Open table is a service that allows diners to make reservations at restaurants. With just a few taps, you get to see right in front of you who has openings for when you want - and it greatly simplifies that search process. The promise to the restaurant is that they will have fewer openings because diners will be able to see where there's an opening.
Why would anyone want to hire a middleman, like a wedding planner, especially if you have time to take care of the planning yourself? Marina Krakovsky, author of The Middleman Economy talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about middlemen in the modern economy. Despite predictions that the internet would destroy the need for middlemen, Krakovsky argues they're more valuable than ever though their roles have changed. Krakovsky looks at the different roles middlemen play today and how their value added can justify their existence.