Platform Models are Dead — Long live Platform Models! An Ecosystem way for enterprises to scale and deepen the customer relationship.

For the uninitiated, A very brief introduction to platforms and ecosystems, before we dive into our main topic — I am going to use some examples from Andrew Chen’s The Cold Start Problem, a generalized definition for platforms and ecosystems, using Network effects.

I highly recommend this book for engineering leaders who want to understand the foundations of Platforms and Ecosystems, without any buzzwords.

I also believe the network effect-based paradigm is better encapsulation engineering problems compared to using the terms such as platforms and ecosystems.

A software product, e.g., Uber, a software platform with a 2-sided network, Riders and Drivers. Uber is a transportation company that never owned any cars, they just happen to be a leader in matching a previously highly inefficient process of finding a ride.

An iPhone is an example of a hardware and software ecosystem with an n-sided network, Customers, App Developers, Accessory providers, and IoT developers.

Uber has moved beyond a 2-sided network and has other services, including the Marketplace ecosystem, to help drivers and riders with additional partner services…