I've heard that from other places, too. Seems weird, although when I steelman it, I guess I can sort of get it. I have a PhD in a different field and I can think of a zillion really fundamental things that you don't get exposed to unless you insist on it. There's just too much to cover, and those foundational things are ... foundational. Considered to be so basic as to not need examination, I suppose.

One of the byproducts of going down the btc rabbit hole, for me, was encountering so many super fascinating takes on money and its origins and the psychology of it. Bitcoiners don't often get exposed to these through the normal channels. For instance, here's probably my favorite book on money topics, which I've never heard anyone even mention. (Though in fairness, no one mentions it outside of btc, either.)

If you just go one field over, it's like a whole other universe of things to discover.

Is there something like this?

Microlancer is essentially an LN-enabled Upwork (i.e., a client lists a gig they want to find tasker to perform the work specified, and the rate. Taskers respond with their offer to do the work). Microlancer also has added Microlancer Services, which is comparable to a Fiverr (i.e., Advertise your service, and the compensation). Escrow and dispute resolution are performed by Microlancer.

Freelancing platforms which pay in Bitcoin, and other ways to earn bitcoin
https://cointastical.medium.com/freelancing-platforms-which-pay-in-bitcoin-e38be56166df

Is this something our community needs

Suitable platforms already exist. What is needed are for employers / clients to be aware of these methods, and to actually use them. There is maybe a 1,000:1 ratio (or greater) between potential freelancers/candidates wanting to perform the work for every gig / task listing available. This is not unique to just Microlancer.

There are a number of altcoin-related platforms that were built to create a use case for their specific altcoin, and they have become ghost towns after the initial funding runs out. There's a network effect that makes gaining traction difficult. And then when the gig platform is successful with the matchmaking between a client/employer and a freelancer/tasker/worker, the platform isn't needed for continued follow-on work -- the employer can just coordinate with the worker directly, no intermediary needed. This is in contrast to, say, Upwork where the platform handles fiat payment from the employer and payment to the worker (which is especially useful when paying the worker requires conversion to a different currency and payment method).

There was a pretty good interview of Paul Itoi of Stakwork, you might find it interesting:

The Kevin Rooke Show – E49: Paul Itoi on Stakwork, Sphinx Chat, Earning Bitcoin, and AI vs. Humans
https://stacker.news/items/33413
https://anchor.fm/kevin-rooke/episodes/Paul-Itoi-on-Stakwork--Sphinx-Chat--Earning-Bitcoin--and-AI-vs--Humans--E49-e1jbki5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=972LzVeH8aA