Disintermediation

Definition

Cutting out the middleman by selling directly to consumers, which sounds great until you realize middlemen existed because direct sales are expensive.

Example Usage

Our disintermediation strategy eliminated distributors, so now we handle 10,000 SKU inventory ourselves—send help.

Origin

Economics term weaponized by internet-era startups circa 2000s

Fun Fact

Disintermediation often requires re-intermediation when direct sales channels can't scale, proving middlemen earn their margins

Source: E-commerce and distribution strategy

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