We may have reached peak “gig” economy
It&#x27;s funny to see the sharing economy promoted as a goal in itself, when 30 years ago one of the criticisms of the Soviet Union was that people there are so poor that they are forced to share kitchens and cars with strangers.<p>Nobody <i>wants</i> to share things, it&#x27;s all done for economic reasons. People buy on AirBNB and Uber because it&#x27;s cheaper than an equivalent hotel or taxi. People sell on AirBNB and Uber because they need the extra income.<p>For a short while, VC investments paid out as bonuses to the participants, and just the novelty of the thing might keep both sides happy. But eventually there has to be a balance found between &quot;I want to pay less&quot; and &quot;I want to earn as much as before&quot; and &quot;government wants as much taxes as before&quot;.