When manufacturers, like Pietra, help influencers manufacture their own product lines, we've taken another step from big celebrities having their own product lines (think Martha Stewart cookware and other lifestyle plays her company has made).

This is splitting the difference between the Tupperware parties of old where you're empowering your users to sell your product and having celebrities sell your product.

What is the next step along this evolutionary path of breaking down the sales funnel? Can it be disintermediated further?

Another example of this are the thousands of small Etsy shops that are churning out products as intermediaries. An example of this is the proliferation of sticker companies that are selling somewhat custom designs for 2-3x the going rate and adding a rather large mark up for themselves. In this case there are at least some modest creative pieces being added in the value chain, but at what overall cost?

Will everyone be a manufacturer? When does it all become Amway?