Gig work gets a bad rap. Critics claim that workers are exploited, algorithmic bosses are creepy, it’s capitalism gone bad. But actually, Gig Work = Freedom + Empowerment. Welcome to Episode 124 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah. In this episode, Amit and Ajay tackle the arguments against gig work — and lay out the economic, ethical and social reasons for why it is so amazing. Note: Amit and Ajay have launched their online course LIFE LESSONS. Click here to sign up: https://lifelessons.co.in/ TABLE OF CONTENTS: 00:00 Packaging 00:13 Intro: Bourbon Company 01:19 Chapter 1: Defining Gig Work 13:28 Chapter 2: Steelmanning the Anti-Gig-Work Position 29:13 Chapter 3: Why Gig Work is Awesome! 41:05 Chapter 4: Gig Work in India 47:57 Chapter 5: Gig Work is the Urban NREGS OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES: 1. Amit on Twitter: / amitvarma 2. Ajay on Twitter: / ajay_shah 3. The Seen and the Unseen -- Amit's audio podcast: https://seenunseen.in/ (Also on all podcast apps. And YouTube, though less than 1% of listens come from here: / @theseenandtheunseen ) 4. Ajay's organisation, XKDR Forum, on YouTube: / @xkdr 5. In Service of the Republic -- Vijay Kelkar & Ajay Shah: https://amzn.eu/d/hwGILb3 6. The Art of Clear Writing -- Amit's writing course: https://indiauncut.com/clear-writing/ 7. The India Uncut Newsletter -- Amit's newsletter at https://indiauncut.substack.com/ 8. Life Lessons -- a course taught by Amit Varma & Ajay Shah: https://lifelessons.co.in/ 9. The LEAP Blog: https://blog.theleapjournal.org/#gsc.... 10. The Nature of the Firm — Ronald Coase: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1... 11. The Market for “Lemons” — George Akerlof: https://www.sfu.ca/~wainwrig/Econ400/... 12. Why Gig Work Matters — Maitreesh Ghatak & Ajay Shah: https://www.mayin.org/ajayshah/MEDIA/... We also referred to EIE episodes 22, 41, 74, 46 and 104 in this episode, in that order! You can browse them here: / @amitvarma Produced by Amit Varma Shot by Vaishnav Vyas & Nomsita MS Haritashya: / vaishnav.vyas Edited by Nomsita MS Haritashya: / nomsitaharitashya Thanks to Gaurav Chintamani for helping with sound: / gaurav_chintamani Chapter image by Simahina.