Platforms expand reach, but they come with cost structures that most businesses can’t absorb quietly.
As commissions increase, margins compress. And when margins compress, pricing adjusts.
So the same product costs more—not because it improved, but because the system around it became more expensive.
Customers notice the difference. Businesses feel the pressure. Platforms capture the upside.
It works—for a while.
But when both ends start adjusting just to stay stable, the system isn’t scaling. It’s compensating.