The Hustle
Wed, August 10
Just ask Uber. They’re walking a fine line in the gig economy.
Managed by 1’s and 0’s
The Ube has a management problem. If they exert too much control over drivers, they’re treating them like employees as opposed to independent contractors (which would entitle drivers to hundreds of millions of dollars in expense reimbursements).
On the other hand, if they exert too little control, the customer experience declines because there’s no guarantee you’ll get a ride.
The solution? Algorithmic management.
A new study out of NYU details how Uber uses apps and notifications to nudge workers towards specific behaviors.
The findings make it abundantly clear that the ride-sharing giant has legitimate control over its drivers’ work hours and decision making… all without actually “employing” them.
Here are just a couple examples:
Surge pricing messaging
While Uber claims surge pricing is simply a reflection of high-demand, the study argues that Uber uses it to convince drivers to start or continue working.
For example, they’ll message drivers, “Are you sure you want to call it a day? Demand is very high in your area. Make more money!” or “Saturday night demand is off the charts! Get on the road and take advantage of extra earnings. #Uber4lyfe.”
Which is not quite as direct as your boss telling you to “Keep working, damn it!” but it accomplishes the same thing… more money for the company.
Incentive-based pay
Riders might not know this but apparently Uber sends drivers “guaranteed fare” offers that require them to hit certain marks in exchange for extra pay.
For instance, Uber might promise Driver Dan $22/hour, but only if he accepts 90% of ride requests that afternoon or completes a certain number of trips.
And since Uber doesn’t post the criteria for receiving these offers and sends them seemingly out of the blue, that means the $66B behemoth can essentially schedule work shifts through pay incentives.
Because even if Driver Dan joined Uber to become his own boss and choose his own hours, he’ll talk himself into working an extra “shift” instead of watching reruns of American Pickers… especially when it’s such a take it or leave it offer.
That’s just basic human nature, baby. And Uber loves it.
Coffee + Soylent = Coffiest
Soylent is a meal replacement that works. And we have proof! Our buddy drank nothing but the stuff for 30 days, while running 70 miles a week, and lived to tell the tale.
Plus, their founder Dave Renteln crushed it at this year's Hustle Con talking about embracing their weirdness.
And now they just got even awesome-er
Yesterday, the company dropped a new product called Coffiest, which is Soylent and a 16-ounce cup of coffee, all-in-one.
If you’re looking for the ultimate 2-for-1 jolt in the morning, this is for you. If you frequently skip breakfast but only because it’s inconvenient, this is for you, too.
Heck, considering Coffiest costs $3.09/bottle compared to $10 for a coffee and a scone at Starbucks, this is for everyone.
New directions for the company
Although “meal replacement” is a touchy subject, no one can deny that it’s cost effective ($3/meal), healthy (400 calories), and convenient (no wandering around the block).
A few of us drink it for lunch every once in awhile and it definitely takes some getting used to — mainly because it tastes eerily similar to chalk (not that I’ve ever eaten chalk, just feels right).
Well, apparently the light roast coffee in Coffiest adds “a hint of chocolate” to its overall flavor, which is a much appreciated addition. Plus, the company also announced an upcoming product category of 250 calorie Soylent Bars.
Something that doesn’t taste like wet cardboard and feels like eating actual food? Sign us up.
ESPN’s streaming service is coming…kind of
Yesterday, Disney announced a $1B investment in BAMTech, the streaming technology business that powers services like HBO, MLB, NHL, and PGA.
The investment will give Disney a 33% interest in BAMTech, which started as part of MLB Advanced Media, but was being spun off into its own company as part of this deal.
The goal here is obvious
While Disney will surely use BAMTech’s robust technology across its numerous verticals, it’s clear that priority number one is to create an ESPN streaming package.
In fact, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that he wants to launch such a product by the end of the year.
But here’s the kicker…
“The goal is not to take product off ESPN’s current channels, but to use sports and product that ESPN has already licensed that’s not appearing on the channels,” said Iger.
In other words, the new streaming package won’t include any programming from ESPN’s linear networks. So no SportsCenter or Pardon the Interruption.
Instead, get ready for a steady fix of regional, national, and international sports that don’t get air time. And heck, who knows, maybe they’ll give Tim Tebow his own, streaming-only show.
Nevermind, he’s now pursuing a career in Major League Baseball. Because of course he is.
Two things to do today
See what Olympics-related questions people are googling
Google just rolled out a new Trends hub to gives insight into what people are searching during the Olympics. It’s pretty neat.
As if the sheer amount of information wasn’t enough, Google does a great job presenting it in the forms of maps and charts and breaks it all down by individual sport, too.
For example, the most searched Olympic sport in the US is basketball, while in Paraguay it’s tennis.
Plus, during equestrian events searches for “horse riding near me” increase and searches for “Flamingo” soared after Rossella Fiamingo won the silver medal in fencing.
Classic “showing searches for fiamingo instead” situation right there. Sucks for Ross the Flamingo.
Take the “Mandela Effect” test
The “Mandela Effect” refers to memories shared by large segments of the population that aren’t actually true. It’s named after the false memory many people have of Nelson Mandela dying in jail during the 1980s.
To illustrate what we’re talking about, fill in the blank or answer true/false on the following test we just created:
Fill in the blank: In Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader says: “________, I am your father.”
Fill in the blank: In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the wicked queen says: “________ mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?”
True or False: The popular children’s book series about a family of bears that live in a treehouse was called The Berenstein Bears.
If your answers to the first two questions were “Luke” and “Mirror,” you’re wrong. It’s actually “No, I am your father” and “Magic mirror on the wall.”
As for The Berenstein Bears, the correct spelling is Berenstain… with an “a.” Don’t worry, we lost our minds after that revelation, too.
This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by
Don’t be like Zuck
Ever notice how Zuckerberg looks the exact same in every picture? Well, that’s on purpose.
Mark decided he didn’t want to waste his energy on “frivolous” stuff like deciding what to wear to work because, you know, he has a couple billion people using his product.
But chances are you aren’t thinking about a quarter of the world’s population when you sit down at your desk… which means you don’t have to settle for the same grey shirt and charcoal hoodie every day.
Isn’t there a way to look good and not have to think about clothes?
Yep. That’s where Five Four Club comes in. For only $60/month the LA-based company sends 3-4 unique items customized for the style preference and fit for you or your favorite gentleman.
No more time-sucking trips to the mall or settling for that shirt with the mustard stain.
Check ‘em out, take the quiz to see which profile fits your clothing style, and get half off your first package. Use the promo code: THEHUSTLE.
Treat yo self.
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Kendall "Questioning everything now" Baker
WRITER
John Havel
EDITOR
Oh Takashawa
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