The Fifty Dollar Gap
My rideshare driver today asked me for advice.
First-generation immigrant who used to work for the US Army in Afghanistan. Told me about his old job team-driving trucks crossing the continent and back in six-day 24-hour hauls. Stopped when trucking stopped paying well. Now he drives 100 miles into SF to get good Uber and Lyft fares, but they are not paying very well any more either. Obviously works hard, looking for better work, but here nobody recognizes his degrees and certifications from his home country. Should he get a degree? Should he learn to program computers? Should he be a plumber? A carpenter? What to do?
I puzzled it over as we drove by all the silicon valley software companies who have been laying off thousands of people in recent months. I told him: he should do what successful immigrants do. Skip the game of working for the boss and just make customers happy directly. He should work for his own business.
He made $18 driving me to the airport. The app charged me $72. If he owned his business, that revenue would be his.
"Good example," he said.
Posted by David at May 16, 2026 09:01 AM