Hannibal Darby, a full-time gig economy worker on multiple platforms, said starting gig work is easy with low barriers, with many just needing to learn the ropes when they start.

He said there's no specific platform that gig workers should particularly choose to get started with, it depends on where they are applying. In his experience, he tried to apply for gig work in several delivery services but it took a very long time for him to be approved because there are already so many drivers out there.

"It depends on the app, but everyone has personal stories too, so it's really interesting," Darby said. "In my opinion, Uber Eats was the fastest thing to jump into. You could sign on a few days you're in, but it depends on the market. I've heard some stories in Detroit of a friend of mine who it took forever to get on. But for me, it took maybe a week and a half. Another friend tried Instacart. He got in in two days. It took me a few months, so it really depends on the area."

Darby said that the only barrier for someone to face would possibly be "the knowledge of how to do it."

"When you start to go on YouTube and Facebook and Reddit, you start to learn how to do it properly and truly behave like an independent contractor," he said. "You only take offers that are beneficial to you. So I think that's the biggest hurdle is going through the learning curve on how to make this a profitable business." 

He advised that gig workers should remind themselves that they are not employees, particularly if they feel like they need to decline the offer.

"So it's important to remember that you are an independent contractor, you're not there, you're not an employee," Darby said.

According to "Work and Employment Under the Gig Economy," a study by Valeria Pulignano, digital labor platforms provide an opportunity for those seeking work to be better matched with skills and working conditions that facilitate work participation. These platforms additionally allow various people to get a job despite personal challenges, lack of higher education or training, disabilities, family or prior commitments, long-term unemployed or being retired.

The 2021 MBO Partners State of Independence in America study survey, fielded in July of 2021, revealed that 68% of the full-time independent workforce "say that working independently is more secure than having a traditional job."

Transportation-based services and asset-sharing platforms are valued at almost 90% of the gig economy, brodmin reported.