Hi everyone, I'm Maxim Alex, the founder of UnGig.

I'm Writing This Right Now, Sitting in My Car

It's Thursday, November 6th, 2025. Time: 2:13 PM.

I've been working since 9 AM this morning - over 5 hours behind the wheel.

Total earnings so far: $70.

That's $14/hour before gas and car expenses. After expenses? Probably $8-9/hour.

I started this shift after breakfast, full of optimism. "Today will be better," I told myself. "I'll be strategic. I'll only take good orders."

But here's the reality: if you don't take the bad orders, you sit here making nothing. And if you DO take them, you destroy your car and make less than McDonald's.

This is my life. This is the gig economy trap. And I'm building UnGig to help us all escape it.

My Background (While I Wait for the Next $9 Order)

I've been building websites and e-commerce platforms for 20 years. Healthcare systems, logistics companies, international media. Check out maksant.com and design.smnv.org if you want proof.

But right now? I'm watching the Uber app, hoping the next ping will be worth more than $13.

Why Can't I Just "Get a Tech Job"?

People love to ask this. Here's the honest answer:

1. I work 70-80 hours a week to survive - When do I apply to jobs? When do I prepare for interviews?
2. My English isn't perfect - I struggle in interviews, networking events, phone screens
3. I have $50,000 in debt - I can't afford 2-3 months of job searching with no income
4. I'm exhausted - After 8-10 hours driving, my brain can't write cover letters or solve LeetCode problems
5. The algorithm punishes me - Decline bad orders → lower acceptance rate → even worse orders → forced to accept anything

Every gig worker faces some version of this trap.

What I See Every Day on These Streets

I'm not alone out here. Philadelphia is full of us:

• Software engineers from Uzbekistan with CS degrees, delivering food
• Accountants from Russia who ran their own companies, now driving 12-hour shifts
• Teachers from Latin America with perfect Spanish and decent English, juggling three gig apps
• Doctors, tradespeople, business owners - educated, skilled, drowning

We're not lazy. We're not stupid. We're trapped.

How the Algorithm Keeps You Trapped

Let me explain what's happening to me RIGHT NOW:

9:00 AM: Got a $15 order, 45 minutes total. Okay start. ($20/hour)
10:00 AM: $9 order, 28 minutes. Took it because sitting idle. ($19/hour)
11:00 AM: Three $11-13 orders in a row. Declining would mean $0. ($17/hour average)
12:00 PM-2:00 PM: Mix of short rides, mostly $9-15 range

Result: 5 hours of work = $70 = $14/hour

After gas (~$15) and car wear (~$10): $45 net = $9/hour

But here's the trap:

• If I decline orders → acceptance rate drops → algorithm shows me WORSE orders
• If I take bad orders → I make poverty wages but stay "active" in the system
• If I wait for good orders → I sit idle making $0 while prime time passes

It's designed to keep you on the hamster wheel.

Why I Started UnGig (And Why I'm Writing This in My Car)

When I became a US citizen, I thought gig work was temporary. "Just a few months while I build my freelance business."

That was three years ago.

I'm still here. Still declining $11 orders. Still calculating if $13 for 32 minutes is "worth it."

Enough.

UnGig is my way to fight back - using my 20 years of tech experience and connections to create real pathways out of this trap.

What We're Building

Education

• English for work - Real phrases for interviews and workplace situations, not textbook BS
• Available in your language: Russian, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Uzbek, and more
• Free certifications - CompTIA, Google, AWS
• Technical skills - Web development, programming, design (things that pay MORE than $9/hour)

Exit Strategies

• 6-month roadmaps from gig work to stable careers
• Resume translation - Yes, your Uber/DoorDash experience IS valuable. Let me show you how to frame it.
• Interview prep for non-native speakers (I struggle with this too - we'll figure it out together)
• Career change plans that work when you have NO TIME and NO MONEY

Job Opportunities

• Real openings in IT, healthcare, logistics, skilled trades
• Employers who value gig worker experience (work ethic, reliability, customer service)
• Network with people who can actually open doors

Community Support

A judgment-free space where:

• You can ask "stupid" questions (there are none)
• Share the reality without shame
• Find accountability partners
• Get advice from people who've escaped

Success Stories

Real people who made it out. How they did it. What they're doing now. Resources that worked.

This Community is For You If:

• You work 70+ hours to barely survive
• You're skilled but stuck in survival mode
• You have no time for job searching because you're always working
• You're an immigrant struggling with English or credentials
• You're tired of the algorithm controlling your life
• You're ready for stability, benefits, and a future

My Promise

I'm not selling you anything. Core resources are FREE.

I'm not anti-gig work - it helps people survive. But it shouldn't be your whole life.

You deserve better than:

• 80-hour weeks for poverty wages
• Constant anxiety about rent
• Destroying your car and body
• No path forward
• Algorithm punishment games

Let's Escape Together

I'm still driving Uber right now. After I post this, I'll accept whatever order comes next - probably another $11 ride.

Tomorrow I'll wake up and do it again.

But I'm also building a way out - for me and for you.

Share your story. Ask questions. Help others. No judgment here.

Welcome to UnGig. Let's undo the gig grind together.

— Maxim

P.S. Just got a ping while writing this. $12.50 for 29 minutes. Accepted it. Back to the grind. But later tonight, I'll be working on this community. Because there HAS to be a better way.

UPDATE: It's now 2:13 PM. Still only $70. My back hurts. But at least I'm not alone in this fight anymore.