> If this cooperative was not the platform, what exactly is the platform being discussed?
The power grid is the platform; I'm not sure how the original poster intended to apply the platform argument to the cooperative.
As far as recreating the cooperative goes: it doesn't need to start large, and I'm reasonably sure it doesn't hold much in assets. My understanding is that this cooperative is simply a collective of buyers who "pool their shopping", so money flows in and back out. A new cooperative may need to work its way back up to bulk pricing, but that should be doable?
The power grid is the platform; I'm not sure how the original poster intended to apply the platform argument to the cooperative.
As far as recreating the cooperative goes: it doesn't need to start large, and I'm reasonably sure it doesn't hold much in assets. My understanding is that this cooperative is simply a collective of buyers who "pool their shopping", so money flows in and back out. A new cooperative may need to work its way back up to bulk pricing, but that should be doable?