Topic outline

  • Module 4 (23.-27.11.)

    MODULE 4 - DESIGNING PLATFORM BUSINESS MODELS (23.-27.11.)

    • Themes: Platforms as ecosystem-level business models. Platforms, panaceas, and critical thinking. Developing existing platforms and building new ones
    • Learning objectives: Identifying the core concepts of platforms as ecosystem-level business models; Identifying and comparing different approaches to platform economy; Identifying and applying ecosystem business model design tools


    Zoom link and information for all the meetings:

    • https://aalto.zoom.us/j/66257190874?pwd=b3hRUGdJZ2E3dG1tWEtIQTd4K250Zz09
    • Meeting ID: 662 5719 0874; Passcode: 059589


    **

    TUESDAY 24.11.

    MANDATORY READINGS

    • Cusumano, Michael A; Yoffie, David B; Gawer, Annabelle. The Future of Platforms. MIT Sloan Management Review; Cambridge Vol. 61, Iss. 3, (Spring 2020): 46-54.
    • Van Alstyne, M. W., Parker, G. G., & Choudary, S. P. (2016). Pipelines, platforms, and the new rules of strategy. Harvard business review, 94(4), 54-62.
    • (if you can't access the articles, scroll to the bottom of this page)


    Ville's notes: Having designed platforms since 2000s, and researched the topic academically from 2011, platforms are of course one of my favorite domains :) The two HBR articles give you not only a nice synthesis on the main concepts related to platform business models, but also an excellent picture on how platform thinking has evolved during the last 4-5 years.

    Tuesday's materials


    **

    THURSDAY 26.11.

    MANDATORY READING

    • Auvinen, H., Dufva, M., & Koivisto, R. (2018). Metaphors to describe and explore platform company strategies. Available at: https://cris.vtt.fi/en/publications/metaphors-to-describe-and-explore-platform-company-strategies


    Ville's notes: We will be running a platform design workshop on Thursday, and this paper gives an interesting twist to that exercise! Heidi, Mikko and Raija are my colleagues from VTT, and they have used Futures thinking methods to analyze weak signals from platform domain since 2011. One of the results is this cool application of organizational metaphors (from Morgan) to platform design. The metaphors give us a both critical and futures-oriented thinking frame, especially with regards to platforms' purposes in the business and society.


    Thursday materials
    • Workshop instructions (copy-paste link) https://www.dropbox.com/s/kjajvhjc7ezrjev/thu2611instructions.mp4?dl=0
    • Miro boards: 9-11, 12-14, 15-17

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