“Much the way milliseconds can mean millions to hedge funds using robotraders, a smartphone perched in a tree can be the key to getting a $15 delivery route before someone else.”

Gig workers, facing more competition due to rising joblessness in the United States, are taking drastic measures to game Amazon’s delivery system, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The story speaks to the power of Amazon’s platform—and the desperate state of workers who are trying to make ends meet in an emerging hustle economy that’s defined by apps and online services.