From Ben Metcalfe on FB
Having built products in the on demand economy (as you know), cleaning is an example of a type of work that doesn’t benefit from this kind of on demand platform.
The warning signs are
- existing mechanisms for finding labour are low friction – ad in the paper/Craigslist, word of mouth, ask the concierge or other neighbours in your building who they use etc.
- the people performing the labour are likely to struggle with digital literacy and the expectations such a digital platform places upon them – ie they might not be especially tech savvy or used to responding with quick turnaround.
- the economic value of the work is low which makes it harder for the middleman (the platform) to drive revenue to support such a system – hence why they are v fussy about that £60 deposit not being returned.
I have cleaners – I love using apps for everything but I found them through word of mouth and pay them by check directly. They keep all the money. I would probably pay almost 2x if I hired them through an app or they wouldn’t receive the full amount.