3 Ways Web3 Technologies Can Assist Freelancers and The Gig Economy
Since the 90’s, technology has rapidly evolved and shifted the ways in which we find work and connect others for professional purposes.
Think how much has changed over the last 20–30 years. Before the internet, there were two primary ways to find a job:
1) grab a newspaper from your local newsstand and review the help wanted ads or
2) contact people in your immediate network and hope they knew of any open positions.
You may be wondering, what used to happen if you were looking to relocate and find a new job across the country? Well, you better hope you can get your hands on one of their local newspapers. Imagine that, yikes.
Fast forward to the mid 90’s when we saw the first job board pop up, Monster.com. At the time, many people, including newspapers themselves, were questioning who would want to find a job online when you had a “perfect system” already in place.
We’re seeing the same type of tension today between Web 2.0 and Web3 and blockchain.
People are content with using legacy platforms such as Upwork, Linkedin, or Indeed, and many are dismissing blockchain technology as a better solution.
We have Case Studies, in recent memory, of companies who refused to adapt and change their model to reflect changing times, re: Sears and Blockbuster.
Things obviously didn’t work out too well for them.
We believe that the future of the Gig Economy is intertwined with Web3 and Blockchain Technology.
Here are 3 different examples of how Web3 Technologies can improve the future of work for Freelancers in the Gig Economy:
1)Blockchain Technology allows gig economy workers to prove their credentials on-chain or view their work history in an immutable record which could potentially help with record keeping or filing taxes. Also, if you are able to see or prove all of your previous work on-chain, then this allows hirers to feel more comfortable knowing you offer the correct abilities that they are seeking.
Not only that, but if you need to view your work history, you can do it in a matter of moments instead of trying to piece together what you have been apart of or worked on. Saving you the time of having to manually track your previous work completed and even helping prevent any downstream issues that may occur.
There are numerous current and looming Use Cases for blockchain application software for the Gig Economy.
2)NFTs and Tokens offer plenty of utility to freelancers. Here’s one example, freelancers can lock their content and work behind an NFT or token gated portal.
This means, your work and content created is accessible on your terms, and available to who you wish. So any of your graphics and designs, artwork, code written, data analysis dashboards, or any of your other work created can be viewable or used with your permission.
3)Smart Contracts might have the largest impact on the gig economy, specifically on the payments side. Previously, we’ve had to rely on an outdated and manual invoice process that was heavily dependent on intermediary involvement. Smart contracts can simplify this entire process and ensure you get paid immediately and on time. Gone are the days of having to wait an extended period of time to receive payments for your work completed or having to manually track payments on your own.
We believe that the future of work and the gig economy is going to be dependent on Web3 the same way we are now dependent on the internet for finding work and connecting with others.
Selfient is utilizing Web3 technology to improve the future of work for freelancers and gig-economy professionals. The first tool we are releasing is a Smart Employment Agreement (SEA) Wizard that uses Smart Contract technology to simplify the payment process for freelancers and ensures immediate and on time payment at the conclusion of your project.
If you wish to learn more please visit our website https://www.selfient.xyz/ or view our intro on Medium — https://selfient.medium.com/welcome-to-selfient-ece41066a227
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