As you know, companies like Uber, DoorDash, Instacart, etc., all have a lot of data on the independent contractors using their platform. And they use that data to create incentive programs, design features, and direct gig workers toward areas with demand for their services. And most of the time, figure out ways to make gig workers work more without earning more. Can you imagine what would happen if former employees of these brands decided to quit one day and create an app that takes that kind of data and use it to help drivers make more money? That’s how Para was founded. 

It’s not another food delivery app. Ex-Uber employees designed para to be a tool that helps drivers change their local markets’ dynamics and make more money. I recently had an opportunity to help test some bugs for it while it’s currently in Beta.

There Are 3 Things To Highlight Regarding The Para App

Helps You Track Incomes Across Gig Apps

Para helps you get the business insights you need to succeed as an independent contractor by automatically tracking your income and $/hr across your gig apps.

One reoccurring thing that highlights a problem with gig apps is the arguments in the comments section on forums and blog posts. Suppose you read rideshare or food delivery forums and blogs, a lot of the time, readers comment and get into arguments with each other regarding earnings. 

This is usually when one guy claims that he makes a lot of money and that drivers who don’t are lazy and need to stop complaining. The mob will tell him he needs to redo his calculations because after expenses, tax deductions, and everything else, no one is making a lot of money. It’s always funny to watch this play out in a predictable manner. But, it highlights a real problem. 

Most drivers do not have a tool that helps them keep track of their income across their gigs. The app does this by syncing into the data of all your gig apps and providing a dashboard for you, so you know how much you’re making per hour across platforms.

Set Goals And Stay Motivated With Para

Para helps you stay motivated and earn more by setting goals and effortlessly tracking your progress.

We all should set short and long-term goals when it comes to our income. Especially more so on gig platforms as income can fluctuate a bit from week to week. 

Personally, I like to stay within the $1400-1600 a week range. During times of emergency, I’ll push for that $2,000-2400. If I’m having a bad month (usually from burnout after too many $2,000-weeks back to back), I’ll settle for an average of $1250 a week because that’s $5,000 a month. Not elite, but still respectable. 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing rideshare or food delivery. There will be days when you do not want to go out and drive. The motivation isn’t there. The body is saying to rest. The weather is gloomy. Whatever. This is where goal setting helps. Break down what your want to earn into smaller chunks and focus on the smaller chunks day by day.

If you know how much you want to make each week, having a tangible way to track your progress toward that goal helps you stay motivated each day. Para helps drivers track earnings and set goals.

Form Local Communities Through Group Chats

Para connects you with other local delivery drivers in group chats. This helps you stay in the know and make new friends. 

I have never pushed hard for my readers to use my referral code for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates, etc. I’m not a fan of referral programs. I think they are broken and hurt serious drivers like me. In my opinion, many social media groups created for drivers aren’t beneficial when it comes to earning more money. It’s mostly just filled with time-wasting banters, complaints, and showboating screenshots of earnings. Not many strategies and tactics are discussed in larger community groups on sites like Facebook, Reddit, etc. 

I do advocate referring people who will become members of your team. A mafia of Courier Hackers, I call it. Forming smaller, close-knit groups to identify where the real hotspots are is one of the secrets to success in the gig economy. This tactic is especially advantageous with food deliveries.

Forming a small group was what I did with my relatives during the pandemic. We communicated via text messages and told each other where the hotspots were. 

Para allows drivers to form these small group chats with local drivers in your market. Together you can work with others to change the dynamics of your local markets and hack the gigs.

Conclusion

The gig economy is changing. Brands are starting to find opportunities to help drivers. Some of the problems drivers face today are the same as when I started driving in 2015. 

For instance, there is still a lack of communities that focus on strategies at the local level. Cross-platform tracking of income is cumbersome. And there aren’t a lot of tools to help drivers set goals and stay motivated. Para plans to solve these problems by using the data that gig apps have. 

The Para app is currently in Beta testing. If you’d like to sign-up and try it and help the Para Team figure out the bugs and make a great product to help drivers, here’s a link.

Happy driving. Good luck out there. Stay safe.