The Micro-Serviceable Moment
The 9–5 work day is something everyone is very familiar with — but as mobile technology continues to engulf the workplace through powerful applications housing massive digital labor-forces, the 8 hour work week is quickly deconstructing into billions of minutes and seconds of needs and services; creating the arrival of what I’m calling the micro-serviceable moment.
An Uber driver gets into his or her vehicle and once they turn on their phone, they’re opening themselves up to a manufactured marketplace of supply and demand of logistical needs. Now equipped with time, a vehicle and a mobile phone, the driver is commercially available to the hundreds of times someone needs transportation services during the day.
The micro-serviceable moment is created in this well known instance, when you come out of work, stand on the street corner and push a button to unveil your commercial need — transportation. That second, this driver, who’s the nearest and most properly equipped person available to render those services, now has an income generating opportunity, for however long the trip is. Until the next micro-serviceable moment is pushed to them.
Common sister themes have recently been explored such as conversational commerce and the gig-economy which are giving infrastructure to the micro-serviceable moment. Uber, Sprig, Wag!, Instacart, 99Design, Operator, Magic, and likely a handful of new companies since this post was made, are tinkering and building upon this new type of “always-on labor-force marketplace” designed to match small commercial needs with services in minutes or seconds and creating incredibly scalable business models that thread these app-based marketplaces together. These new companies are really pushing the evolution of micro-based business models and the “unbundling of the job”.
College student who loves dogs — has 3 hours between classes — nearby resident needs dogs walked for 20 minutes via Wag!
Teacher has winter vacation — has 2 weeks free before she travels — she can go grocery shopping for several families via Instacart
Going forward the smallest of tasks that could create efficiencies in our lives will each have its own digital marketplace. The apps housing these micro-serviceable needs will be powered by smart, sensor-based push notification engines, letting the workforce of tomorrow gain access to these new types labor opportunities based on their specific life settings. Sitting across a desk for a certain amount of hours will seem odd to a generation that will choose to have more autonomy and go about their day having hours, minutes or seconds of work that only come to you when you’re “online” or “available” given your specific skill sets.
These micro, income-generating moments are a really exciting part of what I believe will be the backbone of many new businesses going forward. Let’s go build!
