![]() So let’s think about whether you have a platform opportunity or not. Have we built a platform? Or just a product? This is where I’d like to spend the rest of this post - thinking about Steven’s concept of connecting parts of the value chain, along with Alex’s emphasis on how platform and ecosystem require each other. They are intrinsically dependent on each other. Or, in Alex’s language, platform and ecosystem co-evolve. Expose too much functionality, and any product improvement you make breaks your ecosystem, which ticks off partners. The platform paradox: expose too little functionality, and the platform isn’t useful. The platform opportunity was organic, and much of what we did as the platform team was simply unblocking, streamlining, and amplifying developer and partner demand. Inorganic.) Before we launched the platform at Slack developers were doing back bends to build with us - we did not make it easy for them, and it didn’t matter. I can’t emphasize how important and true this is (failed platforms are usually forced. The most successful platforms are the ones that grow up organically. Here’s what I think you need to know from this content: Take a spin through the deck if you’re thinking about platforms, you will be smarter for it. My other favorite way to understand platforms is Alex Komoroske’s “Gardening Platforms” principles. Most frequently, a platform offers a clearing house for value where it provides distribution and then packages up one side of the market to be consumed by the other side.” “…a platform brings together different parts of a value chain. I am already using this term with clients because it simplifies an often complicated concept. Platforms connect different parts of the value chain. ![]() Perhaps encouraging - every successful platform has a number of small failures along the way. I love Steven’s failure path summaries, and have seen every single one of these failure modes at companies I’ve worked with. What you need to know is, the paths to “platform” are many. You can do it with an API, with excellent UX, potentially through a plugin ecosystem, or by owning the data layer/storage (read Steven’s “Ultimate Guide” for a much more academic take on all of this). There are a number of ways to become a platform. I had the pleasure of getting to pre-read his content before it went live and a couple of things stood out: Since joining Calex, his responsibilities have included RCRA and SARA compliance, Title V permits, emission estimates, and air toxics testing.Steven Sinofsky recently published the best platform-definition that I’ve read (and I have been working on platforms for my entire career!). His responsibilities included the management of one of the largest Underground Chemical Storage facilities in the state of New Hampshire. As a production manager of a specialty chemical and polymer manufacturing facility, he was responsible for the inventory of hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals and the drafting and implementation of environmental, health, and safety programs. His process control experience includes the manufacture, application, and surface finishing of magnetic computer memory disk coatings. ![]() He was responsible for projects involving the design and installation of manufacturing facilities for various paper coatings, adhesives, polymers (suspension and solution) and the development of polymers used in the production of copy machine toners. Stiles is a Chemical Engineer with twenty six years of industry, research & development, production, process control, and management experience.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |