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Gumroad’s Business Model Is Creating The Future Of Work
It’s about time we prioritize time
A few months ago, I invested in a startup called Gumroad, a digital marketplace founded by Sahil Lavingia. The company recently celebrated its 10th year in business in 2021. I briefly knew about Sahil through Twitter. In the tech startup space, you have a few voices floating around. I’d see his tweets pop up occasionally and decided to see what he was about.
There was something about the company that sold me. It was their business model for work.
In a traditional 9–5 job, the average person actually works no more than 3 hours in total. Some jobs come loaded with benefits and perks to compensate for a lack in key areas — like salary.
At Gumroad, there are no full-time employees. In exchange for flexibility and cash, the company does not offer healthcare, career growth, or flashy perks. At the time of writing, the staff consists of less than 30 independent contractors from around the world who work no more than 22 hours a week.
According to Sahil himself, the average person earns $115k a year.
The lack of perks may deter the average person from taking the job. For the entrepreneurial type, it may be the best place to work for. It presents an alternative to the 80+ hour…
