Yes sir, that's why I made sure to include the "before expenses" part. It's an important distinction to make though, thank you for pointing this out.
That seems to me to be the idea of the rideshare model: to move towards more of a carpool mentality and away from the traditional taxi service. It didn't ever sound to me that they designed these apps to be a full-time job, that's why they don't employ their drivers.
There are the obvious drawbacks, evident on big holidays and weekends, but it's better for consumers in most cases. More carpooling is better for the environment and should help lighten traffic at peak hours, too. They're challenging the industry to evolve, that's for sure.