heart was pounding every time I looked at that email (which I didn’t answer, because I thought that was a good way to hide from him). I did, and I finished my thirteenth post of the day sometime just before midnight, closed my laptop, and proceeded to fall asleep, with the lights on, my clothing on, and the laptop open, searing my thighs with the heat of having been redlined all day. That night would be the first time I ever grinded my teeth in my sleep. I’d do it every night after for another year. Without an alarm, I was up again at 6AM the next day, and barely eeked out seven more posts. When the new night editor—another (albeit far more seasoned) blogger I’d become friends with at that point, Brett “Cajun Boy” Dykes—took over for first Gawker night shift, he opened his run with the joke . Fair game: It was the single most intense two days of work I’d ever had in my life. My adrenaline hadn’t stopped surging for, give or take, 40-someodd hours straight, sleep included. I was sure I’d already been canned. To my surprise, Gabriel didn’t email me all week, so I started the next weekend, Saturday, 5AM, just as terrified as before. his that I was being put on an IV and an oxygen line I’d end up writing for the site for another ten months on weekends, while working at BlackBook during the week. Over a ten month period, there were maybe three nights I didn’t have work the next day. It was fun, and insane, and insanely rewarding. I figured out how to work the tips line. I broke my own stories. I even prepared a few features, did some party reporting. The pace never stopped being breakneck. My friends were sincerely concerned for my health. My last weekend was after Gabriel had been summarily shanked by Nick, and my friends and I decided to get drunk and run the site in one big, long, dumb, overwrought goodbye to my run. It yielded the first ever Paul Krugman link to Gawker (on ), a throwaway that’d comically go on to , a that I still laugh about today, and some other supremely dumb, irresponsible shit. After that last weekend, on my third free Sunday afternoon in almost a year, I ended up taking my first trip to an ER, at Beth Israel—a growing ulcer I’d somehow kept at bay basically, apropos of nothing, decided to spew enough stomach acid up my chest that I almost stopped breathing. Appropriately, they put me on an IV of Pepcid and morphine. Brett’s joke finally landed. this post about Vajazzling haunt proceeding editors headline Eli Valley wrote Of note: I was offered a full-time gig by Gabriel a few times before my run was up and he was ousted, mostly, I suspect, out of mercy and concern for my well-being. Whenever it came up, I waffled, and gave some excuse about being perfectly comfortable with my current situation (which was like being asked mid-lobotomy if you’d like your brain closed up, and responding ). The truth was that I didn’t take a five-day-a-week gig at Gawker because I was worried I’d fall short of the mark, even with the smaller workload. I’m sure, in retrospect, I would’ve been fine. But I venerated the value of the work going on at Gawker by everyone else, and always felt like my contributions were a sideshow to theirs, at best. I loved the site, and was perfectly happy ruining it at my own, metered pace, where I couldn’t mess too much shit up or, more importantly, disappoint Nick and Gabriel too regularly. nah, I really like it here [THE-LESS-ABOUT-ME-PART-TWO, RIGHT THIS WAY. ]

Obligatory Gawker Eulogy Thing, Pt 1

Akshay Rawat’s Innovative Payment Solutions for the Gig Economy

Akshay Rawatın Gig İqtisadiyyatı üçün İnnovativ Ödəniş Həlləri

Akshay Rawat inovativní platební řešení pro koncertní ekonomiku

Soluciones de pago innovadoras de Akshay Rawat para la economía informal

Inovativna rješenja plaćanja Akshaya Rawata za ekonomiju koncerata

Akshay Rawat innovatív fizetési megoldásai a koncertgazdaság számára

Akshay Rawat-ի նորարարական վճարային լուծումները Gig-ի տնտեսության համար

ギグエコノミーのためのアクシャイ・ラワットの革新的な決済ソリューション

Акшай Раваттың концерттік экономикаға арналған инновациялық төлем шешімдері

Innowacyjne rozwiązania płatnicze Akshaya Rawata dla gospodarki gig

Инновационные платежные решения Акшая Равата для экономики свободного заработка

Қарорҳои инноватсионии пардохти Акшай Рават барои иқтисодиёти гиг

Akshay Rawat 为零工经济提供创新支付解决方案

Customer Behavior: Change From Freelancer Hiring to AI and LLMs The emergence of large language models and AI in general, such as ChatGPT, is redefining how business is done in several ways. The gig economy is experiencing this massive shift in consumer behavior seen on platforms such as Fiverr, which initially connected clients to freelancers to offer their range of services. Yet, a breadth of users nowadays prefer AI-driven solutions to human freelancers because of several compelling factors. This article delves into the motivations and implications behind this pronounced behavioral shift. Cost Efficiency Among the AI and LLMs, the greatest advantage ought to be cost efficiency. For example, hiring a freelance writer on Fiverr costs a variable amount depending on the complexity and level of expertise of the task. In other ways, solutions grounded in AI always tend to be more cost-effective. For example, a lot of graphic design or content creation tools, though backed by AI, usually bring out good results and that's at a fraction of what their human freelancers would charge for the same work. This is further enticing to low-budget-restricted small businesses and individual owners. Speed and Ease of Access With machine learning, the execution speed regarding the outcome of LLM is unrivaled. For example, it might take a freelancer a couple of days, sometimes even weeks, to get a project delivered, but AI can churn out results almost on the spur of the moment. This will be a valuable asset for your business, which surely works at a clip. In addition, since AI tools operate 24/7, there is no need to adjust your time based on a freelancer in a different time zone or one who is not available because of their schedule. Quality and Consistency Consistency in output is also a major factor driving the shift towards solutions using AI. Humans, whether skilled or not, can have off days or produce variably in quality. AI, on the other hand, delivers consistent results based on its programming and the data it was trained on. In such tasks where high accuracy and uniformity are important, such as data analysis or transcription, AI technologies provide an alternative to human labor. In particular, advanced LLMs like GPT-4 are capable of maintaining a standard quality, and this further raises the level at which users are encouraged to go for such technologies. Automating Routine Job Activities AI does handle a lot of routine and repetitive nature of jobs, mostly oppressive and time-consuming tasks given to human freelancers. Activities such as data entry, basic customer service interaction, and scheduling can be handled effectively by AI, thus leaving human resources free for more difficult and creative work. ore productivity and less negativity would ensue if correctly done, thus diminishing the risk of human error in those repetitive processes. Enhanced Capabilities and Features Artificial Intelligence and LLMs can lead the way by possessing the most leading-edge functionalities, at times, even surpassing human skills. For example, design tools will leverage AI and bring in a large repository of design templates, providing automated suggestions, while content generation models create well-structured and engaging text based on minimal inputs provided by the writer. These shield users from untalented freelancers while supporting them to acquire sophisticated professional tools; in fact, this surpasses anything an inexperienced freelancer might deliver. Case Studies and Illustrations Several real-world examples exemplify the shifting customer behavior. Most of them today are using artificial intelligence-driven platforms like Midjourney and DALL-E to meet the needs of the many graphics that were in the past very common on Fiverr. Other services have become a favorite—due to particularly quick, accurate outputs that obviate the human input needed for them—like Otter for transcription services. Freelance writers and content creators also use tools like LLMs for coming up with ideas and drafting, and this cuts the time and costs of hiring human freelancers. Implications for the Freelance Market This has tremendous, large-scale implications for the work profile in the freelance market. As demand for AI solutions and services continues to rise, there might be a relative decline in the demand for human freelancers on platforms such as Fiverr, mainly for routine tasks that are easily automated. This would make human service providers up their games and only engage where creativity and critical thinking are indispensable, such as problem-solving, strategic consulting, and highly customized creative work. Moreover, these AI tools will enable freelancers to serve better on their own, meaning they can move toward a hybrid model of servicing, which leverages both human expertise and AI efficiencies. This kind of adaptability will become essential for freelancers to keep being competitive in an evolving market. Ethical and Practical Issues Even though AI and Legal Machine Learning have many advantages, several ethical issues have to be brought to the forefront and practically considered, from data privacy to algorithmic bias which could include the loss of human jobs. Transparency and fairness in carrying out business and individual activities with the deployed AI solutions are characterized by efficiency and ethical responsibility. In addition, while AI is able to process many tasks of high specificity with effectiveness, there yet remain areas where without the intervention of human intuition, emotional intelligence, and creative insight, it is difficult to act. Understanding this limitation and capitalizing on human skills in such a domain is quite important for optimal outcomes. Will Freelancing Soon Be Limited to Physical and Skilled Trade Jobs? With AI and automation fast taking effect, you would be convinced that pretty soon, the notion of freelancing will largely indicate physical task-based work and specialized trades. As AI continues to intrude into the field of digital and creative services, the very essence of freelance work may observe a situation quite soon, whereby only labor related to a physical feature would be associated with freelancing. Examples could be rideshare driving, food delivery, home repairs, and skilled trades like plumbing and electrical work, all of which remain areas where automation has not significantly disrupted work. This sort of competitive pressure will displace the current makeup of jobs comprising the freelance world. This possible evolution brings the question about the nature of the gig economy which might be different in the future and accordingly changes the nature of freelancing to include only those jobs that AI cannot easily do. Conclusion This behavior change is powered by the concrete benefits such AI applications offer: speed, consistency, and advanced capabilities. On the other hand, it also poses challenges and raises ethical concerns which need to be balanced and therefore, mindfully considered to permit the integration of AI into the bicycle of the gig economy. When businesses and freelancers operate in this emerging scenario, adaptability and the ability to leverage the complementary strengths of each other will be important in making the most of the forthcoming AI age. Customer Behavior: Change From Freelancer Hiring to AI and LLMs Customer Behavior: Change From Freelancer Hiring to AI and LLMs The emergence of large language models and AI in general, such as ChatGPT, is redefining how business is done in several ways. The gig economy is experiencing this massive shift in consumer behavior seen on platforms such as Fiverr, which initially connected clients to freelancers to offer their range of services. Yet, a breadth of users nowadays prefer AI-driven solutions to human freelancers because of several compelling factors. This article delves into the motivations and implications behind this pronounced behavioral shift. Cost Efficiency Among the AI and LLMs, the greatest advantage ought to be cost efficiency. For example, hiring a freelance writer on Fiverr costs a variable amount depending on the complexity and level of expertise of the task. In other ways, solutions grounded in AI always tend to be more cost-effective. For example, a lot of graphic design or content creation tools, though backed by AI, usually bring out good results and that's at a fraction of what their human freelancers would charge for the same work. This is further enticing to low-budget-restricted small businesses and individual owners. Speed and Ease of Access With machine learning, the execution speed regarding the outcome of LLM is unrivaled. For example, it might take a freelancer a couple of days, sometimes even weeks, to get a project delivered, but AI can churn out results almost on the spur of the moment. This will be a valuable asset for your business, which surely works at a clip. In addition, since AI tools operate 24/7, there is no need to adjust your time based on a freelancer in a different time zone or one who is not available because of their schedule. Quality and Consistency Consistency in output is also a major factor driving the shift towards solutions using AI. Humans, whether skilled or not, can have off days or produce variably in quality. AI, on the other hand, delivers consistent results based on its programming and the data it was trained on. In such tasks where high accuracy and uniformity are important, such as data analysis or transcription, AI technologies provide an alternative to human labor. In particular, advanced LLMs like GPT-4 are capable of maintaining a standard quality, and this further raises the level at which users are encouraged to go for such technologies. Automating Routine Job Activities AI does handle a lot of routine and repetitive nature of jobs, mostly oppressive and time-consuming tasks given to human freelancers. Activities such as data entry, basic customer service interaction, and scheduling can be handled effectively by AI, thus leaving human resources free for more difficult and creative work. ore productivity and less negativity would ensue if correctly done, thus diminishing the risk of human error in those repetitive processes. Enhanced Capabilities and Features Artificial Intelligence and LLMs can lead the way by possessing the most leading-edge functionalities, at times, even surpassing human skills. For example, design tools will leverage AI and bring in a large repository of design templates, providing automated suggestions, while content generation models create well-structured and engaging text based on minimal inputs provided by the writer. These shield users from untalented freelancers while supporting them to acquire sophisticated professional tools; in fact, this surpasses anything an inexperienced freelancer might deliver. Case Studies and Illustrations Several real-world examples exemplify the shifting customer behavior. Most of them today are using artificial intelligence-driven platforms like Midjourney and DALL-E to meet the needs of the many graphics that were in the past very common on Fiverr. Other services have become a favorite—due to particularly quick, accurate outputs that obviate the human input needed for them—like Otter for transcription services. Freelance writers and content creators also use tools like LLMs for coming up with ideas and drafting, and this cuts the time and costs of hiring human freelancers. Implications for the Freelance Market This has tremendous, large-scale implications for the work profile in the freelance market. As demand for AI solutions and services continues to rise, there might be a relative decline in the demand for human freelancers on platforms such as Fiverr, mainly for routine tasks that are easily automated. This would make human service providers up their games and only engage where creativity and critical thinking are indispensable, such as problem-solving, strategic consulting, and highly customized creative work. Moreover, these AI tools will enable freelancers to serve better on their own, meaning they can move toward a hybrid model of servicing, which leverages both human expertise and AI efficiencies. This kind of adaptability will become essential for freelancers to keep being competitive in an evolving market. Ethical and Practical Issues Even though AI and Legal Machine Learning have many advantages, several ethical issues have to be brought to the forefront and practically considered, from data privacy to algorithmic bias which could include the loss of human jobs. Transparency and fairness in carrying out business and individual activities with the deployed AI solutions are characterized by efficiency and ethical responsibility. In addition, while AI is able to process many tasks of high specificity with effectiveness, there yet remain areas where without the intervention of human intuition, emotional intelligence, and creative insight, it is difficult to act. Understanding this limitation and capitalizing on human skills in such a domain is quite important for optimal outcomes. Will Freelancing Soon Be Limited to Physical and Skilled Trade Jobs? With AI and automation fast taking effect, you would be convinced that pretty soon, the notion of freelancing will largely indicate physical task-based work and specialized trades. As AI continues to intrude into the field of digital and creative services, the very essence of freelance work may observe a situation quite soon, whereby only labor related to a physical feature would be associated with freelancing. Examples could be rideshare driving, food delivery, home repairs, and skilled trades like plumbing and electrical work, all of which remain areas where automation has not significantly disrupted work. This sort of competitive pressure will displace the current makeup of jobs comprising the freelance world. This possible evolution brings the question about the nature of the gig economy which might be different in the future and accordingly changes the nature of freelancing to include only those jobs that AI cannot easily do. Conclusion This behavior change is powered by the concrete benefits such AI applications offer: speed, consistency, and advanced capabilities. On the other hand, it also poses challenges and raises ethical concerns which need to be balanced and therefore, mindfully considered to permit the integration of AI into the bicycle of the gig economy. When businesses and freelancers operate in this emerging scenario, adaptability and the ability to leverage the complementary strengths of each other will be important in making the most of the forthcoming AI age.

Navigating AI: Fiverr and the Future of the Gig Economy

The gig economy is booming, and it's easy to see why. Flexible hours, being your own boss, and working from anywhere sounds pretty great, right? But before you dive headfirst into the world of gig work, there are some important things you need to know. Misclassification One of the most significant issues facing gig workers is misclassification. In a nutshell, this means companies label workers as "independent contractors" when they should legally be considered employees. Why does this matter? Because it means companies can dodge their responsibility to provide benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and overtime pay. It also means they're not contributing to your Social Security or Medicare, leaving you to foot the bill come tax time. Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that a staggering 10.3% of U.S. workers engage in some form of gig work. While this number is impressive, it also highlights the vast number of individuals who may be vulnerable to misclassification and the lack of protections that come with it. Take the example of rideshare drivers. While they enjoy the flexibility of setting their own hours, they often lack basic worker protections. If a driver gets into an accident, they're often left to cover their own medical expenses and may even be deactivated from the platform, losing their income source. Similarly, delivery drivers who work for food delivery apps often face grueling hours, low pay, and little recourse if they're injured on the job. Insurance coverage & Contracts Another major concern for gig workers is the lack of insurance coverage. Most gig platforms don't offer health insurance, disability insurance, or workers' compensation. This means if you get sick or injured, you're on your own to cover the costs. A recent study by the Freelancers Union found that Access to affordable healthcare is the #1 concern for freelancers\gig workers. Contracts can also be a major issue. Those lengthy agreements are often full of legal jargon and may not be in your best interest. It's important to read everything carefully and understand what you're agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line. So, what can you do to protect yourself? First, know your rights. Research the labor laws in your area and make sure you understand the difference between an employee and an independent contractor. If you think you've been misclassified, don't be afraid to speak up or seek legal advice. Next, get your financial ducks in a row. Keep track of your income and expenses, and consider talking to a tax professional to make sure you're on the right track. It's also a good idea to explore options for affordable health insurance and other types of coverage. If you're looking for a more secure gig work experience, consider working with companies that partner with an Employer of Record (EOR). An EOR can act as your legal employer, taking care of things like payroll, taxes, and benefits while you still enjoy the flexibility of gig work. Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions and negotiate for better terms. If something in a contract doesn't seem right, speak up and ask for clarification. You can also connect with other gig workers in your field to share experiences and resources. The gig economy can be a great way to make a living, but it's important to go in with your eyes open. By understanding the risks and taking steps to protect yourself, you can enjoy the flexibility and freedom of gig work while safeguarding your financial future. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Interested in reading the content from all of our writing prompts? Click HERE. The gig economy is booming, and it's easy to see why. Flexible hours, being your own boss, and working from anywhere sounds pretty great, right? But before you dive headfirst into the world of gig work, there are some important things you need to know. The gig economy is booming, and it's easy to see why. Flexible hours, being your own boss, and working from anywhere sounds pretty great, right? But before you dive headfirst into the world of gig work, there are some important things you need to know. Misclassification Misclassification One of the most significant issues facing gig workers is misclassification . In a nutshell, this means companies label workers as "independent contractors" when they should legally be considered employees. Why does this matter? Because it means companies can dodge their responsibility to provide benefits like health insurance, paid time off, and overtime pay. It also means they're not contributing to your Social Security or Medicare, leaving you to foot the bill come tax time. misclassification Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that a staggering 10.3% of U.S. workers engage in some form of gig work . While this number is impressive, it also highlights the vast number of individuals who may be vulnerable to misclassification and the lack of protections that come with it. 10.3% of U.S. workers gig work gig work Take the example of rideshare drivers. While they enjoy the flexibility of setting their own hours, they often lack basic worker protections. If a driver gets into an accident, they're often left to cover their own medical expenses and may even be deactivated from the platform, losing their income source. Similarly, delivery drivers who work for food delivery apps often face grueling hours, low pay, and little recourse if they're injured on the job. Insurance coverage & Contracts Insurance coverage & Contracts Another major concern for gig workers is the lack of insurance coverage . Most gig platforms don't offer health insurance, disability insurance, or workers' compensation. This means if you get sick or injured, you're on your own to cover the costs. A recent study by the Freelancers Union found that Access to affordable healthcare is the #1 concern for freelancers\gig workers. insurance coverage Contracts can also be a major issue. Those lengthy agreements are often full of legal jargon and may not be in your best interest. It's important to read everything carefully and understand what you're agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line. Contracts So, what can you do to protect yourself? First, know your rights. Research the labor laws in your area and make sure you understand the difference between an employee and an independent contractor. If you think you've been misclassified, don't be afraid to speak up or seek legal advice. know your rights. Next, get your financial ducks in a row. Keep track of your income and expenses , and consider talking to a tax professional to make sure you're on the right track. It's also a good idea to explore options for affordable health insurance and other types of coverage. income and expenses If you're looking for a more secure gig work experience, consider working with companies that partner with an Employer of Record (EOR) . An EOR can act as your legal employer, taking care of things like payroll, taxes, and benefits while you still enjoy the flexibility of gig work. Employer of Record (EOR) EOR Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions and negotiate for better terms. If something in a contract doesn't seem right, speak up and ask for clarification. You can also connect with other gig workers in your field to share experiences and resources. The gig economy can be a great way to make a living, but it's important to go in with your eyes open. By understanding the risks and taking steps to protect yourself, you can enjoy the flexibility and freedom of gig work while safeguarding your financial future. The gig economy can be a great way to make a living, but it's important to go in with your eyes open. By understanding the risks and taking steps to protect yourself, you can enjoy the flexibility and freedom of gig work while safeguarding your financial future. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE. Interested in reading the content from all of our writing prompts? Click HERE. Would you like to take a stab at answering some of these questions? The link for the template is HERE . Interested in reading the content from all of our writing prompts? Click HERE . HERE HERE HERE HERE

Gig Work is Booming, But Are You Covered?

Now that the mitigation measures of COVID-19 have made a deep stamp upon the global economy, many who were laid off or lost businesses during the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 are starting to renew their economic earnings through what is euphemistically called the “gig economy,” a term that grown in popularity over the past decade. Still, this term has taken on new proportions in the post-pandemic United States. Now, freelancing jobs offered through apps like Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Deliveroo, and many other app-based services, are being taken on by former professionals During the Covid pandemic, newer, digital-first work platforms like Uber Eats surged in popularity as millions were forced to shelter at home. Those who could afford it turned to online delivery apps. Scientific data indicates that the number of people working with these platforms has grown, too. “The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021” published by the University of Chicago in May 2023, tracked the earnings of gig workers through tax filings. What this study uncovered was that the number of people who report income from platform-based gig work to the IRS has exploded in recent years from just over one million to nearly five million workers. Aside from being a clear indication of just how many more people use tech platforms to help earn a living, this demonstrates how the gig economy is rising in popularity even for the convenience of those who prefer to work part-time or a specific schedule in order to take on other caregiving roles at home. But the gig economy is not limited to working-class delivery jobs. There has been a longstanding gig economy among the educated for decades within higher education—namely that of adjunct faculty. These professors are often graduate students working on their PhD, but even today, more and more are PhDs with no hope for full-time employment in sight. Adjunct faculty are not only paid a small amount compared to the tenure-track cohorts, but they lack job security, benefits, and even—depending on the institution—health insurance and sick leave. While evidence abounds as to how the global pandemic pushed the gig economy into popularity, even by its previous critics, the necessity of survival was likely the incentive to enter into this job market. With no possibility of leaving the house for millions, online platforms became the obvious solution, to include the class of people who decided to enter online trading from their homes. The impact of COVID-19 on global economies made a dent even among the middle classes that were willing to take marked investment risks from their sofas where Forex trading and myriad investment platforms became the focus for a number of working populations—especially the younger generations with savings, yet ample time to participate in the share and currency markets. What is surprising about the post-pandemic gig economy is not so much its enduring popularity, but how these jobs have alerted workers far beyond the gig theatre, that perhaps they too ought to have a greater say in their working hours, the ability to care for children and elderly relatives, and most of all, it has set off a larger conversation about the four-day work week, something currently under experimentation in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom, among many countries. Perhaps the gig economy’s greatest legacy might actually be that it reshapes the landscape of labor rights—from the blue to the white-collar workers—across the planet. Now that the mitigation measures of COVID-19 have made a deep stamp upon the global economy, many who were laid off or lost businesses during the various lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 are starting to renew their economic earnings through what is euphemistically called the “gig economy,” a term that grown in popularity over the past decade. Still, this term has taken on new proportions in the post-pandemic United States. Now, freelancing jobs offered through apps like Uber, Lyft, Doordash, Deliveroo, and many other app-based services, are being taken on by former professionals During the Covid pandemic, newer, digital-first work platforms like Uber Eats surged in popularity as millions were forced to shelter at home. Those who could afford it turned to online delivery apps. Scientific data indicates that the number of people working with these platforms has grown, too. “ The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021 ” published by the University of Chicago in May 2023, tracked the earnings of gig workers through tax filings. What this study uncovered was that the number of people who report income from platform-based gig work to the IRS has exploded in recent years from just over one million to nearly five million workers. The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021 The Evolution of Platform Gig Work, 2012-2021 Aside from being a clear indication of just how many more people use tech platforms to help earn a living, this demonstrates how the gig economy is rising in popularity even for the convenience of those who prefer to work part-time or a specific schedule in order to take on other caregiving roles at home. But the gig economy is not limited to working-class delivery jobs. There has been a longstanding gig economy among the educated for decades within higher education—namely that of adjunct faculty . These professors are often graduate students working on their PhD, but even today, more and more are PhDs with no hope for full-time employment in sight. adjunct faculty adjunct faculty Adjunct faculty are not only paid a small amount compared to the tenure-track cohorts, but they lack job security, benefits, and even—depending on the institution—health insurance and sick leave. While evidence abounds as to how the global pandemic pushed the gig economy into popularity, even by its previous critics, the necessity of survival was likely the incentive to enter into this job market. With no possibility of leaving the house for millions, online platforms became the obvious solution, to include the class of people who decided to enter online trading from their homes. evidence abounds evidence abounds The impact of COVID-19 on global economies made a dent even among the middle classes that were willing to take marked investment risks from their sofas where Forex trading and myriad investment platforms became the focus for a number of working populations—especially the younger generations with savings, yet ample time to participate in the share and currency markets. marked investment risks marked investment risks Forex trading Forex trading investment platforms younger generations What is surprising about the post-pandemic gig economy is not so much its enduring popularity, but how these jobs have alerted workers far beyond the gig theatre, that perhaps they too ought to have a greater say in their working hours, the ability to care for children and elderly relatives, and most of all, it has set off a larger conversation about the four-day work week, something currently under experimentation in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom, among many countries. Perhaps the gig economy’s greatest legacy might actually be that it reshapes the landscape of labor rights—from the blue to the white-collar workers—across the planet.

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