As I was listening to this I couldn't help but wonder if one type of Platform play begets another? For example does extensibility beget composability which then begets scalability? To be successful as Platform business in the long run, isn't it some version of all three? p.s. really enjoyed all the articles you shared as well! can't believe that google/amazon rant is 10 years old.
I actually thought about this quite a bit before narrating - I actually don’t think there’s a “layering” required to execute (I’m sure if we spent enough time we could find products that were successful on one type of platform play but inconsequential in others) - that said you do find many products with all 3 plays happening because I think those companies understand “platform thinking” - lastly, I think the “building blocks” are shared across plays, so investing in one type of platform play in a way gives you an implementation headstart, but maybe not a strategic advantage (for example, scalability could be handy for an extensibility or composability play, but there are higher order problems)
First of all, this was more than 7 minutes 😂 . Platforms are definitely about reach, and to what end? I think of platforms as enabling *co-creation* as the key outcome: they allow for connected entities to unlock more value than if they did so independently. Love the ility's as a way to categorize and be deliberate about what you're aiming to achieve. Language is so important. Platform plays abound - look at Zoom, Asana, or even Notion as recent examples. Does it mean everything should be? I think it's important to note when a platform play is not appropriate. Thanks for your take and have a great weekend.
the only clarification I would make is that co-creation by 2 (or more) entities is the gist of extensibility - when one entity enables creation by other entities (vs co-creation), that to me is composability
As I was listening to this I couldn't help but wonder if one type of Platform play begets another? For example does extensibility beget composability which then begets scalability? To be successful as Platform business in the long run, isn't it some version of all three? p.s. really enjoyed all the articles you shared as well! can't believe that google/amazon rant is 10 years old.
I actually thought about this quite a bit before narrating - I actually don’t think there’s a “layering” required to execute (I’m sure if we spent enough time we could find products that were successful on one type of platform play but inconsequential in others) - that said you do find many products with all 3 plays happening because I think those companies understand “platform thinking” - lastly, I think the “building blocks” are shared across plays, so investing in one type of platform play in a way gives you an implementation headstart, but maybe not a strategic advantage (for example, scalability could be handy for an extensibility or composability play, but there are higher order problems)
First of all, this was more than 7 minutes 😂 . Platforms are definitely about reach, and to what end? I think of platforms as enabling *co-creation* as the key outcome: they allow for connected entities to unlock more value than if they did so independently. Love the ility's as a way to categorize and be deliberate about what you're aiming to achieve. Language is so important. Platform plays abound - look at Zoom, Asana, or even Notion as recent examples. Does it mean everything should be? I think it's important to note when a platform play is not appropriate. Thanks for your take and have a great weekend.
the only clarification I would make is that co-creation by 2 (or more) entities is the gist of extensibility - when one entity enables creation by other entities (vs co-creation), that to me is composability