uberization
Gig economy transformation
Uberization is the transformation of an industry through app-based platforms that connect customers directly with independent contractors, bypassing traditional businesses.
Named after the ride-sharing company Uber, it describes how services from taxis to food delivery to home repairs have shifted toward gig-economy models: The uberization of healthcare could mean booking a nurse through an app.
The term often carries undertones of labor precarity and disrupted regulations.
Mobile device software
- smartphoneHandheld connected computer
- interfaceShared connection point
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
- real-timeOccurring without processing delay
location-based · mobile · booking · automation · data-driven · personalization · connectivity · scalability
Self-employed project work
- contractorHired construction professional
- independentFree from external control
- on-demandAvailable upon request
- flexibleAble to bend freely
1099 · precarious · classification · misclassification · unionization · instability · deactivation · self-employed
Shared commute arrangement
- driverVehicle operator
- passengerTraveler, not operator
- pickupSmall open-bed truck
- dropoffAbrupt descent point
fare · surge · route · destination · navigation · ETA · rider · vehicle
Flip to reverse orientation
- revolutionizeChange something fundamentally
- transformChange completely in form
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
- circumventAvoid by going around
redefine · challenge · destabilize · undermine · displace · cannibalize · commoditize · deregulate
app
Mobile device software
- smartphoneHandheld connected computer
- interfaceShared connection point
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
real-time · location-based · mobile · booking · automation · data-driven · personalization · connectivity · scalability · user-friendly
freelance
Self-employed project work
- contractorHired construction professional
- independentFree from external control
- on-demandAvailable upon request
flexible · 1099 · precarious · classification · misclassification · unionization · instability · deactivation · self-employed
carpool
Shared commute arrangement
dropoff · fare · surge · route · destination · navigation · ETA · rider · vehicle · commute
upend
Flip to reverse orientation
- revolutionizeChange something fundamentally
- transformChange completely in form
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
circumvent · redefine · challenge · destabilize · undermine · displace · cannibalize · commoditize · deregulate · unbundle
healthcare
Organized provision of treatment
tutoring · dogwalking · handyman · moving · massage · beauty · logistics · last-mile
uberizationpermanent employment
Ongoing work with no termination date
full-time employment · salaried work · job security · tenure · lifetime employment
uberizationvertical integration
Owning multiple production stages
brick-and-mortar · corporate hierarchy · Fordism · corporate ownership · public ownership
uberizationtradition
Custom passed through generations
legacy systems · continuity · preservation · status quo · market stability