For quite a few of these "micropreneurs", the "disproportionate power" over them comes is about at least two things:
* The "micropreneur" jobs outcompete traditional services with their lower labour cost. Because of this, the job interview you refer to is more out of reach than before.
* They do it out of economic necessity, to survive. They don't necessarily have the possibility of quitting. They are not like most HN visitors: healthy, well educated, mostly white and male.
Freelancing is a luxury when you can relatively easily get a filthily well paid consulting gig. Like probably you and I could. It's an entirely different story when you have to hustle...
Are you seriously trying to privilege check? I made less than "minimum wage" as a postdoc (salaried, 80 hour work weeks). After I quit my job I was at zero dollars in my bank account within a month. Have you actually met any of your Lyft or Uber drivers? They're not idiots, they are aware that things can get precarious. Your argument basically infantilizes them. Good job.
Freelancing is a luxury when you can relatively easily get a filthily well paid consulting gig. Like probably you and I could. It's an entirely different story when you have to hustle...