Why This Isn't Staffing

When people first hear about cooperative models for professional services, they often assume it's just another staffing firm with different branding. This misunderstanding matters, because the differences are fundamental.

Staffing Firms Control Resources

Traditional staffing models work like this:

1. Firm wins contract with client
2. Firm assigns consultants to contract
3. Consultants work under firm's direction
4. Firm captures the margin between bill rate and pay rate

The consultant is a resource. The firm controls placement, rates, and often delivery methodology.

Cooperative Platforms Enable Operators

A cooperative platform works differently:

1. Operator maintains their own client relationships
2. Platform provides infrastructure and leverage
3. Operator controls their rates, approach, and delivery
4. Platform takes a transparent share for services rendered

The operator is independent. The platform enables, not controls.

The Practical Differences

| Aspect | Staffing Model | Cooperative Model | |--------|---------------|-------------------| | Rate setting | Firm controls | Operator controls | | Client ownership | Firm owns | Operator owns | | Delivery approach | Firm mandates | Operator chooses | | Utilization targets | Yes | No | | Exclusivity | Often required | Never required |

Why This Matters

For clients, it means they're engaging with professionals who chose to work with them—not resources assigned by margin optimization algorithms.

For operators, it means genuine independence with shared leverage—not employment disguised as partnership.

The Selection Effect

This distinction creates a natural selection effect. Professionals who want to be managed gravitate toward employment. Professionals who want genuine autonomy seek cooperative models.

Neither is wrong. But they're very different, and pretending otherwise serves no one.

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The difference between staffing and cooperation is control. Everything else follows from that.