Jarah Euston, Co-Founder and CEO of WorkWhile, joins the show to share how she’s building a worker-first labor marketplace that puts money back into the pockets of frontline employees. Drawing from her own early experience in hourly jobs, Jarah explains why this massive yet underserved workforce deserves better tools, more respect, and faster access to earnings. We dive into automation, AI, re-skilling, and why the future of work isn’t just about robots replacing people but about using technology to unlock opportunity for 80 million Americans. Key Takeaways • Why hourly workers are overlooked in tech innovation and what WorkWhile is doing to change that • How automation can cut overhead and actually raise wages instead of lowering them • Why entry-level white-collar roles may be more at risk from AI than frontline jobs • The importance of re-skilling and flexible training for workers who can’t stop earning to learn • How instant pay and eliminating predatory fees can transform financial stability for families Timestamped Highlights 01:26 — Jarah’s early jobs in retail and fast food and how they shaped her perspective 06:56 — Why frontline workers are less likely to be displaced by AI than software engineers 11:23 — Building against the grain: focusing on people instead of replacement tech 13:31 — Why robotics companies still hire frontline workers alongside automation 17:47 — Launching the American Labor Utilization Rate to track real work happening now 21:44 — Three pillars of WorkWhile’s mission: earning, upskilling, and financial access 25:17 — How word of mouth drives organic growth among workers and families Memorable Line “Even the companies building the future of automation still need people—and they’ve been our customers since day one.” Call to Action If this conversation opened your eyes to the future of frontline work, share it with someone who should hear it. Subscribe to the show for more conversations with founders and leaders reshaping technology and work.
