ABSTRACT
While Uber and TaskRabbit have become household names, little is known about their higher status counterparts. Often described as “the gig economy meets McKinsey,” in recent years a slew of platforms have arisen that promise elite workers the same opportunity for “flexibility” and to be their “own boss,” with the added benefit of a $1,000/day minimum wage. Whereas many gig economy services have been criticized for outsourcing risk to workers, high-status services may reduce the risk experienced by potential entrepreneurs by allowing them to discretely launch online consulting businesses within a password-protected marketplace. As a result, workers can “test drive” entrepreneurship without quitting their day jobs.
Yet, while the high daily wages are promising, and the work is highly professionalized, with the workers engaged in offices rather than working behind closed doors in private homes, workers still experience a high level of risk including slow periods, income uncertainty, and the constant need to market themselves. The question arises: Why are well-educated workers with prestigious work experience turning to platform-based gig work, however exclusive? We ask, do high-status platforms serve as a stepping stone for elite workers to enter entrepreneurship, or do these services simply enable workers to engage in digital moonlighting?
