Actually, you never stop needing a middleman. The problem in most industries is that positions become traditional. People fill them out of habits, because that'

Actually, you never stop needing a middleman. The problem in most industries is that positions become traditional. People fill them out of habits, because that's always how it's been. Since most organizations just usually adopt the status quo, nobody questions the veracity of the setup. We end up with obsolete layers that end up just inflating costs. As long as these old timers have a way to make a buck and don't feel threatened, they don't see the need to optimize or redefine their industry. It's good to have the likes of Apple, Google and Amazon rattling some cages from time to time. As I said, you always need a middleman, but you need to identify what that middle is and redefine your business around it. To stay at the top you also need to monitor your industry to know when that middle shifts to something else. Currently, I believe that editing and reviewing would be a key service in the publishing industry. It's all nice to make books cheaper, but I think I value my time more than I value my money in this instance. I'm willing to pay for my books, but I'd still like for someone to vet them.