What Butter Chicken Taught Me About The Gig Economy

I never realized butter chicken was the key to the gig economy; until Uncle Sohail showed me. People don’t just pay for a ride; they pay for the experience. Get it right, and they’ll keep coming back!

I used to think the gig economy was simple; you do a job, you get paid, and that’s that. But my Uncle Sohail (aka Sohail Cha), a limousine driver with a wardrobe sharper than a Wall Street banker, set me straight.

One day, I asked him, “Sohail Cha, why do people keep booking you instead of just using an app?” He smirked, adjusted his cufflinks, and said, “Because, my dear nephew, I don’t just drive. I host.”

Turns out, Uncle Sohail doesn’t just get clients from A to B, he delivers an experience. He remembers birthdays, stocks favorite drinks, and somehow always knows the latest football news, his passengers don’t just ride; they enjoy.

One night, a client asked if he could recommend a good place for butter chicken. Instead of rattling off Yelp reviews, Uncle Sohail drove him straight to Devon Ave, got him a table without a reservation, and even suggested the perfect naan-to-gravy ratio. That client? He never used another driver again.

In the gig economy, it’s easy to think you're just a service provider. But the truth? You're a walking, talking, well-dressed experience. The barista who remembers your weird oat milk, extra-foam, half-shot espresso order? Experience.

People don’t just pay for tasks, they pay for how those tasks make them feel.

Sohail Cha always had a great sense of humor, which made his ‘experiences’ even more memorable. He never told me how much he makes in tips, but one day I found a stack of $100 bills in his glove compartment. I asked, “Uncle, is this all from tips?”

He grinned and whispered, “Let’s just say… if I ever quit driving, I can start my own bank.”

We both burst out laughing!