[lotsofpulp]

Middlemen’s value is usually in their ability to save time for the buyer.

Costco is valuable to me because it saves me time from having to research products and supply chains. I could go to aliexpress.com, but I don’t because I’d rather spend my time in other ways.

If I land in a foreign country, I could spend time researching taxi companies, or I can save time and pay Uber/Lyft a premium if I already trust them.

As a seller, a middleman (or broker) can save me time by discriminating against buyers I don’t want to waste time entertaining.