Platform Thinking: designing a Platform

Platforms changed the way we live and we do business. This module of the “Platform Thinking” series aims to help innovators in designing and building platforms.

At first sight, it may seem that platforms "simply" connect different kinds of users, as Airbnb links travelers and hosts or as Uber links drivers and riders. Well, this is true: platforms link different kinds of users. Nevertheless, this is just the enabling factor to have a platform, definitely not enough to describe the wide range of activities they actually do. Therefore, this module aims to assess the starting point of creating the platform, identifying the initial set of customers and the main challenging elements to bring the design forward. Then, it digs in the phases of kicking-off a new platform and then in managing its growth over time, becoming a real ecosystem. In other words, the course aims to present the main strategies and tactics to design, launch, and manage a platform. In the end, it introduces platform thinking steps, helping established companies evolve towards a platform model.