The gig economy has exploded over the past decade, with companies such as Uber, DoorDash, and Airbnb matching consumers with contract workers willing to provide them with transportation, home rentals, and other services. It’s given consumers more options and convenience, and upended the taxi, restaurant, and hotel industries, among others.
But the gig economy may have another effect as well: gig-work opportunities may help people make the leap to entrepreneurship and start their own businesses, according to research from Washington University’s John M. Barrios, Rice University’s Yael V. Hochberg, and Rice PhD candidate Hanyi Yi.
