Growing Businesses in the Age of Platforms

March 05, 2018

Read The Full Prompt

One consequence of the digital transformation is that platforms are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s economy.

Assignment

For this module please pick ONE company/organization and discuss how it creates and captures value in platform markets:

Issues you may want to address (feel free to consider other related issues not listed below):

  • How to scale up platform businesses?
  • How do various factors such as local/global network effects and multi-homing affect competitive dynamics in platform markets?
  • When can an entrant take over market leadership when competing with an incumbent in a platform market?
  • How can product/service-centric firms grow into platform-centric firms?
  • How do firms cooperate and compete with powerful platforms when they serve as complementors and partners of these platforms?

Create an approximately 500-750 word post to make your contribution on d3.harvard.edu/platform-digit by 6pm on March 5. Please create appropriate tags for your post. Please also respond to and comment on three other posts per module. Feel free to use graphics, data, videos and links to other sites to corroborate your points.

Note: Since our third module is on crowd-based business models (business models that leverage collective intelligence from a large number of users), please do not pick crowd-based companies such as Kickstarter and Threadless for this OK blog post.

Submitted (81)

Can Construction Tech Companies Win the War Over the Smart Home Market?
SAG
Last modified on March 3, 2018 at 3:26 pm
Silicon Valley startup, Acre Designs, wants to change the way we buy, design and interact with our homes. Could the pre-fabricated house be to Acre Designs what the iPhone is to Apple?
Trust eats network effects at Airbed & Breakfast
AyhanSebin
Last modified on March 5, 2018 at 5:23 pm
Airbnb builds trust to maximize networks effects and minimize disintermediation
Venmo: The Leader (?) in Peer to Peer Payments
Carlfuda
Posted on March 5, 2018 at 11:45 pm
How Venmo founders created a leading platform in the mobile payment space.
Etsy – Maintaining a Competitive Marketplace
Walter
Posted on March 7, 2018 at 12:27 pm
How will Etsy maintain and grow its marketplace in light of competition from Amazon Handmade and Ebay?
The Black List: The Online Script Marketplace
RM
Posted on March 5, 2018 at 5:33 pm
Revolutionalizing the film development process through an online platform where filmmakers and writers meet
Shopping is innocent, and so is sharing – How XiaoHongShu (Little Red Book) succeeds in China
Call Me By Your Name
Posted on March 4, 2018 at 11:59 pm
XiaoHongShu (小红书), which can be literally translated as “little red book” in Chinese, is a social e-commerce shopping app based in Shanghai, China. Targeting 18-to-35-year-old Chinese urban female, the platform helps users discover and buy luxury, fashion and beauty products [...]
Battle.net, Activision’s Answer to the Age of Platforms
HBS2018
Last modified on May 1, 2018 at 2:08 pm
Activision Blizzard attracts hundreds of millions of gamers every month and has engagement levels that rival those of Facebook. As platform's continue to dominate the global economy, it is important ATVI leverages this amazing fan support to thrive in this [...]
SweepSouth: The Uber for domestic cleaning
Crystal
Last modified on March 6, 2018 at 1:44 am
In a market where households make frequent use of domestic cleaning services, SweepSouth has simplified the process of identifying reliable domestic workers. While the story has been positive thus far, can this business model scale?
The Modalist – Getting Paid for Retail Therapy
MM
Last modified on March 5, 2018 at 8:03 am
Combining the world's top fashion brands and retailers, a robust search engine, and a compelling cash back loyalty program, The Modalist aims to elevate the online shopping experience.
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