MODULE 2 - DESIGNING PLATFORM BUSINESS MODELS

Week 4: 22.1.-28.1.2024

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  • 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

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TUESDAY 23.1

In Ville's Tuesday session on 23.1.2023, we will discuss platform business models as ways to organize business models. We will first cover the basic concepts and then look into platform narratives that shape the future of ecosystem business. As a last part, we will look into data and information business in digital ecosystems. Instead of treating data and information as "the new oil" like the traditional literature, we will look at it from the perspective of "anti-rivalry." Data and information are exciting goods - instead of wearing out when used, they increase in value! This characteristic has significant implications for business models.

Ville has been researching the topic of "anti-rivalry" in the platform business for several years, and he has produced a "101 of anti-rivalry" MOOC in his current European Commission-funded project" ATARCA.”

To facilitate learning in this state-of-the-art topic, please complete the MOOC as a pre-task for Ville's Tuesday session! It is a mandatory task, but the points you get do not affect your course grade :) Completing the course takes 1-2 hours.

The address to the MOOC: https://atarca.eu/courses/introduction-to-anti-rivalry/

if any problems, please contact Ville: ville.eloranta@aalto.fi

ADDITIONAL AND OPTIONAL 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 HBR articles, here is direct link (only for use in this course):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x7ih695qrfh16sr/piplelines_platforms_and_the_new_rules_of_strategy.pdf?dl=0


Notes: These two  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 materials

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4ji9ounzil08o1loasw9h/businessmodeldesign_2024_week2_eloranta_platforms.mp4?rlkey=mqlvjb008y0vvhqt67vm2d8q2&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/h8pwemnkqtp7s6tz9h7ud/businessmodeldesign_2024_eloranta_antirival.mp4?rlkey=hvnn91sg0bmpzejd7407covan&dl=0

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THURSDAY 25.1.

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


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 Ville's 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.

Workshop instruction videos:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5qwrfglywdf2dil/thu2611instructions_1.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/88ciz4uni0mgzh9/thu2611instructions_2.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mkxpgtxjy9sk5n3/thu2611instructions_3.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zmjjojwn2yel8sn/thu2611instructions_extra.mp4?dl=0



Thursday materials 
  • Thursday Miro-boards:
  • H01: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVN4ofzAs=/?share_link_id=487210624106
  • H02: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVN4v8B58=/?share_link_id=14508677667
  • H03: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVN4v8BGw=/?share_link_id=713353882156

Last modified: Thursday, 25 January 2024, 9:58 PM