So I think the way I started thinking about middlemen initially was this kind of very simple definition

as the person who connects buyers and sellers in a marketplace.

In my reporting, I actually came across a more expansive and smarter definition.

This came from a VC here in the valley named Mike Maples and he says that a middleman

in a network is that node in a network that connects other nodes to increase the value

of the network.

Okay, so that's looking at it from a more positive view and it's obviously a network view.

And so it's really looking at the value of the person who is making those connections

because not all middlemen can create value, you know, can increase the value of the network

first of all and secondly, even if they do, they don't necessarily help both parties

enough to justify their cost.

So I really like that positive angle and also it's so expansive that it goes beyond buyers

and sellers.

I mean, it has to do with like if I know somebody who I think you should meet, I can

make that introduction and I'm a middleman who's like right away increased the value

of my network by making hopefully both people better off.

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