Every week, one practical system to keep more of what you earn — without needing the platform's permission.
You did the work. Somebody else kept the cut.
Let me show you two people who've never met.
A pharmacist fills a prescription. The drug cost her $18. The middleman on the plan pays her $16. She lost two dollars for doing her job right — and she found out on a statement she didn't get to argue with.
Across town, a driver runs a $28 fare. The app hands him about $19 and keeps the rest. He's the one who showed up, made the rider comfortable, earned the five stars. The app kept the rider.
Different trades. Same tax.
Here's what took me too long to see
The middleman doesn't win because he works harder than you. He wins because he sits in the one spot you gave up — between you and your customer.
You can't out-hustle that seat. More hours, more deliveries, more scripts — the cut comes out first every time.
So stop trying to beat him at volume. Take the seat back.
The framework: The Direct Line
The middleman controls three things. Own them and he has nowhere to sit.
Relationship. Build a direct line to the customer the middleman can't cut. For a pharmacy, that's delivery and refill sync that keeps the patient loyal to you. For a driver, that's a client list or a direct contract you own — the idea behind Clientele and PharmaScript Driver.
Record. Keep your own numbers. The pharmacy that tracks true cost against every reimbursement knows which contracts to drop. The driver who tracks real net per mile knows which rides are worth taking. You can't push back on a number you didn't write down.
Rate. Run at least one offer that never routes through their cut. For the pharmacy, a cash or direct-delivery service the PBM doesn't touch. For the driver, one recurring direct route where you set the price. It doesn't have to be everything. It has to be yours.
This isn't a feeling. It's the math.
On the pharmacy side: three companies — Optum, CVS Caremark, and Express Scripts — now run 79% of all U.S. prescription claims. The FTC found their spread pricing pulled $1.4 billion in profit (FTC), while pharmacies were reimbursed below what the drugs cost them (NCPA).
On the driver side: platforms keep 25–30% of the fare, and after the car, a driver grossing $15–$22 an hour takes home closer to $7–$13 (2026 earnings data).
That's the tax. Both sides. Real numbers you can check yourself.
Your move this week
Don't try to fix all three at once. Pick one line — relationship, record, or rate — and take it back an inch.
Hit reply and tell me which one you're taking back. I read every reply myself, and it decides what I build next.
Respectfully,
John Faulk Jr. — Investor · Army Veteran · Entrepreneur